Using Technology with Elementary Music Approaches published by Oxford University Press is now available!

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.

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🎵 Abracadabra! Or... Is It? 🎩✨

March 30, 2025  /  Amy M. Burns

Get ready for some fun this April Fool’s Day! 🪄 Your students will think they’re diving into a rhythm play-along featuring Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” — but wait! Just when the beat is flowing and the rhythms are rocking, POOF! 🎶

They’ve been Rickrolled! 🎤🙃

That’s right! Suddenly, Rick Astley’s classic “Never Gonna Give You Up” takes over, turning this into the ultimate musical prank! But don’t worry — it’s all in good fun and totally classroom-safe.

🧡 Why You’ll Love It:

  • 🎵 Simple rhythms using quarter, half, and eighth notes + quarter rests

  • 📣 An intuitive crescendo to keep them musical.

  • 🏫 Perfect for all grade levels.

  • 😂 Guaranteed giggles, groans, and maybe even some spontaneous classroom karaoke!

Your students will hopefully be talking about this one long after the last note fades. Ready to pull off the most fun, musical prank? Click here to watch and join the fun!

👉 Watch the April Fool's Rhythm Play-Along

Happy pranking, maestro! 🎵🎭

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