Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

After Tragedy, Daniel Beilman Found a New Path in Music. The Recording Academy Took Notice.

12/12/2024

After Tragedy, Daniel Beilman Found a New Path in Music. The Recording Academy Took Notice. A car accident left Beilman temporarily deaf and blind, but he returned to music as a teacher. The rewards have been many.

By

Cheston Knapp

December 12, 2024

Daniel Beilman B.M. '14

Image courtesy of artist

Earlier this year, Daniel Beilman B.M. '14 was named a quarterfinalist for the prestigious Music Educator Award from the Recording Academy and Grammy Museum. This recognition has been humbling and unexpected. Growing up, Beilman dreamed of a career as a bassoonist. If he thought of teaching at all, it was as a means toward this end. But he's found that helping students with disabilities achieve new milestones has been a gift beyond reckoning.

It's been the most incredible and fulfilling job I've ever had, he says of his work at Oak Park School in Sarasota, Florida. I had a student today who said his first five words. Ever. And he's a junior in high school. Things like this happen all day, every day.

Beilman uses music as a tool to help his students feel more comfortable with themselves and the world, which helps them build the confidence they sometimes lack.

Allowing music to be a form of communication, a way of learning how to speak or hear, is truly special, he says, adding that music has been a big part of his recovery from a car accident that left him temporarily unable to do either.

When Beilman graduated from Boston Conservatory at Berklee, he was on track to having the life of his dreams. He was traveling the world to play with orchestras, teaching in cities across Europe, and writing new music with ambitious composers. But in the spring of 2020, while driving to a hike, he lost control of the wheel. His car flipped and turned his world completely upside down.

Over the next six months, his hearing and sight slowly returned. . . . For almost two years, he couldn't bring himself to even dream of playing his bassoon.In a movie of his life, this would be where the flashback montage happens. Beilman at six: stealing his sister's clarinet and playing along to The Lion King soundtrack. In middle school: falling in love with the bassoon after seeing a Disney commercial in which a young girl plays the The Sorcerer's Apprentice and her toys spring to life. At the Conservatory: staying up into the small hours playing with his classmates. In his mid-20s: pinching himself as he sits in with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Berliner Philharmoniker.

When Beilman woke up in the hospital, the fear he felt was literally unspeakable. In and out of medically induced comas, he couldn't see, hear, or move. After stabilizing, he endured extensive facial reconstructive surgery, with over 60 implants and more grafts than he can remember. After his release, 21 days later, he realized that his journey to recovery had just begun. With the horrific behind him, what lay ahead was merely awful.

Over the next six months, his hearing and sight slowly returned. To relearn how to use his facial muscles, he said his ABCs again and again, exaggerating each letter, and slowly regained his ability to speak. For almost two years, he couldn't bring himself to even dream of playing his bassoon.

My doctors said that if I blew too hard, a lot of things could happen, he says. So I was hesitant.

He's playing again now, though. And while he's not at the same level he was at before the accident, he's still able to find the joy that drove him to the instrument and to music-the same joy he loves seeing in the faces of his students. And he's discovered a deep well of sympathy has opened inside him after his experience of being deaf and blind. I get sad and emotional if I think about not playing and performing again, he says. But now, no longer playing just for himself, he lives with a profound sense of purpose.

Related Categories

Berklee Today

News

Most Popular

Rihanna sings during the Concert for Valor in Washington, DC, November 11, 2014.

Image by EJ Hersom / CC-BY-2.0

This Rihanna Song Has Secret' '80s Easter Eggs The SOS songwriter revealed a nostalgic twist to the lyrics, and it's going viral on TikTok.

Latest

Alissia Benveniste BM '14

Grammy-Nominated Producer Alissia Benveniste Makes Magic, Inside and Outside the Studio Since graduating a decade ago, bassist Benveniste has been exploring collaborations with legends and forging new creative connections.

Tina Davis, president of the independent distributor, record label, and publisher EMPIRE and Tonya Butler, chair of Berklees Music Business/Management Department.

Image courtesy of Music Business/Management

Berklee Honors Tina Davis, President of EMPIRE, at Annual Music Business Lecture Series The leader of one of the most successful independent record labels shared insights at the 31st annual James G. Zafris Lecture Series.

Daniel Beilman B.M. '14

Image courtesy of artist

After Tragedy, Daniel Beilman Found a New Path in Music. The Recording Academy Took Notice. A car accident left Beilman temporarily deaf and blind, but he returned to music as a teacher. The rewards have been many.

Read All

Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.
LINK: https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/the-music-teacher...
See more stories from berklee

Most recent headlines

06/10/2025

France Tlvisions Wins Prestigious 2025 EBU Technology & Innovation Award in Groundbreaking Collaboration with Dalet

France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...

04/09/2025

Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Dalet Win Prestigious 2025 NAB Show Project of the Year Award

Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...

08/07/2025

Carr Applauds Restoration of FCC Auction Authority

WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr is applauding the passage of President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill and provision...

08/07/2025

Channel 7 Sydney Chooses RTS and Magna Systems for ST-2110 Upgrade

SYDNEY RTS has announced that Channel 7 Sydney has deployed a new comms system from RTS as part of a larger ST-2110 upgrade....

08/07/2025

Gray Media and Scripps Agree to Swap TV Stations

ATLANTA & CINCINNATI Gray Media, Inc. and The E.W. Scripps Company have entered into agreements to swap television stations across five mid-sized and small mark...

07/07/2025

SBS Farewells Chair George Savvides AM

SBS Farewells Chair George Savvides AM 7 July, 2025 Media releases Born of Greek Cypriot parents, Mr Savvides joined the SBS Board as Deputy Chair in Febru...

07/07/2025

Staying Ahead of the Threat - Everywhere, Any Time

Advanced vision solutions deliver more than reliable night vision for tactical-edge warfighters. Today's technological advances can provide the capability f...

07/07/2025

Sinclair Names Narinder Sahai EVP and Chief Financial Officer

BALTIMORE Sinclair has named Narinder Sahai its executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective immediately....

07/07/2025

Riedel Communications Launches RefSuite Ecosystem for Spo...

Riedel Communications today announced the launch of RefSuite, a powerful new Managed Technology solution tailored to professional sports workflows. RefSuite com...

07/07/2025

Skandha Media Services expands MENA presence with new off...

Regional base will foster client engagement, partner collaboration, and executive touchpoints Skandha Media Services, a leading provider of cloud-native media ...

07/07/2025

ASG-Produced Video Wins Gold Telly Award

Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, announced its Against All Odds - ASG Builds Cutti...

07/07/2025

Skandha Media Services announces collaboration with Warne...

Agreement secured on the strength of Skandha's proven track record in delivering reliable managed services across the full content life cycle for existing h...

07/07/2025

1-2 Punch: The Cloud, Generative AI, and the Future of Sports-Content Distribution

1-2 Punch: The Cloud, Generative AI, and the Future of Sports-Content Distributi...

07/07/2025

Formula E: Host Broadcaster Aurora on Launching New AR Graphics at the Jakarta E-Prix

Tests and decisions: Formula E host broadcaster Aurora on launching new AR graph...

07/07/2025

Formula E: Using New AR Graphics for Storytelling at the Formula E Penultimate, Final E-Prix of the Season

Building tension: Using new AR graphics for storytelling at the Formula E penult...

07/07/2025

SVG Rewind: Four NFL Clubs Bring Us on Set of Respective Media Day Shoots

SVG Rewind: Four NFL Clubs Bring Us on Set of Respective Media Day Shoots An in-depth conversation with 49ers Laura Johnson, Ravens Jay O'Brien, Las Vegas R...

07/07/2025

Cosm To Build Fifth Shared Reality Venue in Cleveland as Part of Bedrock's Rock Block' Development

Cosm To Build Fifth Shared Reality Venue in Cleveland as Part of Bedrock's ...

07/07/2025

'She Walks in Darkness', Agustn Daz Yanes' New Film, Premieres on Netflix on October 17

Back to All News She Walks in Darkness, Agust n D az Yanes New Film, Premieres ...

07/07/2025

2025-07-07

CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA As Apple Music marks its 10th anniversary this year, Apple unveils its most ambitious creative project to date: a brand-new state-of-the...

07/07/2025

RT Announces Mark Bignell as new Commissioning Editor for Comedy

RT has announced that Mark Bignell has been appointed Commissioning Editor for Comedy following a public competition. This senior editorial position will drive...

05/07/2025

'Superestar,' the Story of a Star Who Never Changed. Premiering July 18

Back to All News Superestar, the Story of a Star Who Never Changed. Premiering July 18 Entertainment 05 July 2025 GlobalSpain Link copied to clipboard Dis...

04/07/2025

Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Tadashi Nakamura, the Filmmaker Behind Third Act

By Lucy Spicer Editor's note: We are deeply saddened by the passing of Robe...

04/07/2025

Spotify Partners With The Reading Agency to Bring the Summer Reading Challenge to Life Through Audio

The Summer Reading Challenge has inspired children across the U.K. to embrace a ...

04/07/2025

Introducing CVP Auctions: Trusted Tech, At Auction-Only Prices

Introducing CVP Auctions: Trusted Tech, At Auction-Only Prices Brie Clayton July 4, 2025 0 Comments A New Destination for Film and Broadcast Gear at U...

04/07/2025

Unveiling China's Ecological Wonders with URSA Mini Pro 12K

Unveiling China's Ecological Wonders with URSA Mini Pro 12K Brie Clayton July 4, 2025 0 Comments Nature Documentaries Freeze Epic Momentsin Extrem...

04/07/2025

Create Any Planet in After Effects

Create Any Planet in After Effects Graham Quince July 4, 2025 0 Comments The Advanced 3D renderer in After Effects makes it really easy to import 3D o...

04/07/2025

Custom Gradient Colorize for Resolve Fusion

Custom Gradient Colorize for Resolve Fusion Simon Ubsdell July 4, 2025 0 Comments Digging into the theory of the gradient colorize process to build ou...

04/07/2025

NESN Gives Red Sox-Reds Matchup a Retro Makeover

Watching live sports on TV these days is a delicate balance for broadcasters how much information is too much?...

04/07/2025

FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for July Open Meeting

WASHINGTON As Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr works to achieve his goal of a very busy, productive summer at the FCC, the agency has rele...

04/07/2025

Other World Computing Launches OWC Guardian USB-C Hardware-Encrypted Portable SSD

Other World Computing Launches OWC Guardian USB-C Hardware-Encrypted Portable SS...

04/07/2025

CANAL+ Brings MotoGP to Vision Pro with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive

CANAL Brings MotoGP to Vision Pro with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive Brie Clayton July 3, 2025 0 Comments Experience MotoGP like never before as CA...

04/07/2025

Official trailer revealed for new season of BAFTA-winning Sky Original comedy Mr Bigstuff, coming 24 July

Friday 4 July 2025 Watch the trailer here https://youtu.be/Od5WpvWmDr8 Further...

04/07/2025

Join RT Radio 1 for The Pitch, a new series exploring the heart of Ireland's GAA Clubs

The Pitch comes to RT Radio 1 airwaves this Sunday at 7pm. The Pitch is a brand...

03/07/2025

Introducing: New Carts

For our Vario-Jib, as well as for a repertoire of weights, we now have carts that make transport easier...

03/07/2025

Introducing: Slider Drive Unit

One of our latest innovations: Slider Drive Unit! Our Vario Slider not only comes with improvements and new features, but also with its own drive unit! Our i...

03/07/2025

Introducing: ARRI EVO 360

The 360 EVO lives up to its name: 360-degree rotation not only on the pan axis, but also on the roll axis, enables filmmakers to take their creative visions eve...

03/07/2025

Panther at BSC EXPO 2025

What a buzzing few days at BSCExpo in London! We were thrilled to connect with so many talented professionals from the world of cinematography. A huge thank ...

03/07/2025

"The whole rig had to be detachable mid-episode

ADOLESCENCE - Shot with Panther Tower"The whole rig had to be detachable mid-episode Netflix limited drama series Adolescence has been gaining attentio...

03/07/2025

Advanced Communication Systems Unleash a Tactical Advantage in Modern Combat Operations

To achieve a true level of decisive overmatch, communication systems must be as ...

03/07/2025

Paramount's Ray Hopkins Joins Broadcasters Foundation Board

The Broadcasters Foundation of America has named Ray Hopkins, president of U.S. distribution at Paramount Global, to its board of directors....

03/07/2025

FCC Chair Carr Lays Out Infrastructure Policy Agenda

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. In his first major policy speech, Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr outlined his Build America Agenda for the agency'...

03/07/2025

TV Tech's Top NextGen TV Stories of 2025

As the industry is making a major push to transition to NextGen TV and develop new businesses that will fund the next generation of broadcasting, TV Tech's ...

03/07/2025

Netflix Rolls Out AV1 Film Grain Synthesis Streams for Film Content

Despite enabling its subscribers to watch films and TV shows in the highest possible resolution, Netflix has revealed it is taking things old school with the in...

03/07/2025

FCC's Gomez, Sen. Markey, Critics Blast Paramount-Trump Settlement

WASHINGTON In response to news that Paramount Global has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit by President Donald Trump, Democrats and other administra...

03/07/2025

Riedel Communications Unveils RefSuite Sports Ecosystem

WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications today launched RefSuite for professional sports workflows....

03/07/2025

LYNX Technik Appoints New Executive Leadership Team

WEITERSTADT, Germany LYNX Technik, a provider of modular signal processing solutions, has announced that founder and longtime CEO Winfried Deckelmann is steppin...

03/07/2025

CTA, NCTA, LPTVBA Meet With FCC to Oppose NAB's ATSC 3.0 Petition

WASHINGTON Representatives from six trade groups representing tech, pay TV, broadband, LPTV and other sectors recently met with Federal Communications Commissio...

03/07/2025

Dan Whealy Acquires Heartland Video Systems

PLYMOUTH, Wis. Dan Whealy has acquired Heartland Video Systems and will be its new owner and president, the systems integrator said....

03/07/2025

Filmmaker Jay Holben Releases The Directors Guide to Ever...

Acclaimed filmmaker, educator, and industry veteran Jay Holben has released his most ambitious work to date: The Director's Guide to Everything a sweeping...