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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🎶 #techtiptuesday: Celebrate Pi Day with Music! 🥧

March 10, 2025  /  Amy M. Burns

March 14th (3.14) is National Pi Day! While schools might challenge students to memorize the digits of Pi or serve pies, what about celebrating Pi Day musically in your classroom?

Enter Typatone.com (https://typatone.com/) — a fun, FREE online tool that turns typing into music! 🎵 As you type, Typatone generates melodies based on the letters and words you input. It's a simple, creative way to transform your keyboard into a musical instrument!

🔑 Why It’s Perfect for Pi Day:

  • Create Music with Pi Numbers: Have your students type out the digits of Pi (3.14…) and watch as they generate a melody. They can explore different sound styles and experiment with their own musical compositions.

  • No Download Needed: Typatone is easy to use; no downloads or installations are required. Just visit the website and start typing away!

  • Experiment with Musical Styles: Students can change the style of their melodies and even download or share their creations!

🎓 Free Pi Day Lesson Plan:

I’ve created a Pi Day Music Activity lesson plan available on my Buy Me a Coffee page (https://buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech/extras). The lesson encourages students to compose music based on the numbers of Pi, create an ostinato with “B” as the tonic note, and explore rhythm using pitched and non-pitched instruments.

Whether you do this in groups, stations, or 1:1, it’s a fun, hands-on way to integrate math and music!

Celebrate Pi Day musically — your students will love it!

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