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!
Canva or Google Slides—which works better in an elementary music classroom? I use both, but for different jobs. I revisited my comparison from last year to look at what has changed, including Canva’s new offline access and Google Slides’ design tools. In the updated post, I share how I choose between them for lesson visuals, clickable sound examples, play-alongs, and those days when the Wi-Fi is unreliable.
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Sometimes it is helpful to have more than one version of a classroom resource! I created an alternate edition of my “9 to 5” Rhythm Play-Along featuring a slideshow of Dolly Parton through the years.
Students can clap, play instruments, or use body percussion as they follow the rhythms scrolling across the bottom of the screen. The slideshow offers teachers another visual option while keeping the musical activity the same.
Choose the version that works best for your students and classroom setting—and have fun making music with Dolly!
Read MoreWhat if your students could begin playing along on the ukulele—even if they know only one chord?
MusicFirst Elementary (MFE) recently introduced several teacher-requested updates, and one of my favorites is the new ukulele app.
Read MoreA couple of weeks ago, I created a steady beat body percussion play-along featuring Celia Cruz and Tito Puente’s recording of “Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In.”
Cruz and Puente recorded their version in 1969, combining two songs from the Broadway musical Hair with the energy and rhythms of Latin music. The recording worked beautifully for steady beat practice—but I knew it could also become an engaging rhythm-reading activity.
So this week, I turned it into a steady beat rhythm play-along!
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What if the same play-along could help students understand chords, practice reading traditional notation, and perform successfully—even when your classroom does not have enough pitched percussion instruments for everyone?
Read MoreWhat happens when students become the composers behind a film?
The September Midnight Music webinar is coming up in just a few days, and we’ll be exploring Soundtrap’s new video-scoring feature. You’ll learn practical tips for using the feature and discover creative ways students can compose music and sound effects to accompany a video.
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Add movement, music history, and plenty of energy to your elementary general music classroom with this new body percussion steady beat play-along featuring Celia Cruz and Tito Puente’s recording of “Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In.”
Cruz and Puente recorded this version in 1969. It combines two songs from the Broadway musical Hair and gives them an exciting Latin-music makeover.
Read MoreYour elementary music classroom never stands still—and your teaching resources should grow right along with it!
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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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