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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Moving Up or End-of-the Year Song #1: Time of Your Life - Ukulele Play-Along

April 06, 2025  /  Amy M. Burns

Check out a fresh ukulele play-along featuring Green Day's hit "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)." The title has been slightly modified by omitting "Good Riddance." This rendition is from the 1998 Letterman Show when the album "Nimrod" was introduced. The performance is by Green Day's frontman, Billie Joe Armstrong. As it's a live version, it skips the initial part found on the CD, excluding a word unsuitable for an elementary music setting.

Teaching this song

This song is based on four chords: G Major, E Minor, D Major, and C Major. The teaching approach involves introducing one chord per class session.

  • First Class: Focus on teaching or reviewing the C Major chord and have the students play it whenever it appears in the song.

  • Second Class: Introduce or review the E minor chord. Encourage them to play this chord when it comes up.

    • Advanced Option: For those studying privately on the ukulele or more advanced players, challenge them to play both chords.

  • Third Class: Cover the G Major chord. Instruct them to play this chord as needed.

    • Level 1: Play the G chord exclusively.

    • Level 2: Incorporate both G and C chords.

    • Level 3: Include all three chords: G, C, and E minor.

  • Fourth Class: Introduce or review the D Major chord. Have them play this chord when it's part of the song.

    • Level 1: Focus on playing the D chord.

    • Level 2: Include the D and C chords only.

    • Level 3: Progress to playing the D, C, and G chords.

    • Level 4: Master playing all the chords.

    • Level 5: Challenge them to play the chords without looking at the ukulele.

Manipulatives

Here is the link to duplicate the chord progressions discovered in the song. By incorporating various methods in teaching this song, you can observe the ukulele chord matching the boomwhacker colors on the main screen. For more alternatives, students can also use the boomwhackers with the play-along video. Additionally, on the side of the screen, hand positions are shown for students who require visual guidance while playing.

Manipulatives

The manipulatives for this play-along can be found at https://buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech/e/261026

Resources:

There are many excellent resources out there to create play-along videos. I used the following to create this one:

  • Clipchamp Web-Based Free Video Editing Program: https://clipchamp.com/en/

  • Canva for Educators (free version) to create the slides: https://www.canva.com/education/

  • Ukulele Buddy Free Images: https://www.ukulelebuddy.com/free-ukulele-chords.html

  • Midnight Music’s Free Ukulele Chord Library: https://midnightmusic.com/2014/05/free-ukulele-chord-image-library/

Coming Soon!


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