Music is the

   key to unlocking the door  

"Every child who walks through the door is capable of learning something. It's my job to figure out how to make sure they do."

Spencer Hua - 2016

The Warsaw Concerto
​by Addinsell

Welcome to www.bethbauerpiano.com

Dr. Beth Bauer

Spencer Hua - 2014

Sonata No. 11 in A major, K. 331

by Mozart

After earning a Bachelor's and Master's degree in piano performance, a hand injury prevented me from pursing my goal of becoming a professional pianist. While I still love to perform, my professional journey has taken a different path: to develop a special needs program for persons with special needs. I enjoy doing what others say can't be done and it is my goal to instruct students others often see as unteachable.

Early in my journey, I consulted a variety of special education educators and texts and used that knowledge to create a teaching system that features a color-coded keyboard, games, clear expectations, and various rewards.  I went on to earn a doctorate from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, where I wrote a dissertation titled, ""What Should Be an Appropriate Approach to Piano Instruction for Students with Down Syndrome?"

Presently, I am on faculty in the conservatory at Wheaton College. I also teach at Wheaton's Community School of the Arts, where I founded Beethoven's Buddies, its special needs music program.

Beth's Students

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