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.

Solar Eclipse Rhythm Play-Along

April 07, 2024  /  Amy M. Burns

In the States, the buzz around the solar eclipse has hit the school scene big time! At my school, the eclipse is set to show up just as classes end. So, all students are getting their hands on some super stylish eclipse glasses. Teachers from all sorts of subjects are weaving eclipse excitement into their lessons this week. As for music class, the grapevine has been buzzing with stellar ideas from music education forums. I'm jumping into the mix with a Solar Eclipse Rhythm Play-Along to the classic tune, "Total Eclipse of the Heart," by the legendary duo Jim Steinman and Bonnie Tyler. If you're up for a musical adventure in your classroom and are allowed to play this song, here's a rhythm-packed play-along to jam out to during the eclipse!

Rhythm Concepts

The rhythm and music concepts being used in the song are:

  • Eighth, half, and quarter notes

  • Quarter rests

  • Rolls

  • Accents

  • 4/4 and 6/4 meters

  • And you can use instruments that you hear (or substitute) that are prominent in the song like sleigh bells or a vibraslap

Manipulatives

The play-along includes teaching manipulatives. These include facts about Bonnie Tyler, the eclipse, and the rhythm patterns found in the song. You can download a copy of the Manipulatives here.

Who is Bonnie Tyler?

Some facts about her include:

  • Her name is Gaynor Hopkins.

  • She was born in Wales.

  • “Total Eclipse of the Heart” was written by Jim Steinman and is one of her biggest hits.

  • She re-recorded it with Kareen Antonn. 

  • Their bilingual duet, titled "Si demain... (Turn Around)", topped the French charts.

  • She has received three Grammy Award nominations and three Brit Award nominations (twice for British Female Solo Artist), along with various other honors for her work.

  • In 2022, she was honored with an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for her contributions to music.

    Learn more about Bonnie Tyler by clicking here! (https://kids.kiddle.co/Bonnie_Tyler)

What is a Solar Eclipse?

Some facts about the solar eclipse include:

The Moon passes between the Sun and Earth.

  • If the Sun’s light is completely blocked, the Moon appears as a black circle. What looks like a ring of fire appears around the circle. 

  • This ring is the corona or the gases that surround the Sun.

  • Earth and the Moon keep moving.

  • After a few minutes, the sky begins to lighten again.

    Learn more about eclipses by clicking here and here! 

Rhythm Play-Along

Enjoy the rhythm play-along to celebrate the solar eclipse!

Coming Soon!


Comment

©2024 amymburns.com

Any info, student examples, pictures, graphics, etc, may be used with permission. Please contact me personally before using any info, student examples, pictures, graphics, etc.