Amy M. Burns

Elementary Music Technology and Integration

Amy M. Burns has taught PreK-grade 4 general music for over 25 years at Far Hills Country Day School (FH) (https://www.fhcds.org/). She also teaches grade 5 instrument class, directs the FH Philharmonic, is the Performing Arts Department Manager, and teaches privately in the after-school conservatory after being the director for over 20 years. She has authored four books and numerous articles on how to integrate tech into the elementary music classroom. She has presented many sessions on the topic, including four keynote addresses in TX, IN, St. Maarten, and AU. She is the recipient of the 2005 Technology in Music Education (TI:ME) Teacher of the Year, the 2016 New Jersey Music Educators Association (NJMEA) Master Music Teacher, the 2016 Governor’s Leader in Arts Education, and the 2017 NJ Nonpublic School Teacher of the Year Awards. Her most recent publication, Using Technology with Elementary Music Approaches (2020), published by Oxford University Press (OUP) is available from OUP and Amazon. Burns is also the Community Coordinator for Midnight Music (MMC) at https://midnightmusic.com/, the General Music Chair for NJMEA Board of Directors, and the Elementary Music Consultant for MusicFirst (https://www.musicfirst.com/), a company built by music educators for music educators, dedicated to helping music teachers and their students make the most of technology in the classroom.

Looking for my YouTube Channel, or the manipulatives for my Play-Along Videos, click on the social feed buttons below!

Color By Notes: Fall Edition

October 21, 2025  /  Amy M. Burns

Greetings from Nashville!


This week, I took some personal days from school to collaborate with the talented team at MusicFirst Elementary (https://www.musicfirstelementary.com/site/) to update and improve our elementary music curriculum. While I’m away, I wanted to share a fun resource I’ve created that you might find useful in your own classroom.

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I’ve put together a set of "Color by Note" pages designed specifically for your younger students. Each page features a key that tells students which note value corresponds to a specific color, and this key remains consistent throughout the packet. There are 10 coloring pages in total, each featuring a different fall theme. One page is Halloween-themed ("Purple People Eater"), so feel free to skip any pages that might not fit with your classroom needs.

Some of the pages are simple, with just two colors, while others are a bit more complex, using up to 7 colors. You can pick and choose the pages based on your available supplies and how much time you want to spend on each activity.

Musical Selections to Pair with the Activity

At the bottom of each coloring page, I’ve suggested a musical selection to pair with the activity. However, feel free to choose your own music based on your students’ preferences or what fits best with your teaching theme. I’ve included two versions of the coloring pages: one with the music suggestions and one without, giving you some flexibility.

Here are the musical suggestions to accompany the coloring pages:

Download the Free PDF File!

You can easily download the free PDF file from my Extras Page. These coloring pages are perfect for those days when you need a quick sub plan or when you want to give your students some time to listen to music while working on a fun, relaxing activity. I hope you find these resources helpful and that they add some extra joy to your fall lessons!

https://buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech/extras

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#techtiptuesday Using Canva's Magic (AI) Tools for Five Little Pumpkins - Song/Embellished Story/Play-Along

October 14, 2025  /  Amy M. Burns

In the past, I researched Canva's AI tools and had it rewrite the song, Five Little Pumpkins, and turn it into a whimsical tale. It was amusing, to say the least. I had fun using Canva to illustrate and record that tale. Most of this video was produced in Canva, with the recording of the song done in Soundtrap, and the final edits to put the three videos together in Final Cut Pro.

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categories / #elmusedtech, Boomwhackers, Elementary, Kindergarten, Play-Along Videos, Preschool, YouTube
tags / #elmused, #elementarymusicteacher, #edtech, #kindergarten, #playalong, #preschool, #elementarymusicteacherlife, #elementary, #elmused tech

Maximizing One Song: 15 Ideas for Your Elementary Music Classroom

October 07, 2025  /  Amy M. Burns

As elementary music educators, we know repetition is key to building strong musical skills. One of my favorite methods is using a single song in multiple activities, allowing students to experience it in different ways. This approach reinforces rhythm, note reading, steady beat, and creativity while keeping students engaged and having fun.

In this post, we’ll dive into the folk song Four White Horses and explore 15 musical ideas for grades PS-5, including steady beat practice, ostinatos, rhythm stick patterns, and even a fun 4-person rhythm game. With activities that work across grade levels and integrate tech tools like MusicFirst Elementary, you can enhance the learning experience and keep students at the heart of the action.

Click the link below to read all 15 ways to bring Four White Horses to life in your classroom!

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New This Year: A Decoding Activity using MusicFirst Elementary's Rhythm Grids!

October 05, 2025  /  Amy M. Burns

🎵 Elementary music teachers—here’s an activity your students will beg for again and again!

After learning a favorite song, we take it a step further by decoding the rhythm—using popsicle sticks, note cards, and now… MusicFirst Elementary’s Rhythm Grids! 🙌

✨ With Rhythm Grids, students can:
✅ Decode and sightread rhythms
✅ Create their own patterns
✅ Perform with backing tracks they love

My students can’t get enough of this! 💙 Try it in your classroom with a free trial of MusicFirst Elementary 👉 musicfirstelementary.com

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Tools to Help All of Your Students Feel Included in Elementary Music Class

September 30, 2025  /  Amy M. Burns

The other day, I watched @ellsworthsings on TikTok speak about including all students in choir. He showcases the https://www.coughdrop.com/ website so that students who are non-verbal can participate in choir. This is beautiful and fantastic. It made me think about more tools that can help the elementary music class feel inclusive to all.

Here are some tools that can be used to assist with all students making, creating, and doing music in our music classes…

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Elementary Music Class: Canva vs. Google Slides

September 21, 2025  /  Amy M. Burns

🎶 Hey Music Educators! 🎶

We juggle SO many roles in the classroom—teacher, musician, manager, and sometimes… graphic designer! 😅

Canva vs Google Slides—which is better for your classroom? Both have perks, but combining them creates magic! ✨

🎨 Canva: Stunning designs, creative flexibility, AI tools & Music Ed-friendly features.
📊 Google Slides: Quick edits, built-in media, & great for organizing lessons.

💡 Hybrid workflow: Use Canva for design, then import to Google Slides for interactivity. 🚀

Want to know how to mix these tools for success? 👇👇👇

#MusicEd #EdTech #MusicTeachers #Canva #GoogleSlides #CreativeClassroom #ElementaryMusic

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Any info, student examples, pictures, graphics, etc, may be used with permission. Please contact me personally before using any info, student examples, pictures, graphics, etc.