Part of the Berklee College of Music, the Berklee Institute for Arts Education and Special Needs (BIAESN) is a catalyst for the inclusion of individuals with special needs in all aspects of performing and visual arts education.  Members of the faculty and teaching staff at the BIAESN teach arts education lessons and classes to people with a wide range of exceptionalities, train the next generation of educators, and help working professionals to develop their skills.

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Since January 2019, Marlene Markard has been a member of the faculty at the BIAESN, where she teaches general music classes, private piano lessons, and music history to students with exceptionalities.  Marlene also develops and facilitates Career Readiness training sessions for Nurturing Leaders Program students at the BIAESN.  This program provides important career readiness skills and paid work experience for selected BIAESN students.  

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In 2020, Marlene was invited to serve as a Post-Graduate Fellow at the BIAESN, but the fellowship was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Instead, Marlene joined the BIAESN's administrative staff, where she leads curriculum and program development initiatives.  Some of her initiatives include ConnectABLE (the BIAESN's permanent virtual arm) and comprehensive musicianship classes (Theory, Ear Training, Music Technology, and Music History).  With the support of Dr. Rhoda Bernard, the BIAESN's Managing Director, both initiatives began to be rolled out in 2021.  These initiatives are groundbreaking, first-of-their kind programs, designed for students with disabilities.

    

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