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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MusicFirst Elementary's Rhythm Grids Now Has a Lockable Hear Button!

January 23, 2025  /  Amy M. Burns

Unlock Creativity in Your Elementary Music Classroom with MusicFirst Elementary!

🎶 Discover the power of Rhythm Grids, now with an exciting lockable "Hear" button! This feature lets the example play repeatedly, making it perfect for practicing rhythms and melodies. Whether you’re decoding, working in simple or compound meters, warming up, or composing, Rhythm Grids offers endless possibilities.

Here’s why you’ll love Rhythm Grids:
✔️ Customizable Meters: Choose the meter that works for your lesson.
✔️ Fullscreen Mode: Make it easy for students to follow along in large-group activities.
✔️ Interactive Settings: Add a backing track, highlight specific bars, select preset rhythm patterns, and toggle between different types of notation—from sticks to blobs, symbols, or traditional notation.
✔️ Randomize Tool: Quickly create unique patterns for decoding and composing activities.
✔️ Self-Assessment Made Simple: Use the "Hear" button as a powerful self-assessment tool. Students can hear the rhythm when the highlighted bar reaches the top and compare it to their own performance.

🎵 Pro Tips for Using the 'Hear' Button:

  • Green: Hear the rhythm immediately.

  • Yellow: Wait until the highlighted bar reaches the top to play.

  • Red: The rhythm is paused.

🌟 Rhythm Grids is just one of the seven amazing creative tools in MusicFirst Elementary. From rhythm decoding to composition and everything in between, this platform transforms your music lessons.

👉 Ready to see the difference in your classroom?
Sign up for a FREE 30-day trial today at MusicFirst Elementary!

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