Program Spotlight: Berklee Institute for Arts Education and Special Needs

By: Dr. Rhoda Bernard*

The Berklee Institute for Arts Education and Special Needs is a catalyst for the inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of visual and performing arts education. Founded in 2017 as a result of the merger between Berklee College of Music and The Boston Conservatory, the Berklee Institute for Arts Education and Special Needs expands and continues the groundbreaking initiatives and programs in arts education and special needs begun by Dr. Rhoda Bernard at Boston Conservatory in 2007. Today, the Berklee Institute for Arts Education and Special Needs serves hundreds of students with disabilities and their families, as well as thousands of educators, artists, administrators, and community members through a wide range of programming and initiatives.

Areas of Work

Arts Education Programs for individuals with disabilities, ages 3 to 93, in music, dance, and theater (with visual arts under development). These programs include:

  • Music classes for young children ages 3-8

  • Introduction to musical instruments classes for children ages 6-8

  • Private music lessons for individuals age 9 and up

  • Rock band ensembles for students age 9 and up

  • the Inner Harmony chorus for students age 9 and up

  • an iPad ensemble for students age 9 and up

  • the Daytime Moon Creations theater program for students ages 9-15

  • two weeklong sessions of summer music day camp, known as ABLE Day Sessions, for students ages 9-17

  • two adaptive dance classes, known as Step by Step, for adolescent and young adult students

Graduate Programs in Music Education and Autism, which are the only programs of their kind in the world. These programs are designed for working teachers, with classes that meet in the summers and in the evenings during the academic year. It is possible to take courses in these programs at a distance through special arrangements.

  • Master of Music in Music Education (Autism Concentration) (30 credits)

  • Graduate Certificate in Music Education and Autism (15 credits)

Professional Development Programs, Workshops, Courses, and Consultations for educators, artists, cultural institutions, school districts, and more. Our signature event is annual three-day conference, the ABLE Assembly: Arts Better the Lives of Everyone, which will take place April 3-5, 2020 in Boston. We are also offering a free Music Education and Special Needs Study Group for teachers in January, February, and March 2020. Participation in the Study Group can take place in person or online (synchronously or asynchronously). 

Additional Projects

In addition to our work in the three areas above, the Berklee Institute for Arts Education and Special Needs is currently engaged in several projects, including:

Immersive Tools Project – developing virtual and augmented reality tools to assist people with disabilities in learning musical concepts, developing musical skills, and navigating performances, auditions, and other aspects of life as a musician.

ABLE Music Resource Center – creating an online repository of tools and resources for music educators to support them in their teaching of students with disabilities

Leadership Network in Arts Education and Special Needs – convening leaders to develop strategy to foster dialogue and advance the field of arts education and special needs.

Interested in Learning More?

If you would like to learn more about the Berklee Institute for Arts Education and Special Needs, contact Dr. Rhoda Bernard (Founding Managing Director) at biaesn@berklee.edu or rbernard@berklee.edu.

 

*Rhoda Bernard, Ed.D

Rhoda Bernard is the Founding Managing Director of the Berklee Institute for Arts Education and Special Needs, a catalyst for the inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of visual and performing arts education. She holds a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in government from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Music with academic honors in jazz voice from New England Conservatory. She earned both her Master of Education and Doctor of Education degrees from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Bernard regularly presents keynote sessions, workshops, and research at conferences throughout the United States and abroad, and she provides professional development workshops for educators in local, national, and international forums. Her work has been published in several book chapters and in numerous journals, including Journal of the Arts and Special Education; Music Educators Journal; Music Education Research; Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education; Mountain Lake Reader; and Arts and Learning Research Journal. Bernard has been honored with the Berklee Urban Service Award (2017), the Boston Conservatory Community Service Award (2011), the Boston Conservatory Faculty/Staff Spirit Award (2007), and the Outstanding Dissertation Award, Honorable Mention (Second Place) from the Arts and Learning Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association. An active arts education advocate, she is the vice chair (chair elect) of the Arts Education Advisory Council of Americans for the Arts, and she serves on their speakers bureau. A vocalist and pianist who specializes in jazz music and Jewish music in Yiddish and Hebrew, she performs regularly with a number of klezmer bands and has recorded two CDs with the band Klezamir.