Amy M. Burns has taught PreK–Grade 4 general music for 30 years at Far Hills Country Day School (FHCDS). She also teaches Grades 5–6 instrumental classes, directs the FH Philharmonic, serves as Performing Arts Department Manager, and teaches privately in the after-school conservatory, where she previously served as director for over 20 years.
She holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Performance from Ithaca College and a Master of Science in Music Education from Central Connecticut State University.
Burns is the author of four books and numerous articles on integrating technology into the elementary music classroom. She frequently presents professional development sessions on this topic and has delivered keynote addresses in Texas, Indiana, St. Maarten, and Australia.
Her honors include the Technology in Music Education (TI:ME) Teacher of the Year Award (2005), the New Jersey Music Educators Association (NJMEA) Master Music Teacher Award (2016), the Governor’s Leader in Arts Education Award (2016), the New Jersey Nonpublic School Teacher of the Year (2017), and the NJMEA Distinguished Service Award (2026).
Her most recent book, Using Technology with Elementary Music Approaches (Oxford University Press, 2020), is available from Oxford University Press and Amazon.
Burns also serves as Community Coordinator for Midnight Music, General Music Chair on the NJMEA Board of Directors, and Elementary Music Consultant for MusicFirst, a company founded by music educators to help teachers and students make the most of technology in the music classroom.
Her greatest pride is being the mother of her two teenage daughters.