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 instrument class, directs the FH Philharmonic, is the Performing Arts Department Manager, and teaches privately in the after-school conservatory after being the director for over 20 years. She has authored four books and numerous articles on how to integrate tech 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, and the 2017 NJ Nonpublic School Teacher of the Year Awards. Her most recent publication, Using Technology with Elementary Music Approaches (2020), published by Oxford University Press (OUP) is available from 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.

Looking for my YouTube Channel, or the manipulatives for my Play-Along Videos, click on the social feed buttons below!

Scarf Play-Along: Rimsky Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee for Preschool and Kindergarten 🎶🧣🐝

Are you feeling a little stuck when it comes to scarf activities for your youngest musicians? You’re not alone! We all know how much little ones love scarf movement, but keeping it fresh, purposeful, and engaging week after week can be a challenge.

That’s why I’m so excited to share a new Scarf Play-Along video I created—designed especially for your Pre-K and kindergarten students. This interactive activity brings movement, musicality, and a touch of storytelling to your music room in a way that’s both simple and effective.

🐝 What’s a “Scarf Play-Along”?

In this activity, students follow a friendly bee as it uses its magic marker to zip and glide across the screen. As the bee moves, students mirror its path with their scarves—soaring high, diving low, making big twirls, and more! It's a fantastic way to reinforce directional movement, encourage expressive motion, and build musical anticipation.

🎵 How To Use the Video

Because the music is quite fast at the original tempo, I created two versions of the video for your convenience:

  1. Fast Version – set to the original tempo for students ready to move quickly.

  2. Slow Version – ideal for introducing the concept, practicing movements, or accommodating younger or more cautious movers.

This flexibility allows you to scaffold the experience and meet your students where they are developmentally.

✂️ Prep with Manipulatives

To ensure success before diving into the video, I also created a set of easy-to-use manipulatives using Canva. These visual aids help students practice the different movement patterns ahead of time—no guesswork, no overwhelm.

You can find the manipulatives over on my Buy Me a Coffee channel. Just download, print, and you’re ready to go!

💡 Why You'll Love This Scarf Activity

  • Ready-to-Use: Just press play and go—perfect for busy music teachers.

  • Developmentally Appropriate: Designed with young movers in mind.

  • Versatile: Use it for transitions, warm-ups, or focused movement lessons.

  • Engaging Visuals: The bee adds a touch of whimsy and keeps students hooked.

  • Built-In Differentiation: Choose fast or slow versions based on student needs.

I hope this Scarf Play-Along brings new energy and joy to your music classroom. Try it out and watch your students light up as they follow the bee on its musical journey!

🎬 Watch the video and grab the manipulatives here: https://youtu.be/tMfstu85ScI
👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech/extras

Let me know how it goes—I'd love to hear how your students respond!

©2025 amymburns.com

Any info, student examples, pictures, graphics, etc, may be used with permission. Please contact me personally before using any info, student examples, pictures, graphics, etc.