Portrait of Rhoda Bernard
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Rhoda Bernard

Managing Director, Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education; Assistant Chair, Music Education Department
rbernard@berklee.edu
Telephone
617-747-2760

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Rhoda Bernard joined the Conservatory in 2004, and is now the managing director of the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education. Bernard also oversees the Master of Music in music education (autism concentration) and Graduate Certificate in music education and autism programs.

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 received her master’s and doctorate degrees in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Read Bernard's full bio.

Professional Awards and Recognitions

  • Irene Buck Service to Arts Education Award from Arts|Learning (2023)
  • Berklee Urban Service Award (2017)
  • Boston Conservatory Faculty/Staff Community Service Award (2011)
  • Boston Conservatory Faculty/Staff Spirit Award (2007)
  • Outstanding Dissertation Award, Honorable Mention (Second Place), Arts and Learning Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association (2005)
Education
  • Harvard University
    Massachusetts
    Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
    Education
  • Harvard University
    Massachusetts
    Master of Education (MEd)
    Art Education
  • The New England Conservatory of Music
    Massachusetts
    Bachelor of Music (BM)
    Jazz Studies
  • Harvard University
    Massachusetts
    Bachelor of Arts (BA)
    Political Science
In Their Own Words

As a teacher, my job is to help my students to find their own voices as musician-teacher-scholars. I believe that learning is a process of identity construction, and that good teaching creates the conditions for students to discover and express who they are. As an administrator, I am deeply committed to providing safe spaces and opportunities for everyone to study and participate in music and the arts. I believe that the arts are integral to what makes us human, and that arts education is a basic human right. I have dedicated my career to expanding access to the arts and arts education for all.