Faculty and Staff
Rhoda Bernard, Managing Director and Assistant Chair, Music Education
![Rhoda_Bernard_550](https://college.berklee.edu/sites/default/files/styles/scale_to_480px_width/public/2022-09/RhodaBernard_550.png?fv=791t0yM1&itok=8AcRKrvm)
Rhoda Bernard 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 work has been published in several book chapters and in numerous journals, including 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 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. Learn more about Bernard's speaking engagements.
Sarah Fard, Consultant
![Sarah_Fard_550](https://college.berklee.edu/sites/default/files/styles/scale_to_480px_width/public/2022-09/_MG_7802WEB%20%282%29_550.png?fv=oQWZXVHJ&itok=PV8v3Gut)
Sarah Fard is an educator and musician focused on creating a more accessible and inclusive music scene. She has taught a variety of music courses at all grade levels and currently teaches guitar, music technology, and adapted music at Medford High School in Medford, Massachusetts. She also teaches in both the online and on-campus master's degree in the music education program at Longy School of Music of Bard College. An avid advocate for inclusive and adaptive teaching methods, she has been with the BIAAE as an education consultant since 2017. She has led workshops and trainings on the topics of adapted music, music notation, and guitar education throughout the East Coast through various colleges and organizations. She received her B.M. in music education from the University of New Hampshire, her M.M.Ed. from Boston University, and a graduate certificate in music education and autism from Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
Victoria LaRiccia, Faculty
![Victoria_Lariccia_550](https://college.berklee.edu/sites/default/files/styles/scale_to_480px_width/public/2022-09/Victoria_550.png?fv=z42lMtKd&itok=Hq-Arj7P)
Raised in a musical household, Victoria LaRiccia taught herself guitar during her middle school, high school, and college years. After college, she founded two local bands, performing on bass, keyboard, and vocals, and discovered a passion for the stage and performance. During this time, LaRiccia began teaching students with autism and incorporated her love of music into her instruction. In 2008, LaRiccia became a consultant to Boston Conservatory’s programs for students on the autism spectrum, and she has been consulting since. LaRiccia has been a special-education teacher in the public schools of Brookline for middle school students with various moderate disabilities, including communication and emotional disabilities, Down syndrome, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorders, for several years. She earned a B.A. in psychology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Master of Education in special education/moderate disabilities from Cambridge College. LaRiccia has presented on the topics of music instruction and autism at numerous professional development workshops and conferences for educators and administration throughout Massachusetts. In 2016, she began teaching courses in Berklee's Music Education with a Concentration in Music and Autism graduate programs.
Katie Marshall, Consultant
![katie_marshall_550](/sites/default/files/2022-09/Katie%20Marshall_550.png?fv=FVMENHOe)
For 12 years, Katie Marshall has been working with children diagnosed with autism. While at Westfield State University, she studied vocal performance as well as psychology. After graduating, she began working in the field of applied behavior analysis as a home therapist. In 2009, she started working at a specialized school called Nashoba Learning Group, where she now works as a full-time clinical manager. Marshall graduated from Endicott College with a master's degree in education, specializing in special education and behavior analysis, in 2015.
Marlene Markard, Consultant, Instructor
![marlene_markard](https://college.berklee.edu/sites/default/files/styles/scale_to_480px_width/public/2023-06/Marlene%20Markard.jpg?fv=x1weCWSy&itok=qbGRN1ly)
Marlene Markard, M.M.Ed. (autism concentration), J.D., G.C.M.Ed. (graduate certificate in music education and autism), is a music educator who specializes in teaching students with a wide range of disabilities. Currently, Markard serves as an instructor, part-time staff member, and consultant at the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education (BIAAE), where she teaches piano and music history, a class she created. For the 2023–2024 academic year, she is currently serving as a post-master’s fellow at the BIAAE. The focus of her fellowship is advancing the field of social-emotional learning (SEL)-informed music education. She also teaches piano at the Westwood Prodigy Program and in her private music studio, Markard Music. Previously, Markard served as the director of the Westwood Prodigy Program, the director of the Beethoven Ensemble at the Boston Music Project (BMP), and the SEL specialist at BMP, where she created the program’s first SEL music curriculum. She actively facilitates professional development clinics and workshops in Massachusetts and New York. Every summer, she also teaches a BIAAE graduate-level class about gifted and twice-exceptional students. Markard earned her M.M.Ed. (autism concentration) with distinction from Berklee College of Music. She earned her graduate certificate in music education and autism from Boston Conservatory at Berklee. She also holds a J.D. from the Cardozo School of Law, where she was the senior managing editor of the Cardozo Women’s Law Journal. She earned her B.A., cum laude, from Barnard College, where she was a cross-registration student at the Manhattan School of Music. She is a classically trained pianist and holds a music certificate from the Mannes College of Music (pre-college division). Her teachers have included: Arkady Aronov, Solomon Mikowsky, Jane Carlson, Dalia Sakas, and Blanche Abram.
Daniel Martinez del Campo, Operations Coordinator
![Daniel_Martinez_550](/sites/default/files/2022-09/Untitled%202.png?fv=FtAhC-ng)
Daniel Martinez del Campo is a Berklee alumnus, holding a degree in guitar performance with a minor in psychology. During his time as a Berklee student, he worked for several years in the Office of Academic Affairs as a project supervisor, providing direct support to the offices of Institutional Assessment and Graduate Studies. Upon graduation, he worked briefly as an assistant in the Office of Institutional Assessment, aiding in data analysis and coding. An electric guitarist specializing in metal and rock, he has performed with a variety of notable acts, including the Atheist, At the Gates, Vitriol, and Fright Pig. In addition to pursuing a career as a performing and recording artist, he has worked as an independent music transcriber as well as for the publishing company Sheet Happens Music, releasing various tab and transcription books for metal, prog, and rock bands, including Revocation, Volbeat, and Christian Muenzner. Currently, he transcribes for TrueFire, one of the world's largest online guitar lesson libraries. He has also worked on projects for a variety of world-class guitar instructors of different styles, including Jeff McErlain, Sheryl Bailey, Stu Hamm, and Frank Vignola.
Assistants
- Oriana Inferrera, Administrative Assistant
- Marlene Markard, Post Master's Fellow (2023–2024)
- Rachel Weishoff, Administrative Assistant
- Julianne Fournier, Graduate Assistant
- Christina Han, Graduate Assistant
- Johanna Horn, Graduate Assistant
- Hana Chwe, Graduate Assistant
Instructors
![Emily_browne](/sites/default/files/2022-09/Emily%20Browne__0.png?fv=5GY80j8u)
Emily Browne is a vocalist, instrumentalist, and music educator who specializes in helping students of all abilities enjoy and participate in music. She loves sharing the joy of music with her students and guiding them on their musical journeys. Browne is currently an elementary music teacher in Framingham, Massachusetts. She also serves as a teacher for the Berklee United Sound chapter, which provides music education for adults with autism and Asperger's while removing barriers and fostering social change through music. Browne received her Bachelor of Music in music education from Berklee College of Music in 2020.
![Katie Bickford](/sites/default/files/2023-02/Katie%20Bickford.png?fv=g6jkDpZJ)
Katie Bickford is delighted to join the staff of BIAAE. Full time, Bickford works as an elementary music educator for Lawrence Public Schools and has experience teaching elementary through high school. Besides teaching, Bickford has also music directed and worked as a music consultant on numerous theatrical productions in the greater Boston area. Her education includes a B.M. in music education from Ithaca College and an M.M. in music education (autism concentration) from Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music.
![melanie_bourgeault](/sites/default/files/2021-10/Melanie%20Bourgeault_0.png?fv=T49xNLU4)
Melanie Bourgeault is a flutist and music educator specializing in teaching students with a wide range of learning differences. She currently teaches at the Lynn Vocational Technical Institute, which is part of the Lynn Public School system. She teaches private lessons on woodwind instruments at the BIAAE, where she also facilitates summer classes for the Day Sessions: ABLE Summer Music Program. She formerly served as the third– through eighth-grade general music and band teacher at the Curley K–8 School in Boston. She received her M.M.Ed. with an autism concentration from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and her B.M. in music education from the University of Delaware.
![hana_chwe](/sites/default/files/2023-12/Untitled.jpg?fv=2yznHKSf)
Hana Chwe is a pianist, vocalist, and cellist based in Boston. After moving last summer from Los Angeles, where she taught private lessons at Santa Monica Academy of Music and early childhood music classes at Stratford School, she entered Berklee's Master of Music in music education (autism concentration) program. Chwe currently works with Boston Music Project and teaches early childhood music with neurodivergent students. After graduation, she plans to continue her work with neurodivergent students of all ages and backgrounds.
![Erin_eberhardt_286](/sites/default/files/2022-09/Erin%20Eberhardt.png?fv=gPNdETG4)
Erin Eberhardt is a multi-instrumentalist and music educator specializing in teaching students with learning differences. She teaches piano, percussion, and horn at the Monteverdi Music School in Montpelier, Vermont. She teaches percussion, piano, and brass for the BIAAE, where she created and facilitates a Bucket Drumming Class. She also serves as a teacher for United Sound, BIAAE's peer-mentoring music club whose mission is to remove barriers and foster social change through music. She received her B.M. in music education from Berklee College of Music.
![Julianne-Fournier_286](/sites/default/files/2022-09/Julianne-Fournier_286.png?fv=W9m-ABoH)
Julianne Fournier is a vocalist and music educator who specializes in teaching neuro-diverse students. She currently teaches elementary music in New Jersey and is a private voice teacher at BIAAE. In addition to teaching, Fournier is an avid choral singer. She started singing in choir at the age of 7 with the Rhode Island Children's Choir and has not stopped singing since. Some of her choir experiences include being a member of Westminster Kantorei, the Jubilee Singers, Westminster Symphonic Choir, and the Grammy-nominated Williamson Voices. She received her B.M. in music education (voice) from Westminster Choir College and is currently pursuing her M.M.Ed. with an autism concentration at Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
![Marisa_Giangregorio_286](/sites/default/files/2022-09/Marisa_286.png?fv=RJBMqZtG)
Marisa Giangregorio is a multi-instrumentalist and music educator who specializes in teaching students with learning differences. She currently serves as a general music teacher at the Malden Early Learning Center and the music director at Special Needs Arts Programs, where she conducts two sections of the Sing Along Chorus. She is also an instructor at the BIAAE, where she teaches private lessons, cofacilitates the Inner Harmony Chorus, and is a staff member in the Day Sessions: ABLE Summer Music Program. Previously, she served as a music educator and autism intervention specialist at Somerville Public Schools. She received her M.M.Ed. with an autism concentration from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and her bachelor’s degree in music education from Boston University.
![Michael_Gruender_286](/sites/default/files/2022-09/Michael_Gruender_286.png?fv=YA3jyzcS)
Michael Gruender is a freelance clarinetist and music educator in the Boston area. Currently, he serves as co-principal of the Du Bois Orchestra in Cambridge, Massachusetts. As a chamber musician, he has performed in woodwind quintets, woodwind quartets, and clarinet quartets, such as the Dark Rose Ensemble, the Gale Force Winds, and the Ro-Wind Quintet. Previously, Gruender maintained a large private studio of clarinet, saxophone, and flute students at Music and Arts Center in Westborough, Massachusetts; now he teaches instrumental music in the Lynn Public Schools. Outside of performances and education work, he enjoys composing short works with electronic instruments and spending quality time with his partner and his corgi, Brodie. He holds a Bachelor of Music and a Bachelor of Arts in education from Rowan University as well as a Master of Music in performance from Boston Conservatory at Berklee. His primary teachers include Barbara Benedett, Dr. Rié Suzuki, and Michael Norsworthy.
![gretchen_hary](/sites/default/files/2021-10/Gretchen%20Hary_0.png?fv=-QorUb3F)
Gretchen Hary is a percussionist, arranger, and music educator. Her extensive teaching experience includes private lessons on marimba, timpani, orchestral snare, and drum set, as well as percussion ensembles, students with disabilities, theory, and musicianship. She currently teaches at ACES Educational Center for the Arts and the Neighborhood Music School, both in New Haven, Connecticut. She is also the founder of the C.S.I. Drumming program, an inclusive drum circle program that is designed to help develop communication and socialization skills in individuals with autism. She teaches percussion and music theory at the BIAAE and is a former adjunct instrumental teacher at Thomas Edison Middle School and a former band director with Connecticut Future Musicians. Hary has two lesson plans published in the book Teaching Music to Students with Special Needs: A Practical Resource by Alice M. Hammel. She received her G.C.M.Ed. with an autism concentration from Boston Conservatory at Berklee, her M.M. in percussion pedagogy from Belmont University, and her B.M. in percussion performance from Boston Conservatory.
![francis_hickey](/sites/default/files/2021-10/Francis%20Hickey.png?fv=gXx55Kag)
Francis Hickey is an electric and acoustic bassist and music educator specializing in teaching students with a wide range of disabilities. He's currently touring with Nashville-based artist Jimmy Connor and has previously opened for such artists as Rusted Root, Willie Nelson, the Wallers, Granger Smith, and Alison Krauss. A former member of award-winning Boston-based roots rock band the Adam Ezra Group, he appeared in a national advertising campaign for Luis and Clark Carbon Fiber Instruments. He teaches bass guitar, double bass, rock ensemble, music technology, and production courses at the Plugged In Band Program in Needham, Massachusetts. He also teaches private lessons and cofacilitates the iPad ensemble at the BIAAE. He recently completed his M.M.Ed. with an autism concentration from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and received his B.M. from Berklee College of Music, where he was a World Tour Scholarship recipient.
![Oriana_headshot](/sites/default/files/2024-01/Oriana%20Headshot%2023.jpeg?fv=FrvYuthF)
![rachel_jayson](/sites/default/files/2021-10/Rachel%20Jayson.png?fv=lh-Fq4NV)
Rachel Jayson has been an orchestra director at Lexington High School since 2009. Her ensembles have won many gold medals at the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association (MICCA) Concert Festival and have performed at Symphony Hall in Boston and Mechanics Hall in Worcester, Massachusetts. Jayson also teaches private string and piano lessons at the BIAAE. She performs regularly as a violist in the Boston-based art rock band Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys. She received her B.M. in viola performance and her M.M.Ed. from Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
![alan_jimenez_2](/sites/default/files/2024-08/Alana%20Jimenez_0.jpg?fv=KGoOrviC)
![nicholas_lam_2](/sites/default/files/2024-08/Nicholas%20Lam_0.jpg?fv=PRMo63ka)
Nicholas Lam was born and raised in Singapore and started playing the violin at the age of 4, going through the Suzuki Method and taking Exams with the Associate Board of the Royal School of Music (ABRSM), while performing several times a year with different ensembles, both jazz and classical. In 2021, he graduated from Temple University with a double degree in music performance and music education with first class honors. Lam is currently pursuing a Master's of Music Education (Autism Concentration) at Berklee College of Music and aims to be an effective advocate for students with disabilities and inclusive classrooms. He has been teaching music since 2016, seeking to promote inclusivity and education for all.
![xue_liu](/sites/default/files/2021-10/Xue%20Liu.jpg?fv=ylqfSa0-)
Xue Liu is a pianist and music educator who specializes in teaching students with learning differences. She currently serves as a private lesson instructor at the BIAAE and cofacilitates BIAAE's music history class, for which she codeveloped the curriculum. In addition, she is a piano instructor at the Westwood Prodigy Program and actively performs as a pianist. She received her M.M. in piano from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and is working toward her M.M.Ed. with an autism concentration at the Conservatory as well.
![hadley_lloyd](/sites/default/files/2021-10/Hadley%20Lloyd.jpg?fv=j93Szl9s)
Hadley Lloyd is a drummer and music educator who specializes in teaching students with disabilities. She regularly performs with different R&B, jazz, and funk bands, and is currently the drummer with a local Boston folk band. She serves as an instructor at the BIAAE, where she teaches private lessons, cofacilitates the Rock Band Ensemble, and teaches in the Day Sessions: ABLE Summer Music Program. In addition, she teaches private lessons and leads ensembles in community arts nonprofits in the Boston area. She received her B.A. from the University of Connecticut and recently completed her M.M.Ed. with an autism concentration at Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
![tomas_marquez](/sites/default/files/2021-10/Tomas%20Marquez.png?fv=5Tzl7iRB)
Tomas Marquez is a pianist, presenter, and award-winning specialized educator with more than 12 years of experience teaching students with disabilities. He currently works as a general music instructor in the Boston Public School system. He is also an instructor at the BIAAE, where he teaches piano, composition, and music technology. In addition, he facilitates professional development workshops through the BIAAE and regularly presents his work at the ABLE Assembly Conference. Previously, he served as the general music teacher at the May Center School in Randolph, Massachusetts, where he taught students with high-support needs. He received his M.M.Ed. with an autism concentration from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and his B.M. from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico.
![matt_mcdonell](/sites/default/files/2023-08/matt_mcdonnell.png?fv=ef5bLBlU)
Matt McDonnell is a multi-instrumentalist specializing in bowed string instruments. He currently teaches elementary string lessons in the Lynn Public School system. McDonnell is passionate about teaching his cello students music from genres outside of classical music. He believes that if students can connect with the music that they are playing, they will be more successful musicians with a drive to improve. He received his bachelor's degree in music education from Berklee College of Music, where he graduated summa cum laude in 2023. When he is away from music, McDonnell loves going to concerts, skiing, and traveling.
![Kayla](/sites/default/files/2021-10/Kayla%20McLaughlin.png?fv=XeYrrVgV)
Kayla McLaughlin is a vocalist and music teacher at the Thoreau Elementary School in Concord, Massachusetts, where she teaches general music to students with learning differences. She also teaches private voice and piano lessons in the Saturday program at the BIAAE, where she codirects the Inner Harmony Ensemble. Formerly, she served as the enrichment teacher at the Crossroads School, a residential school for students with autism, ages 3–22. She earned her M.M.Ed. with an autism concentration from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and her B.M. in voice from the Westminster Choir College.
![Krysta Mirisik](/sites/default/files/2023-02/K%20M.png?fv=ZzExHpdm)
Krysta Mirsik is currently pursuing a Master of Music in music education (autism concentration) at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in music education at Montclair State University with concentrations in French horn and voice. She is currently a K-8 general music teacher and band/choral director in the Passaic Public Schools in Passaic, New Jersey.
![matias_moar_borneo](/sites/default/files/2024-08/Mati%20Moar%20Borneo%20_0.jpg?fv=j78sE26P)
Matias Moar Borneo is a professional recording and touring drummer, as well as an educator, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, now based in Boston. He has been playing drums live and in studios for over 13 years, studying with renowned drummers, such as Francisco Mela, Daniel Piazzolla, Dave Di Censo, and more. He graduated from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Performance and has played venues such as Boch Theatre, Brighton Music Hall, and numerous festivals both in the U.S. and Argentina, the latest being Festival Hamilton Latino in Ontario, Canada. In addition to numerous performance-based jobs, Borneo has taught drums since age 17 and continues doing so, having a great passion for sharing music with students of all levels.
![nadia_castagna](/sites/default/files/2021-10/Nadia%20Castagna.jpg?fv=xWjcvu8L)
Nadia Castagna Morin is a music educator and presenter who specializes in teaching high- and low-support needs students with a wide range of learning differences. She teaches music at the New England Center for Children (NECC), a special education residential school in Southborough, Massachusetts. In addition, she serves as a cofacilitator of the BIAAE's Rock Band Ensemble, iPad Ensemble, Music Classes for Young Children, and music history class, for which she has codeveloped curricula. She regularly presents her work at the ABLE Assembly Conference and actively performs as a percussionist with the Me2/Orchestra in Boston. She received her M.M.Ed. with an autism concentration from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and will begin the ABA Specialization Program at NECC in the fall.
![Chris_Nifong](/sites/default/files/2023-04/Untitled.png?fv=RBMemq_t)
Christopher Nifong is a guitarist, percussionist, bassist, pianist, ukulelist, composer, and music educator specializing in teaching students with a wide range of learning differences. He actively performs in and around the Greater Boston area. He teaches ensemble and band at the Plugged In Band Program in Needham, Massachusetts, and at the BIAAE, and he recently completed his M.M.Ed. with an autism concentration at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. He received his B.M. in guitar performance from Berklee College of Music.
![rachel_pac](/sites/default/files/2023-08/rahcel_pac.png?fv=12No-A1K)
Rachel Pac is a music education major at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. She began her musical journey with the Suzuki violin method at age 4, quickly followed by classical voice training. At Berklee, she diversified her genre focus to study pop and R&B. She has been studying voice for the past 10 years in private lessons and choirs as well as focusing on learning different teaching methods in her time at Berklee as a music education major. As a music educator, Pac's pedagogy focuses on social emotional learning: building a safe learning environment with her students where they are able to flourish musically and be pushed to the best of their capabilities, trying different techniques and having fun working on music they enjoy, while elevating their musicality. Pac focuses on investing in her students—not only as musicians, but as people—and what kind of culture we create in the classroom.
![arleen_sherman](/sites/default/files/2021-10/Arleen%20Sherman.jpg?fv=9JUbS3fN)
Arleen Sherman has more than 25 years of experience teaching music to neuro-diverse students. She owns and operates her own music studio in Rhode Island. She is also a piano instructor at the BIAAE and cocreator and cofacilitator of the Daytime Moon Creations Theater Program there. In addition, she serves as a private lesson educational consultant for the BIAAE, training and supporting other BIAAE piano instructors. She received her G.C.M.Ed. with an autism concentration from Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
![valerie_snow](/sites/default/files/2021-10/valerie%20snow.png?fv=elmciyFH)
Valerie Grimes Snow is a pianist and music educator with more than 27 years of teaching experience. She currently serves as the director of the Private Music Department at the Dedham Country Day School, where she is also a piano instructor and the school accompanist for class plays, assemblies, and events. She owns and operates her own music studio, the Valerie Snow Piano Studio, in Needham, Massachusetts. In addition, she teaches private piano classes at the BIAAE. She formerly performed as a pianist with the Parkway Concert Orchestra in Norwood, Massachusetts, and as the church service pianist for the Unitarian Church in Medfield, Massachusetts. Snow has served as piano instructor at the Integrated Learning Academy of Newton in Newton, Massachusetts, and in Brookline High School in Brookline, Massachusetts. She received her M.M.Ed with an autism concentration from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and her B.A. from the University of New Hampshire, and has studied extensively through the New England Conservatory's School of Continuing Education.
![benjamin_tan](/sites/default/files/2021-10/Benajmin%20Tan.png?fv=ZK011NVN)
Ben Tan has taught piano and voice at the BIAAE since 2017. Tan also serves as a mentor in the Nurturing Leaders program at Berklee. He teaches music at the David A. Ellis Elementary School. Previously, he taught music and chorus at Umana Academy and at Carver Elementary School. He earned his M.M. in music education at Boston Conservatory at Berklee in 2018. A classically trained pianist and vocalist, he performs as the pianist of Cambridge Common Voices, an inclusive choir at Harvard University; serves as a music director for community theater productions; and performs in an oldies cover band. Tan has years of experience in music education and in working with students with disabilities, English language learners, and students with mental and emotional impairments.
![monty_3](/sites/default/files/2024-08/monty_0.jpg?fv=sUsGD1Z0)
Montserrat Turriza is a Mexican-American educator with an undergraduate degree from Berklee and is currently pursuing a Master's in Music Education (Autism Concentration) at Berklee. She teaches instrumental band at the Margarita Muñiz Academy in Boston and has experience working with students of all ages, including those with autism and ADHD. Montserrat is dedicated to practicing inclusive music education that supports and celebrates diverse learning needs.
![maria_doreste](/sites/default/files/2024-08/Maria%20Doreste%20Velazquz.png?fv=kNpzRUUX)
Maria Doreste Velazquez is a music educator with more than 11 years of experience. She teaches general music and coordinates the instrumental program at the Edison School, part of the Boston Public School system, where she teaches students with a wide range of learning differences. Since 2012, she has taught piano at the BIAAE, where she also developed and facilitates the Introduction to Musical Instruments class. In 2018, she was named a Music Educator Teaching Artist (META) Fellow. Through her fellowship, she codeveloped culturally responsive teaching tools and resources for arts educators. She regularly presents her work at the ABLE Assembly Conference. She received her M.M.Ed. from Boston Conservatory.
![Emily_Vincent](/sites/default/files/2022-09/Emily%20Vincent%20250.png?fv=ugf6L4ng)
Emily Vincent is a Boston-based soprano, music educator, voice teacher, and arts administrator. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in music as well as community, youth, and education studies from Clark University. In her studies, Vincent focused on vocal performance and has conducted research on fostering communities of acceptance and collaborative learning. Vincent has been teaching music and theatre for six years to students of all ages as the drama specialist at Thompson Recreation’s summer camp. She is the current program manager at VOICES Boston, a children’s choir for singers in grades K-8. Vincent is currently pursuing her Master of Music in music education at Boston Conservatory at Berklee and is committed to giving students access to inclusive music and theater curriculum, as it is her favorite way to spread joy.
![rachel_weishoff](/sites/default/files/2021-10/Rachel%20Weishof.png?fv=7U4CvLS9)
Rachel Weishoff is a vocalist and music educator who teaches private and group music lessons to early childhood students through the university level. She has over a decade of experience working with children, adults, and seniors with a range of disabilities in educational, supportive, and therapeutic settings. She teaches voice lessons, iPad Ensemble, and Inner Harmony Ensemble for the BIAAE, and also holds positions in the Boston, Lawrence, and Worcester, Massachusetts, public schools, teaching music in inclusive and special education classrooms. She has a master’s degree in musical arts from Yale University and is currently pursuing her master's degree in music education and autism at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, where she also has two graduate assistantship positions.
![photo of Miles Wilcox](/sites/default/files/2021-10/Miles%20Wilcox_2.jpg?fv=HavrfWJq)
Miles Wilcox is a 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 and coteaches Music for Young Children, Rock Band Ensemble, Ukulele Ensemble, and the music history class, for which he codeveloped curricula. He regularly presents his work at the ABLE Assembly Conference and actively performs with the Me2/Orchestra in Boston. He received his M.M.Ed. 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.
![steven_wrinkler](/sites/default/files/2024-08/Steven%20Wrinkler.jpeg?fv=IFyi20k5)
![Immei Wong](/sites/default/files/2022-10/Immei%20250.png?fv=nPNDrX0l)
Immei Wong is a violinist originally from Macau, China. She holds a bachelor’s degree in music from Boston Conservatory, and master’s degrees in music performance and music education from Boston Conservatory. She has been a teaching artist at BIAAE since 2014. As an orchestral player, she performs with Boston Civic Symphony and New England Philharmonic. She also participated in orchestras for many performances in Macau, such as Macau Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO) and Macau Virtuosi. She has performed around the world with MYSO, including Austria, Australia, France, Portugal, and mainland China. Wong believes all children are capable of musical learning, regardless of their diverse abilities. As a musician and a teacher, she strives to bring out the musical talents of her students and provide them with a safe and joyful learning environment. When Wong isn’t teaching, she enjoys spending time cooking and hanging out with friends.
![sofija_zlatanova](/sites/default/files/2021-10/Sofija%20Svlatanova.png?fv=BYLYvO3U)
Sofija Zlatanova is a music educator and internationally acclaimed, prize-winning violist and violinist. She offers viola and violin instruction through her own music studio, Zlatanova Music, and through the Office for the Arts at Harvard University. She also teaches violin, viola, and composition at the BIAAE and is the founder of the Youth Orchestra with Different Abilities, an inclusive youth orchestra. She actively performs as a soloist and chamber player throughout the U.S., Croatia, and Europe. She has won several national and international viola competitions and performed in Carnegie Hall, and she's also received two awards for her musical and humanitarian accomplishments in Skopje, Macedonia. Zlatanova received her degree in viola performance from the National Music Academy in Skopje and attended the Trinity Laban Conservatoire for Music and Dance in London as a scholarship recipient. She earned her performance diploma from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and her M.M.Ed. with an autism concentration from the Conservatory as well, where she served as a post-master's degree fellow.
![Jimena_Zubieta_286](/sites/default/files/2022-09/Jimena_Zubieta_286.png?fv=dkc6M5XS)
Jimena Zubieta was born in Bogotá, Colombia. She received her bachelor's degree in musical studies with an emphasis in musical education from Pontificate Javeriana University in Colombia. She is a current student in the Master of Music in music education (autism concentration) program at Berklee. Zubieta has taught music theory and piano to a wide range of students, including adults with cognitive disabilities.