Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education

Today's spotlight is to celebrate our former student, Ravi Burtner. We are absolutely thrilled to share that Ravi has been accepted to attend Syracuse University!

Ravi was awarded a full-tuition four-year merit scholarship, called the Setnor Music Award.

Congratulations, Ravi! We are so proud of their hard work and can't wait to watch them grow further in their musical career.



[Image description: Ravi Burtner stands in front of a cascading waterfall. They smile slightly, wearing a red shirt and olive green 3/4 zip up. They have dark curly hair and lightly rimmed golden glasses.]

Today we are taking a moment to shine the spotlight on a longtime BIAAE Instructor, Miles Wilcox.

Miles Wilcox, multi-instrumentalist and music educator. He teaches K–5 general music, band and orchestra, and string instrument lessons in the Newton Public Schools. At the BIAAE, he teaches private lessons, Ukulele Ensemble, and the Chamber Ensemble and co-teaches Rock Band Ensemble.

He regularly presents his work at the ABLE Assembly Conference and actively performs with the Me2/Orchestra in Boston. He received his MMEd from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and has earned a Level 1 introductory credential in Dalcroze eurhythmics from the Longy School of Music at Bard College.

We are so thankful for all the work Miles has done over his long history with the institute.



[Image description: Miles Wilcox stands, holding a microphone, wearing black pants and a floral button up shirt. He smiles brightly.]

Congratulations to the BIAAE's Jazz Trio for their amazing performance with Abilities: Amplified.

This performance took place at the Hatch Memorial Shell on June 3. Abilities: Amplified is fundamentally a celebration of people with disabilities. We showcase how technology can enable fuller participation, and how music can build bridges.

The Jazz Trio features BIAAE students Evan Taylor and Adam Smith, lead and assisted by BIAAE Instructor Stefan Winkler.

We are so proud!



[Image description: The Jazz Trio on stage of the Hatch Memorial Shell.]

We are so excited to announce Dr. Bernard's upcoming events for the Summer of 2026!

June

Arts in Society Conference in Athens, Greece - presentation: Making Music Education Accessible: Incorporating Accessible Music Education into Music Teacher Education

July

Neurodivergent Music Studies Conference (online) - presentation: A Two-Pronged Approach to Increasing the Accessibility of Collegiate Music Education

APME Conference in Sulmona, Italy - Keynote: Accessible Arts Education: Personal, Political, and Philosophical Perspectives

International Society for Music Education, Special Music Education and Music Therapy Commission Conference in Ottawa, Canada - presentation: Accessible Music Education in Higher Education: Challenges and Strategies

International Society for Music Education Conference in Montreal, Canada - presentation: Implementing Best Practices in Accessible Music Education

SEDAE (State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education) Book Talk Session

August

MICCA Conference in Hopkinton, MA - Keynote: Accessible Arts Education: Personal, Political, Philosophical, and Practical Perspectives on Arts Education for People with Disabilities



[Image description: Dr. Bernard stands at a podium. She wears a brown button up shirt and tortise shell rimmed glasses. She has shoulder length, curly, brown hair. Her left arm is raised.]

The newest episode of the ABLE Voices Podcast has just been released on all your favorite streaming platforms!

Head on over to your favorite podcast directory; Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Podcasts. You can also listen to ABLE Voices on YouTube. Make sure you subscribe to stay up to date with new episodes!

New episodes of ABLE Voices drop on the 1st and 15th of every month.

The ABLE Voices podcast is produced and edited by BIAAE Operations Coordinator, Daniel Martinez del Campo. The introduction music was written by Kai Levin, and the ending song was written by Sebastian Batista. Kai and Sebastian are students in the BIAAE's Arts Education Programs.

To subscribe and view more information, follow the link in our bio or click below:

https://college.berklee.edu/BIAESN/able-voices-podcast



[Image description: Podcast headphones rest on a microphone. Other podcast equipment is seen distantly in the background.]

For our staff highlight today, we'd like to focus our attention on the BIAAE Administrative Team! We are the small but mighty team that keeps the BIAAE running smoothly.

Our admin team consists of: Daniel Martinez Del Campo- Operations Coordinator, Oriana Inferrera- Office Coordinator and Instructor, Marlene Markard- Post Master's Fellow and Instructor, Eliza Shaughnessy- Administrative Assistant and On-site Campus Supervisor, Kayla Blaisdell- Administrative Assistant and Instructor, and Matias Moar- Administrative Assistant and Instructor.

Without them, our programs could not continue to grow and ensure that arts better the lives of everyone.

You can learn more about our Administrative Team by visiting our website or clicking the link below: https://college.berklee.edu/berklee-institute-arts-education-and-special-needs/faculty



[Image description: Collage of the BIAAE Administrative Team.]

With another semester at its end, we wanted to take a moment to thank the members of our advisory board for all of their support throughout the year.

Thank you to:

Portia Abernathy
Nicole Agois
Charles Baldwin
Emelyne Bingham
Andrew Clark
Blythe Corbett
Adrienne Flight
Jenna Gabriel
Chi G**k Kim
Alice Hammel
Stefani Langol
Victoria LaRiccia
Lisa Leach
Ruth C. Mercado-Zizzo
Kristen McCosh
Mryan Parker-Brass
Lisa Pierce Goldstein
Netta Rappaport
Stephen Shore
Elise Sobol
Charles Washburn
Bob Xavier
Ming Yuan Low
Jennifer Zuk

You can learn more about our Advisory Board members by going to our website or clicking the link below: https://college.berklee.edu/berklee-institute-arts-education-and-special-needs/advisory-board



[Image description: Collage of BIAAE Advisory Board members.]

We are excited to announce this year's Matthew Cooper Fellow Award recipients, Matthew Gleason and Joshua Rodrigues!

Matthew is an assistant teacher, and Joshua is a greeter with our Nurturing Leaders Program. In receiving this award, both Matthew and Joshua have distinguished themselves as leaders in their internships and at the BIAAE.

Congratulations, Matthew and Joshua!

To learn more about our Nurturing Leaders Program, you can visit our webpage or follow the link below: https://college.berklee.edu/BIAESN/nurturing-leaders-program



[Image description: Left to right- Matthew Gleason smiles, wearing a black suit jacket, light blue button-up shirt, and a blue tie. Matthew has short dark hair. He is in front of greenery outside. Joshua Rodrigues has his head turned to the side. He wears a white and green block-stripped shirt. Joshua has short, curly, dark hair. He smiles slightly.]