Steve and Alan have an enlightening conversation with Dr. Rhoda Bernard, Founding Managing Director of the Institute for Accessible Arts Education. Rhoda shares groundbreaking insights into creating inclusive music classrooms. She discusses the challenges educators face in reaching students with diverse learning needs, offering practical strategies to remove barriers and unleash creativity. From understanding processing differences to implementing peer-assisted learning, Bernard provides a compassionate and innovative approach to music education that empowers every student to participate meaningfully. Whether you’re teaching elementary general music or leading a high school ensemble, this episode offers transformative ideas to make your classroom more accessible, engaging, and supportive for all learners.
Links:
- Accessible Arts Education: Principles, Habits, and Strategies to Unleash Every Student’s Creativity and Learning
- Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education
- Graduate Programs in Music Education and Autism
- Professional Development Programs
Social Media:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BerkleeIAAE
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/berkleeiaae/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@berkleeiaae
About Dr. Rhoda Bernard
Dr. Rhoda Bernard is the Founding Managing Director of the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education and the Assistant Chair of the Music Education Department at Berklee College of Music. 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 presentations and research at conferences throughout the U.S. and abroad, and she provides professional development workshops for educators in local, national, and international forums. Her book, Accessible Arts Education: Principles, Habits, and Strategies to Unleash Every Student’s Creativity and Learning was published in September 2025. Her work has been published in several book chapters and in numerous journals. Bernard has been honored with the Irene Buck Service to Arts Education Award from Arts|Learning (2023), 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 immediate past chair of the Arts Education Advisory Council of Americans for the Arts, and she serves on its 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.