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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Don't Miss Today's and Tomorrow's Elementary Music Summit Sessions!

If you haven't joined the Elementary Music Summit yet, there's still time!

I am so excited about today's lineup because it is absolutely packed with incredible ideas from some amazing elementary music educators. Whether you're looking for fresh lesson ideas, technology tips, movement activities, classroom management strategies, or new ways to engage your students, there is something for everyone.

The best part? It's completely free!

Even if you can't attend the sessions live, every presentation will be available to watch for 24 hours, so you can fit the learning into your own schedule.

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Bring We Are Dancing in the Forest to Life with a Multi-Instrument Play-Along

One of my favorite parts of summer is creating new resources that elementary music teachers can immediately take back to their classrooms. This post is an update from my summer series a few years back of play-along videos featuring songs and musical concepts commonly found in the Kodály and Orff Schulwerk approaches.

This week's featured resource is:

🌳 We Are Dancing in the Forest Play-Along

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Bring Dog Man Into the Music Room with a "Supa Good" Rhythm Play-Along

If your students are anything like mine, they are obsessed with Dog Man! When I discovered that Yung Gravy created the song "Supa Good" for the movie, I knew it would be the perfect opportunity to bring a current student favorite into the elementary music classroom while reinforcing rhythm-reading skills.

This rhythm play-along combines engaging visuals, a steady beat, "dang" word removed, and repetitive rhythm patterns to help students practice music literacy in a way that feels more like a game than a lesson.

Tip: Please remember that some songs work well in classrooms and some do not. Please always check the lyrics before using a song in your music class.

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Summer Professional Development Opportunities for Elementary Music Teachers

Summer is one of my favorite times to learn, reflect, and gather fresh ideas for the upcoming school year. While attending an in-person conference is wonderful, it is not always possible due to travel, family commitments, or budget constraints. Fortunately, there are several excellent online professional development opportunities this summer that allow you to learn from outstanding music educators right from home.

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Bolero Boomwhacker Play-Along Video

This post and video brings me back four years ago when I created my first play-along video where the music is scrolling across the screen and the boomwhackers on the bottom of the screen play along with the music. This was also my first play-along using a video of a live recording (the credentials and the link to the original video are below). I enjoyed creating this, but I am not perfect and there are times when the downbeat rushes slightly. With that said, this boomwhacker can be used to practice, reinforce, or used as a tool for multiple modalities with the following musical concepts:

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What Can Help You Survive Your First Elementary Music Job?

Starting your first elementary music teaching job can feel exciting, overwhelming, inspiring, and exhausting all at once. You are learning names, building routines, figuring out curriculum, managing instruments, and trying to stay one step ahead of hundreds of students every single day. The good news? You do not need to have everything perfectly figured out during your first year.

Below are five practical ideas that can help you save time, build confidence, and create a positive classroom environment right from the beginning.

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Looking for a Simple Way to Improve Transitions?

Yesterday, I came across a post from Mrs. King’s Music Class where she shared music timers she uses in her classroom. It reminded me just how valuable timers can be in an elementary music setting. While timers may seem like a simple classroom tool, they can completely transform transitions, pacing, classroom management, and even student self-regulation.

In the elementary music classroom, every minute matters. Whether students are rotating through centers, setting up instruments, transitioning to movement activities, or simply taking a moment to reset emotionally, timers can provide the structure and predictability students need.

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