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.
Looking for my YouTube Channel, or the manipulatives for my Play-Along Videos, click on the social feed buttons below!
The #techtiptuesday video focuses on Kodaly Supplementary Songs, offering a collection of Kodaly Folk Songs that can be tailored to suit your students' skill levels. You can teach these songs using stick notation, staff notation, solfege syllables, and hand signs.
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This video will highlight the "Kodály Supplementary Songs," which feature a variety of Kodály Folk Songs that can be customized to match the proficiency of your students. You have the option to teach these songs using stick notation, staff notation, solfege syllables, and hand signs. These songs are part of the Musitrax 1 and 2 singing programs developed by Lambeth Music Service in London, following the Kodály music education method. A few years back, Charanga partnered with Lambeth Music Service to make these successful singing programs more accessible to a wider audience through technology-enhanced song presentations. Let's delve into this valuable resource and explore three ways to incorporate it into your classroom!
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I enjoy exploring lessons that involve active music participation, such as playing instruments, improvising, and composing. These units within the first-grade curriculum cover all these activities. Some lessons also incorporate a few of these activities.
Read MoreIn 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! Like my resources? Please consider buying me a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech
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I enjoy discovering lessons that involve active music participation, like playing instruments, improvising, and composing. Within the kindergarten curriculum, these units contain lessons encompassing all these activities.
Read MoreWrapping up March with a bang, I present a Rhythm and Boomwhacker Play-Along Video featuring the one and only Frederica von Stade, a Far Hills Country Day School alum! Frederica, a seasoned opera star with a voice that wows, is here to jazz up your day. Dive in to discover the play-along video, fun classroom manipulatives, and insider tips on teaching the song. Ready to jam out? Spread the love by tossing a virtual coffee my way at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech/ 🎵☕
Read MoreCheck out our latest March Rhythm Play-Along Video starring none other than the fabulous Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, a.k.a. Lady Gaga, who's turning 38 this week on March 28! There is also a bonus of Ariana Grande as this rhythm stick play-along is to the song, “Rain on Me”! Ready to groove to some tunes? Show some love by treating me to a virtual coffee boost at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech/
Note: This play-along is meant for upper elementary. It is also geared toward those who can utilize Lady Gaga’s music in their classrooms. If you cannot use her music, please feel free to skip this play-along video.
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Today's #techtiptuesday for MusicFirst Elementary has to do with a creative tool Music Explorer and the Supplementary Tab of music games.
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Get set for a dazzling new Play-Along Video shining the spotlight on powerhouse female solo stars! Pumped for a musical adventure? Spread the love by fueling me up with a virtual cup of Joe at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech/
This time, we're putting the spotlight on the unstoppable Dolly Parton - a super-talented singer, songwriter, musician, actress, philanthropist, businesswoman, and author. With a career spanning five epic decades, she's a global icon and a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment world!
Read MoreTune in every Tuesday for my quick tech tips on making the most of MusicFirst Elementary (MFE)! This week features how MFE does not require students to have email addresses to use the lessons and the creative tools. Watch below to see more!
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Brace yourself for another rockin' Play-Along Video spotlighting fierce female solo artists! Ready to jam? Show some love by treating me to a virtual coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech/
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Get ready for a whirlwind March with Play-Along Videos celebrating rockstar female solo artists! Feeling the groove? Share the love by treating me to a virtual coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech/
This week, we're diving into the world of iconic Tina Turner, inspired by Lisa Wichman’s NJMEA session on “Global Grooves” featuring folk dances worldwide. Let's rock out to Tina's self-penned hit “Nutbush City Limits,” a tribute to her rural roots in Nutbush, Tennessee. Fun fact: Everyone from Bob Seger to Brian Johnson has taken a swing at covering this Tina classic!
Read MoreThe music education community has experienced a great loss with MusicPlay’s announcement of the sudden passing of their founder and legendary music educator, Denise Gagne. If you knew her or if you saw her in sessions, she was energetic and inspirational. She was a role model to music educators from around the world. She was extremely generous and would share her ideas, resources, content, knowledge, and so much more, so that music educators would feel successful in their classrooms.
Read MoreWant the Respect play-along video from the TMEA 2025 Conference? Here it is with the free manipulatives from https://buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech/extras
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Join me at NJMEA! Click below to see more info about the amazing elementary music presenters and their sessions!
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In the States this week, we are experiencing inclement weather from snow days to other weather-related items. Many schools will ask for online activities to give the students.
Today, we have a snow day and I created these two links for the students to access on their Seesaw Journals or Google Classroom (or any learning management system).
This activity works for grades preschool through grade 2 (ages 3-7). It includes music and movement activities, a read-aloud about Trombone Shorty, then a music and movement activity to one of his pieces.
This activity works for grades 2-4 (ages 7-10) and includes how to create a song in Chrome Song Maker and then how to add a drum part to the Imperial March by John Williams. It ends with a fun fact slide about the composer, who turned 92 last week! Feel free to use these on inclement weather days!
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2024 is the Year of the Dragon and this week, I created a steady beat play-along for my preschool and kindergarten musicians. In this video, they will clap their hands, tap their feet, tap their knees, and march in place. The song is Gong Xi, one of my favorite songs our school’s 老师 Lǎoshī taught me many years ago. I hope that you can use this in your classroom.
Need a Boomwhacker Play-Along for Gong Xi? Need Valentine Play-Along Videos? Read on!
Read MoreI thoroughly enjoyed my time at TMEA this year. I presented four sessions: three technology-focused and one focused on Preschool and kindergarten activities. I attended sessions that varied from podcasting to movement to curriculum. I also showcased MusicFirst Elementary at the MusicFirst booth. The attendees at the sessions were amazing and I loved meeting music educators from Texas!
Read MoreThe TMEA/TI:ME Conference kicked off yesterday and there were many great sessions. I was thrilled to present three sessions. Here are the titles, descriptions, and links to the Wakelet for my sessions.
Read MoreIt is the height of conference season where music educators gather to learn from each other and to rejuvenate themselves. I have been very fortunate to have been able to represent my school, Far Hills Country Day School, by presenting at the Georgia Music Educators Conference (GMEA) showcasing MusicFirst Elementary, New Jersey Association for Independent Schools (NJAIS) “What the Tech?” three-minute session demonstrating Canva’s AI Magic Tools, and most recently, California All-State Music Education Conference (CASMEC) highlighting creative tools for elementary general music classes.
This week, I will be heading to San Antonio, Texas, for the annual Technology in Music Education (TI-ME) National Music Technology Conference/Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) State Conference and will be presenting four sessions.
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