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 instrumental class, directs the FH Modern Band, is the Performing Arts Department Manager, and teaches privately in the after-school conservatory, having served as director for over 20 years. She has authored four books and numerous articles on integrating technology 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, the 2017 NJ Nonpublic School Teacher of the Year, and the 2026 NJMEA Distinguished Service Awards. Her most recent publication, Using Technology with Elementary Music Approaches (2020), is available from Oxford University Press (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.

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Join Me At TMEA This Week!

February 04, 2024  /  Amy M. Burns

Music Educators' Conference Season in Full Swing

It is the height of conference season where music educators gather to learn from each other and to rejuvenate themselves. I have been very fortunate to have been able to represent my school, Far Hills Country Day School, by presenting at the Georgia Music Educators Conference (GMEA) showcasing MusicFirst Elementary, New Jersey Association for Independent Schools (NJAIS) “What the Tech?” three-minute session demonstrating Canva’s AI Magic Tools, and most recently, California All State Music Education Conference (CASMEC) highlighting creative tools for elementary general music classes.

This week, I will be heading to San Antonio, Texas, for the annual Technology in Music Education (TI-ME) National Music Technology Conference/Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) State Conference and will be presenting four sessions.

  • Wednesday, February 7, 11:15, CC 214A, The Absolute Beginners Guide to Music Technology with Barb Freedman - I will be covering the elementary tools.

  • Wednesday, February 7, 3:00, CC 214A, 10 Ways to Use Canva in the Elementary Music Classroom

  • Wednesday, February 7, 4:15, CC214B, Strong Foundations: Technology Tools for Elementary Music

  • Saturday, February 10, 8:00 am, Hyatt Floor 4 DEF, Help! I am Teaching PreK and K Music Class (Part 2)

Please come join me and learn about how to integrate technology into the elementary music classroom as well as learning about MusicFirst Elementary, a complete elementary music curriculum for grades preschool through 6 that includes scope and sequence lessons, curriculum maps, standards alignments, original music, creative tools, supplemental material for classroom instruments, band instruments, and orchestral instruments, and so much more. Hope to see you there!

Tip: Check my Wakelet to see the links from my sessions!

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