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.

Countdown to 2024: 10 Elementary Music Activities for a First Da y Back to School - #3 A WEB-BASED DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATION AND MOVIE SCORING TOOL FOR ELEMENTARY MUSIC CLASS!

December 30, 2023  /  Amy M. Burns

#3 A Web-Based Digital Audio Workstation and Movie Scoring Tool for Elementary Music Class!

You read that correctly. #3 in our countdown is using MusicFirst Elementary’s YuStudio to create music and score a short video in your elementary music classroom!

This video comes from my MusicFirst Elementary Playlist on my YouTube Channel.

Creative Tools in MusicFirst Elementary

  • MusicFirst Elementary offers six creative tools, including music making, composition, performance, and movie scoring.

  • One standout tool is YuStudio, an online digital audio workstation designed for elementary music education.

  • YuStudio is accessible, easy to use, and caters to both novices and experienced users.

    Features of yuStudio:

    • YuStudio includes a music notepad for notation, allowing students to compose songs with pre-recorded loops.

    • It is purposely built for educational settings, with input from music teachers and young users.

    • The platform features a high-quality Sound Library, editing tools, and effects to support student creativity.

    Idea #1: Composing with Notation in yuStudio:

    • For grades two and up, students can notate a song and create accompaniment using YuStudio.

    • The tutorial guides students to compose an eight-measure melody, add drum beats, and incorporate loops for instruments like keyboards.

    • The process encourages students to explore repetitive patterns and experiment with song structure.

    Idea #2: Scoring a Film in yuStudio:

    • YuStudio can be used to score a short film excerpt, making it a web-based tool for film scoring.

    • The example involves importing a five-second video, adding a drum loop, and incorporating sound effects to match the visual elements.

    • This idea offers an engaging way for students, potentially in grades three to five, to explore music composition in the context of filmmaking.

    Exporting and Sharing:

    • Projects created in YuStudio can be exported as Video, Audio, YuStudio, or MIDI files, allowing students to share their compositions and films.

    • Sharing options include sharing songs with classmates, caregivers, and families, fostering collaboration and community engagement.

    • MusicFirst Elementary continues to introduce exciting tools and features, promising more innovations in music education.

Come back tomorrow for #2 as we are getting closer to 2024. Don’t forget to check out the first day’s New Year’s Rhythm Play-Along video and the Steady Beat Play-Along for the youngest elementary students!

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