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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Thankful-Themed Rhythm & Body Percussion Play-Along Activities 🍁🥁

November 16, 2025  /  Amy M. Burns

A couple of years ago, I created a thankful-themed rhythm play-along featuring a mashup of songs that celebrate gratitude and togetherness. Later, I introduced a complementary body percussion play-along. These activities have quickly become seasonal favorites in my classroom — the tempos, meters, and rhythms keep students challenged and engaged!

If you haven’t tried them yet, be sure to give them a run-through yourself before using them with students. The combination of triple and duple meters alongside a variety of rhythmic values can keep everyone on their toes in the best way!

🎶 Music Included in the Rhythm Play-Along

This thankful medley features snippets from:

  • We Are Family — Bernard Edwards & Nile Rodgers, performed by Sister Sledge

  • Thanksgiving Theme — Vince Guaraldi Trio

  • Home — Drew Pearson & Greg Holden, performed by Phillip Phillips

  • Kind and Generous — Natalie Merchant

  • Count on Me — Bruno Mars

🎵 Rhythmic Concepts Reinforced

  • Triple & duple meters

  • Quarter notes (crotchets) & quarter rests

  • Eighth notes (quavers)

  • Half notes (minims)

  • Whole notes (semibreves)

Teaching Tips & Lesson Flow

I typically extend this activity across multiple classes:

Class 1 – Read & Perform
Students first read and speak the rhythmic patterns featured in the play-along, then use body percussion to perform with the video.

Class 2 – Early Performance Check
Using wheelofnames.com, I randomly select students to perform one pattern while the rest follow along. We use rhythm sticks at this stage.

Class 3 – Individual Assessment & Instruments
Each student reads and performs their pattern to demonstrate comprehension.
Then, we layer non-pitched percussion instruments to create a balanced ensemble (drums, bells, sand blocks, etc.). Students perform along with the play-along as a group.

After a short break, we bring back the body percussion play-along. It’s a perfect energizer or quick closer — and I love asking students if they can figure out which body motions represent each rhythmic value!

⭐ Tip: If students struggle with snapping, have them “flick” their fingers into the air instead!

🍂 New for This Year!

I’ve added a “Color-by-Note” Thankful Edition — a fun reinforcement activity perfect for centers, fast finishers, or the day before a holiday break!

Classroom Resources

All supporting manipulatives for BOTH play-alongs — plus the color-by-note Thankful Edition pages — are now available on my Extras page 🎉

If your students enjoy the activities, I’d love to hear how they used them and see your performances!

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