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 Day Back to School #1

January 01, 2024  /  Amy M. Burns

#1 Auld Lang Syne Boomwhacker Play-Along

Happy New Year!

Welcoming 2024: New Year, New Beginnings


Firstly, Happy New Year! I hope you celebrated the new year in a way that was special to you.
As we embark on a new year, many of us are heading back to the classroom in the coming days. Some of us are fortunate enough to have an extended break and won't return until January 8th. For those in the Southern Hemisphere, you're currently enjoying your summer break and probably won't see this message until February

Sunday Scaries! What Do I Do?

For those of you who are returning to school in the next few days, you may be experiencing the "Sunday Scaries." It's that sudden feeling of fear that arises when we have to start planning activities for the upcoming week. Luckily, I've got you covered.

Whether you're a long-time follower or a new reader, I've been sharing "10 Elementary Music Activities for a First Day Back to School" to help you start the year off right. These activities can be implemented now, at the beginning of a new term, or even at the start of a new school year.

#10 to #2

#10 FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL RHYTHM PLAY-ALONG

#9 USING THE FREE SITE 4FOUR.IO FOR MUSIC ACTIVITIES

#8 BLOB OPERA TO CREATE, WARMUP, AND REFLECT

#7: CREATE SIMPLE PLAY-ALONG BOOMWHACKER MELODIES WITH DR. MUSIK

#6 PK AND K STEADY BEAT AULD LANG SYNE BODY PERCUSSION PLAY-ALONG

#5 REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR RESOURCES

#4 DECODE WORDART INTO RHYTHMS

#3 A WEB-BASED DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATION AND MOVIE SCORING TOOL FOR ELEMENTARY MUSIC CLASS!

#2 A MUSIC GAME AND USING HTTPS://APP.MAGICSCHOOL.AI/ TO CREATE FIRST DAY BACK ACTIVITIES

#1 Auld Lang Syne Boomwhacker Play-Along

#1 AULD LANG SYNE BOOMWHACKER PLAY-ALONG

#1 Activity can be used with the “New Year Play-Along featuring Auld Lang Syne" and the “PK and K Steady Beat Auld Lang Syne Body Percussion Play-Along”.

Some Tips:

  • I created the downloadable manipulatives to help teach the melodic patterns.

    • This also includes some fun facts about the mashup recording of Yo-Yo Ma performing Auld Lang Syne, as well as Learning Guitar’s version.

  • If the tempo is too quick, use YouTube’s Playback Speed controls to slow down the video.

  • I decided not to use the note B in the song because it only plays once. Therefore, the notes are C D E G and A and they can vary a little from the melody in the recording.

  • I would use this with grades 2 and above. For younger grades, the Rhythm Play-Along and the PK and K Steady Beat Play-Along with Auld Lang Syne would work well.

See you in 2024!

Join me here weekly on my blog and YouTube channel or come and say hi at the CASMEC, TMEA, and NJMEA conferences!


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