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.

Looking for my YouTube Channel or the manipulatives for my Play-Along Videos? Click the social feed buttons below!

Tools to Help All of Your Students Feel Included in Elementary Music Class

The other day, I watched @ellsworthsings on TikTok speak about including all students in choir. He showcases the https://www.coughdrop.com/ website so that students who are non-verbal can participate in choir. This is beautiful and fantastic. It made me think about more tools that can help the elementary music class feel inclusive to all.

Here are some tools that can be used to assist with all students making, creating, and doing music in our music classes…

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Elementary Music Class: Canva vs. Google Slides

🎶 Hey Music Educators! 🎶

We juggle SO many roles in the classroom—teacher, musician, manager, and sometimes… graphic designer! 😅

Canva vs Google Slides—which is better for your classroom? Both have perks, but combining them creates magic! ✨

🎨 Canva: Stunning designs, creative flexibility, AI tools & Music Ed-friendly features.
📊 Google Slides: Quick edits, built-in media, & great for organizing lessons.

💡 Hybrid workflow: Use Canva for design, then import to Google Slides for interactivity. 🚀

Want to know how to mix these tools for success? 👇👇👇

#MusicEd #EdTech #MusicTeachers #Canva #GoogleSlides #CreativeClassroom #ElementaryMusic

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Long-Legged Sailor Play-Along (Boomwhackers, Percussion, and Recorder) and Manipulatives

This is the fourth installment of my summer project of creating play-along videos of songs and concepts found in the Kodály and Orff Schulwerk approaches. This week, I feature the Long-Legged Sailor Play-Along (Boomwhackers, Percussion, and Recorder) video. Like my resources? Please consider buying me a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech

Each video (found on my YouTube page) will be accompanied by lesson manipulatives.

Here are the resources and manipulatives:

Blog: http://amymburns.com/elmusedtech/2022/7/16/lls or https://buymeacoffee.com

All of the parts and the video are included in the manipulatives found here at https://buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech/extras

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#teachertiptuesday: All About Me Activity: A Great Way to Start the Year!

🎶 Ready to kickstart the school year with a fun, creative activity? 🎶

What if you could introduce yourself to your students and let them express their creativity in music class—right from day one? Get inspired by this engaging "All About Me" project that combines art, technology, and music! Watch the video to see how I bring this activity to life and learn how you can easily implement it in your own classroom.

👩‍🏫 Click to watch the process & make your first days of school unforgettable! 👨‍🏫

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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.