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.

We Will Rock You Play-Along for Pitched and Unpitched Instruments

August 12, 2024  /  Amy M. Burns

The Summer Olympics had me hooked, diving headfirst into a whirlwind of events. Each athlete's journey tugged at my heartstrings, and I couldn't help but root for them all. As the Closing Ceremonies rolled in, and Queen's "We Are the Champions" blasted, I felt like every Olympian was a true champion, owning their spot in the spotlight.

This experience inspired me to elevate my previous music lesson for Queen's "We Will Rock You". It's a fantastic way to kick off the school year, catering to both advanced music students who can master the entire melody on pitched instruments like recorders, boomwhackers, xylophones, and more, as well as novice students who can perform a rhythmic ostinato throughout the play-along.

Teaching Tools
Included in this lesson are teaching manipulatives featuring the rhythm ostinato, melodic phrases with recorder fingerings and boomwhacker colors, an optional dance break, and interesting facts about the song. You can find these resources in the Extras section on my Buy Me a Coffee page.

Two Viewing Options (one fully loaded and one taking it easy)
Similar to the previous play-along video, I have shared this content on both my YouTube channel (https://youtu.be/bioZ_9txCKs) and Soundslice channel (https://www.soundslice.com/slices/Hsy2c/). This allows you to choose how you want to present it to your students, whether through:

  • Video only

  • Score only

  • Pitched instrument only

  • Unpitched instrument only

  • Change Tempo

  • Change the visual key for transposing instruments

Feel free to select the version that best suits your students' needs in your music class. I aim to provide flexibility for songs with various parts that can cater to a wide range of students.

Back to School Greetings
For those of you who have already started the school year in the States, I hope it has been a smooth beginning. Remember that you play a significant role in your students' lives. Embrace the year ahead, and stay tuned for more resources to use throughout the school year. Also, don't miss out on #techtips to support you along the way.

Coming Soon!

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