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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I love being able to play music at my church. Since my flute was overhauled this past fall, it is much nicer to play the lower notes of the instrument and joyful to play this song again. I hope that you enjoy this performance.
Read MoreIn the States, many of us return around 7-10 days before the federal holiday that honors the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. There are numerous songs and activities that can be utilized in the elementary classroom on the first day we return. These are wonderful ways to create cross-curricular connections with what the students are learning in their classrooms, as well as honoring Dr. King’s life and work. This post includes how a music curriculum like MusicFirst Elementary (MFE) can assist with this and how to add additional resources and activities to the lessons.
Read MoreFor 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 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
Let’s deep dive into #1.
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Read More#2 A Music Game and Using https://app.magicschool.ai/ to Create First Day Back Activities
In this post, I share a music game and how using Magic School AI found at https://app.magicschool.ai/, can give you free planning tools or you can use the paid version’s AI Chatbot, to help you create activities for the first day back from break. In this post, you will find at least two activities created by this site. Like my resources? Please consider buying me a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech
Read MoreYou 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.
Read MoreActivity #4: Decoding Wordart into Rhythms is a music class lesson that encourages students to share one word about their break and decode its rhythm. The words are combined as Wordart to create a unique rhythm pattern that the students can perform. The materials needed for this activity are a screen, paper, drawing utensils, or a device with a drawing app, Wordart.com, and a rhythm accompaniment site like M&M Bite-size Beats, Groovepizza, or Incredibox. Alternatively, MusicFirst Elementary's Rhythm Grids can be used to decode and perform the rhythms.
Read MoreLooking for a fun and interactive way to get your young elementary students to practice and perform the steady beat? This simple, generic body percussion play-along video can be used at the beginning of a new calendar year, school year, or quarter. It's designed for young elementary students between the ages of 3-5 and uses body percussion to perform the steady beat. Use it on the first day of class to build an entertaining and cohesive group dynamic or as retrieval practice.
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Read MoreUsing the Apps and Games portion of the site, your students can click on Boom!Writer to compose simple, diatonic Boomwhacker melodies utilizing quarter notes/crotchets, or a combination of quarter notes and eighth notes/quavers. Click more to read about four activities you can perform on the first day back from a break. Like my resources? Please consider buying me a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech
Read MoreWho knew blobs could sing? Music educators are raving about Blob Opera, and for good reason! Check out the video below for some ideas on how to jazz up your first day back from a break with some melodic blob fun. Like my resources? Please feel free to buy me a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech
Read MoreWhen we return to the elementary music classroom after some time away, whether it was a long break, a short break, or you only see your students during a seasonal term, we will want to do some retrieval practice to assess their musical skills. The free website 4four.io can be a wonderful tool to help create activities for assessment purposes, games, or retrieval practice. Check out the featured activity using the dice to learn more about this useful site. Like my resources? Please consider buying me a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dashboard
Read MoreIt's that time of year again – my annual countdown to the New Year! To kick off a new year, I'm sharing ten fun-filled elementary music activities for the first day back to school. Whether you're returning from a holiday break or beginning a new school year, these activities are perfect for any month. Be sure to check back daily, hit the like button, subscribe, or bookmark this page for later updates as we count down to the New Year!
#10 First Day of School Play-Along - Use this and the downloadable manipulatives as retrieval practice for reading and performing rhythm patterns while learning about Yo-Yo Ma and Auld Lang Syne.
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Read MoreRecently, I unveiled a Nutcracker Rhythm Play-Along extravaganza with quarter notes, eighth notes, half notes, dotted half notes, quarter rests, and sweet accents in a variety of meters. But wait, there's more! This week, I'm back with a body percussion play-along to shake things up. Get ready to groove!
Read MoreMusicFirst Elementary (MFE) Powered by Charanga is an exceptional curriculum that offers many features to enhance any elementary general music classroom. One of the most wonderful features is the inclusion of band, orchestra, and classroom instrument arrangements that can be utilized in your general music classroom setting or your band/orchestra classroom setting.
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For three years running, Midnight Music has been hosting a special Advent Calendar on its website. Every day in December, a new door will "unlock" and reveal a surprise on this page. The calendar offers an array of holiday-themed resources to enhance your teaching experience. Bookmark the site and check back from December 1-24!
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As the year draws to a close, many elementary music teachers, myself included, are beginning to plan their annual Nutcracker study. Whether you concentrate on the composer, the story, the instruments (which is my preferred approach), the dances, or other elements of the music, it's likely that you're considering, devising, or utilizing the work of another teacher to help instruct Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker. Enhance your collection with a Rhythm Play-Along of a medley of six selections from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker!
Like my resources? Please consider buying me a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech.
Read MoreIn the States, certain schools can integrate musical celebrations of the December holidays in their elementary general music classes. If you're using a scope-and-sequence curriculum like MusicFirst Elementary (MFE) powered by Charanga, you'll find that the music is either original and contemporary or in the public domain, which is a great way to connect with your students. However, since the music included in the curriculum doesn't have any seasonal or holiday association, here are five creative ways to incorporate these holidays into your MFE lessons.
Read MoreAs the holiday season approaches, some elementary music educators are gearing up for their upcoming concerts or integrating holiday themes into their general music curriculum. If you're able to incorporate the classic song Silent Night by Gruber and Mohr, this ukulele play-along is a great way to do so. With only four chords – C, F, G, and A min – this intuitive play-along is an excellent addition to any music classroom. Continue reading to see how I approach this in my own classroom!
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This week, Midnight Music is running its "Festival of Free PD" which includes four webinars for anyone to access until Cyber Monday.
Read MoreThe wise folks at MusicFirst Elementary (MFE) Powered by Charanga have crafted a treasure trove of docs to help you get the most out of their program. If you are new to the program, use this video to assist you with getting started!
0:00-:31 Introduction
0:31-1:05 Getting Started with MusicFirst Elementary (wonderful to read as the introduction to the world of MFE)
1:05-1:20 MusicFirst Elementary Summary (Data about MFE to share with administrators, families, etc.)
1:20-1:41 MusicFirst Elementary National Standards Alignment (Showcases how you are meeting each standard at every grade level)
1:41-2:15 MusicFirst Elementary Curriculum Design (Use the principles outlined in this document to enhance your program)
2:15-2:46 Scope and Sequence (You can use this to check the melodic pitch sets and rhythmic values for each grade level)
2:46-3:05 My Workspace: Setting Up Students and Yumu (see the full video here: https://youtu.be/p3f6_XCuqhc?si=9sL9he4RvB2H4LMO )
3:05-3:40 Musical Spotlights (You can use this to find extensions for lessons, outlines for teaching concert music, and as a springboard for other lessons and unit ideas)
3:40-4:11 Social Themes (Many Essential Questions can be found here)
4:11-4:36 Guided Questions Bank: K-5 (Use these as writing prompts and for writing samples in your older elementary music classes)
4:36-4:53 Documentation found at the top of each grade level
4:53-5:28 Learning Objectives and Content by Musical Element
5:28-5:40 Learning Objectives by Activity (In grades 3, 4, and 5, Music Notepad is added) 5:40-5:46 National Standards Alignment (Checklists)
5:46-6:06 Curriculum Map (Download and give to administrators)
6:06-6:29 Musical Progression Guide (Each song is listed by grade level, pitch set, rhythmic value, activity, and more)
6:29-7:40 Assessments (Checklists, Printables, and more)
7:40-8:18 Creative Tools (A brief overview of the documentation included with the creative tools)
8:18-end Conclusion
Check out the 16 videos about everything MusicFirst has to offer and a deep dive into the curriculum and creative tools!
Are you looking to spice up your elementary music class and engage your students more effectively? Have you ever considered integrating technology into your teaching methods? If not, then let me introduce you to Canva, an easy-to-use graphic design tool that can revolutionize your teaching approach. In this blog post and video, we will explore five exciting ways to use Canva for your elementary music class.
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