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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In my first “Seven Nation Army” play-along, students performed the familiar melody using solfa while also reading and performing rhythm patterns. For Part Two, we are transferring that same musical experience from singing to playing Boomwhackers!
Read MoreSometimes a Google Slides lesson works perfectly—the song, questions, graphics, and learning goals are all there—but the slides themselves could use a little visual enhancement. Rebuilding the entire presentation is probably not how any of us want to spend our planning time or weekends!
For this Teacher Tip Tuesday, I am sharing a quick way to update an existing presentation with Enhance this slide, a Gemini-powered feature built into Google Slides.
In the video, I opened a fall lesson deck that was created for Who Took My Candy Corn? from Music K–8, Vol. 35, No. 1. I already liked what they gave me. However, I wanted to see whether Google Slides could reorganize each slide into a cleaner, more polished layout—without my having to redesign it from scratch.
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Get set for a dazzling new Play-Along Video shining the spotlight on powerhouse female solo stars! Pumped for a musical adventure? Spread the love by fueling me up with a virtual cup of Joe at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech/
This time, we're putting the spotlight on the unstoppable Dolly Parton - a super-talented singer, songwriter, musician, actress, philanthropist, businesswoman, and author. With a career spanning five epic decades, she's a global icon and a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment world!
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Are you looking for a fun and flexible way for your students to practice identifying musical instruments? I created the Music Makers Match! Instrument Editions to give elementary music students an engaging matching game that can grow with them from preschool through fifth grade.
Read MoreMusic Midnight's August webinar is this evening: Code Your Own Interactive Music Games and Activities Using AI.
Read MoreMy good friend Katie Argyle and her amazing crew at Midnight Music have just published the newest edition of the Ultimate Free Music Tech Resources Guide!
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Do you use Boomwhacker play-alongs with vertical or horizontal notation? For me, the answer is both! 🎶 Vertical notation helps students experience success quickly, while horizontal notation develops traditional music-reading skills and encourages students to look ahead. Discover the benefits of both—and how the new MusicFirst Elementary instrument apps let you choose the format that best supports your students. 🎵 Read the full blog post here!
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Some musical ideas seem made for the elementary music classroom. They are short, memorable, easy to sing, and immediately capture students’ attention. The famous riff from “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes checks every one of those boxes—and many students will already recognize it from sporting events.
After watching Gustavo Dudamel conduct musicians from the New York Philharmonic and Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra during the first-ever FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show, I knew this performance could inspire a fun musical experience for elementary students. The orchestral performance also featured Iranian violinist Bijan Mortazavi and The Muppets’ Electric Mayhem!
I created a solfa and rhythm play-along that focuses on the recognizable riff from the song. Instead of focusing on the lyrics, students can explore the melody, rhythm, timbre, and fascinating journey that transformed this rock song into a worldwide stadium chant.
Read MoreIf you missed "From Day One to Music Making: 4 Ready-to-Teach First-Week Activities with MusicFirst Elementary", check it out here!
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I'd love for you to join me this evening for a FREE MusicFirst Elementary webinar where I'll be sharing practical, ready-to-use ideas to help you start your school year with confidence!
We'll explore activities that get students:
🎵 Moving
🥁 Playing
🎨 Creating
🎼 Composing
...all while building classroom routines from Day One.
🎉 Plus, everyone who attends LIVE will be entered into a drawing to win a 6-month MusicFirst Elementary subscription!
If you haven't registered yet, there's still time!
🔗Register here!
https://www.musicfirst.com/day-one-music-making-webinar
I can't wait to share these ideas with you and kick off another exciting school year together! 🍎🎶
(PD Certificate Available!)
As we prepare for a new school year, here's a simple idea that might become one of your favorite traditions.
💙 Write a letter to yourself to read on the last day of school.
Instead of focusing on everything you hope to accomplish, write about the teacher you hope to become.
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🎵 Canva Quick Tip: Bulk Create App
Time Saved: ★★★★★
Difficulty: ⭐☆☆☆☆ (Beginner)
Perfect For: Name tags, folders, instrument stations, classroom jobs, assessment cards
Can you believe we're just one week away?
If you're like me, your summer has flown by, and you're probably beginning to think about those all-important first days of music class. Those first lessons set the tone for the entire year, and sometimes all we need is a few fresh ideas to make them engaging, musical, and stress-free.
That's exactly what we'll be sharing during our upcoming FREE MusicFirst Elementary webinar, From Day One to Music Making: 4 Ready-to-Teach First-Week Activities with MusicFirst Elementary.
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If your students love soccer (or Football / Fútbol / Futebol / Fußball:, depending on where you live!), this play-along is a fun way to combine music-making, rhythm reading, melodic performance, and ensemble skills into one engaging activity. Inspired by the music of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Halftime Show, this resource gives your students the opportunity to perform together using Boomwhackers, classroom drums, and even ukuleles.
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🎶 Elementary Music Teachers! 🎶
Looking for fresh ideas to kick off the school year?
Join me and Melanie Alexander for a FREE MusicFirst Elementary webinar where we'll share 4 ready-to-teach first-week activities that get students moving, playing, creating, and composing from Day One!
✨ You'll leave with:
🎵 A movement activity
🥁 An instrument activity
🎼 A creativity activity
✍️ A composition activity
🎒 A free survival kit
🎉 Bonus! Attend LIVE and you'll be entered into a drawing to win a 6-month MusicFirst Elementary subscription!
Start your school year with engaging lessons that your students will love—and save yourself valuable planning time.
👉 Register now!
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Have you ever had a student ask, "What are we doing today?" or a parent wonder, "What do students actually learn in music class?"
I know I have!
One of the easiest ways I've found to answer those questions is by displaying learning goals right in my classroom. When students walk through the door, they immediately see what they'll be learning throughout the year. It also gives administrators, classroom teachers, and visitors a quick snapshot of the skills and concepts we focus on in elementary music.
That's exactly why I created these What We Learn... classroom printout sets.
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If you're heading back to school soon, I hope you enjoyed last week's series featuring five Hello Songs for Preschool and Kindergarten. My goal was to give you several options for beginning your music class routine—whether you're welcoming students on the first day of school or re-establishing routines after a holiday break.
This week, I'm building on the "Supa Good" from Dog Man rhythm play-along by adding something new—a body percussion play-along!
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Stephanie Leavell's "Say Hello" is a wonderful combination of singing, greeting, and movement. My students light up every time we use this song! It's an engaging way to welcome everyone to music class while getting children moving and singing from the very beginning.
I especially love using this song because it:
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This traditional hello song is one I used for years to get my youngest students moving while we sang. It's a wonderful way to combine singing, listening, and gross motor movement at the very beginning of class.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a current recording of this song online, but if you have access to Music and You, you may still have it in your collection. Even without the original recording, it's easy to sing with your students.
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