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 instrumental class, directs the FH Modern Band, is the Performing Arts Department Manager, and teaches privately in the after-school conservatory, having served as director for over 20 years. She has authored four books and numerous articles on integrating technology 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, the 2017 NJ Nonpublic School Teacher of the Year, and the 2026 NJMEA Distinguished Service Awards. Her most recent publication, Using Technology with Elementary Music Approaches (2020), is available from Oxford University Press (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 the social feed buttons below!
This is one of my go-to lesson flows:
✔️ Warm-up (steady beat, breathing, focus)
✔️ Song application (Ten Little Speckled Frogs)
✔️ Add movement + counting + manipulatives
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Looking for a clear, student-friendly way to teach recorder? These fingering charts are designed with elementary learners in mind and can be used for whole group instruction, centers, or independent practice.
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Looking for a high-energy play-along that instantly hooks your students? This one starts with something your students will immediately recognize…
👉 “What were… in the 90s?”
That familiar trend pulls students in right away—and before they know it, they’re stepping into the world of MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This” (1990) with instruments in hand and ready to play.
Inspired by a fantastic idea from music educator Vicky Suárez, this play-along blends nostalgia, humor, and solid musical learning into one engaging classroom experience.
The video opens with the trending “What were… in the 90s?” prompt to instantly grab attention
A cartoon hammer conductor leads the ensemble (yes… wearing hammer pants!)
A dance break featuring MC Hammer adds humor and energy
The song leaves out lyrics that might not be suitable for an elementary music class
Backup dancers are tastefully blurred to keep everything classroom-appropriate
Students stay actively involved the entire time through playing, listening, and moving
It’s the perfect mix of nostalgia, engagement, and musical learning.
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This might be old news, but Canva's layout is changing, which prompted me to explore the Image to Video tool. Hope this helps!
🎥Check out the video here!
Read MoreApril Fool’s Day just got a musical upgrade! 👀🎶
These play-alongs start normal… then surprise your students with glitches, twists, and even a classic Rickroll!
Fun, engaging, and full of musical learning—your students won’t see it coming!
Looking for a memorable April Fools’ Day activity that still reinforces core musical skills? This "April Rhythm and Movement Play-Along” is designed to keep students engaged, thinking, and laughing—while strengthening steady beat, listening, and response skills.
In this lesson, students begin by following a steady beat to The Syncopated Clock by Leroy Anderson, then experience a series of unexpected “glitches” that challenge their focus and musical understanding. Just when they think they’ve figured it out… the system breaks completely and shifts into a totally different, golden musical style!
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Have you ever taken a screenshot and wished you could just edit it?
Maybe you wanted to:
Remove items
Isolate a recorder or barred instrument part
Or quickly create differentiated materials
Until now, that meant retyping, rewriting, or recreating everything from scratch.
But Canva’s newest AI feature, Magic Layers, is about to completely change that.
This post introduces a Shakira Medley Body Percussion Play-Along designed specifically for younger elementary music students. It builds on last week’s rhythm activity by adding movement-based learning that helps students internalize beat, rhythm, and musical concepts through engaging, non-locomotor actions. The post outlines how each note value is paired with a simple movement, explains how to use the free manipulatives to prepare students, and shares a student-led teaching strategy using a spinning name wheel. Together with the previous rhythm play-along, this activity provides a flexible, multi-grade resource that supports musical understanding while celebrating women in music.
Read MoreOne of the most common questions music educators ask when exploring MusicFirst Elementary is:
“Is this a 1:1 curriculum?”
The short answer is no — and that’s actually one of its many strengths.
MusicFirst Elementary was designed to be a flexible music curriculum that works in a variety of classroom technology environments. Whether you have one device, center rotations, or a full 1:1 setup, the lessons and creative tools can adapt to your teaching style.
Let’s take a closer look at what that flexibility can look like in the elementary music classroom.
Many elementary music rooms have one teacher's computer connected to a projector or interactive board. MusicFirst Elementary works beautifully in this setting.
Teachers can:
Display activities for the entire class
Model musical concepts together
Guide listening, movement, and analysis activities
Demonstrate creative tools before students try them
Display songs to sing and perform
In this setup, the curriculum supports whole-group instruction while still allowing students to participate through movement, instruments, singing, and discussion.
This approach keeps the focus on musical learning rather than screen time, while still integrating technology meaningfully.
Another popular option is using MusicFirst Elementary as a technology station or center.
During center rotations, students can:
Explore interactive music activities
Reinforce rhythmic and melodic concepts
Work collaboratively in small groups
Engage with creative music tools
Perform Boomwhacker/recorder/ukulele play-alongs
Decode melodies and rhythm patterns
For example, while one group is working with barred instruments, another group might rotate to the MusicFirst Elementary center to complete an interactive activity related to the same musical concept.
This model works especially well for differentiation and blended learning, allowing students to practice skills at their own pace.
In classrooms where students have individual devices, MusicFirst Elementary offers even more possibilities.
Students can:
Work independently on music activities
Create their own musical ideas using creative tools
Explore musical concepts through guided lessons
Complete projects or extensions related to classroom learning
Podcast about their favorite composer or performer
Score movies!
Teachers can use this setup for practice, reinforcement, or creative exploration, while still guiding the learning process.
Technology access varies widely from school to school, and MusicFirst Elementary was designed with that reality in mind.
You can successfully use the curriculum with:
One device and a projector
Small group center rotations
1:1 student devices
MusicFirst Elementary allows you to decide how technology fits into your teaching, rather than forcing your classroom to fit a specific technology model.
🎥 Watch the short video explaining this FAQ here:
You can explore MusicFirst Elementary and its creative tools here:
https://www.musicfirst.com/elementary/
March is Women’s History Month in the United States, and it is a wonderful opportunity to introduce students to influential female artists while reinforcing important music skills. If you are looking for a high-energy rhythm activity that works with multiple grade levels, this new Shakira Rhythm Play-Along might be a great addition to your classroom this month.
This rhythm play-along features a medley of three popular songs by Shakira:
Try Everything
Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)
Zoo
Shakira is a Colombian singer, songwriter, and performer known for blending Latin pop, rock, and world music influences in her music. Her global career and cultural impact make her a great artist to explore during Women’s History Month.
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Spring is finally in the air! After weeks of winter weather, snow days, and schedule changes, many music teachers are ready for activities that keep students engaged while also keeping the classroom calm and musical.
If you’re looking for a simple, meaningful activity for younger elementary students, the Color By Notes – Spring Edition packet is designed exactly for those moments—whether you need a sub plan, a center activity, or a calm lesson before break.
These 13 spring-themed worksheets combine rhythm recognition and creativity as students color images of flowers, thunderstorms, rainbows, and sunshine. Each page reinforces note and rest identification while pairing the activity with a listening suggestion to maintain a strong musical connection.
Read MoreMarch is an exciting time in the music classroom! In the States, we celebrate both Women's History Month and Music In Our Schools Month—a perfect opportunity to highlight influential women in music while reinforcing rhythm skills with engaging activities.
To celebrate, I created a rhythm play-along video and a body percussion play-along built around a medley of songs performed by four iconic all-female groups spanning four decades of popular music. These activities help students practice reading and performing rhythms while connecting to music history in a fun, energetic way.
Students practice and perform rhythms using:
Whole notes
Half notes
Quarter notes
Eighth notes
Quarter rests
The play-along format makes this activity ideal for whole-class participation, centers, or quick rhythmic warm-ups.
Read MoreIf you use Canva for Education to design manipulatives, certificates, bulletin boards, slide decks, or play-along visuals, you already know how powerful it can be.
But here’s the real question many music educators ask:
Where do I find ready-to-use notation, chord symbols, solfège hand signs, dynamics, and instrument diagrams — all in one place?
Instead of recreating quarter notes and chord charts every single time, you can build your own music image library inside Canva in just a few minutes.
Watch how to do this here, or keep reading...
Read MoreLooking for a fun music activity for your youngest learners?
We’ve got a rhythm play-along video that’s perfect for steady beat exploration, literacy, and musical engagement — plus a set of free manipulatives to support your lesson!
If we met at TMEA or NJMEA, thank you for the conversations, creativity, and energy you brought to each session. I created this short recap video to pull together the ideas we explored and to help you quickly locate the resources when you’re ready to use them.
Read MoreIf you’re looking for an engaging way to celebrate Lunar New Year while reinforcing steady beat, rhythm reading, and instrument technique, I have three ready-to-use Gong Xi play-alongs for your elementary music classroom.
This song holds a special place in my heart. A former 老师 (Lǎoshī – Mandarin teacher) at our school taught it to our students years ago, and they loved it so much that it has become part of our annual tradition. These play-alongs grew out of that shared experience.
Read MoreBig news for music teachers! Two powerful learning opportunities are happening back-to-back, packed with ideas you can take straight into your classroom. One starts tomorrow, and the other will help you simplify planning and make technology work for you, not against you.
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Does Technology Belong in Elementary Music? Tools That Make Teaching Easier with Amy Burns
Design Creative Resources for Your Music Classroom
Join me to learn about various ways to create resources and manipulatives from print to digital to video for your music classes!
Music Tech for Grades 3-5 with Amy M. Burns
Have you been looking for ideas for your upper elementary music lessons that keep your students engaged? The Music Room Meet-Up was created to help you engage your upper elementary students. We kick off on February 14, with 3 days of presentations, filled with songs and ideas for your Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Grade students! Get all the details and grab your free ticket!
Grab your free ticket here: https://aileensmusicroom.com/the-music-room-meet-up-february-2026/#sec1
Join me at NJMEA for three sessions involving movement, recorders/boomwhackers/ukuleles/barred instruments, and technology! Our elementary academy features Bill Henry from Mr. Henry's World!
What To Do This Week with Elementary Music Classes?
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The Lunar New Year will be celebrated on February 17 this year, marking the beginning of a new cycle in the lunar calendar. It is the Year of the Horse, a symbol often associated with energy, freedom, speed, and independence. Over the years, I have created a variety of steady beat and boomwhacker/xylophone melody play-along videos that have been enjoyable for many. These resources aim to enhance musical skills while celebrating the rich traditions of this festive occasion.
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