About Emily Brackney

Emily Brackney is in her 26th year in Lewisville ISD in Texas, where she is the lead elementary music specialist. She has taught the past 22 years at Forest Vista Elementary in Flower Mound, where she teaches Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade students and directs the Forest Vista Chimes and Choir, a 2020 Texas Music Educators Association Elementary Invited Choir.

She has presented sessions at both the TMEA and Texas Choral Directors Association conventions, as well as the online Elementary Music Summit. She has twice been published in the Southwestern Musician, the magazine of TMEA, mostly recently as a requested featured article writer in the February 2026 issue.

​Mrs. Brackney has served as both an assistant director and lead coordinator of the LISD Fifth Grade Honor Choir. She has three times been named Teacher of the Year: at FVE in 2025 and 2008 and at Southridge Elementary in 2004. She has been awarded both the PTA Lifetime Membership and PTA Extended Service Award.

A graduate of Baylor University, Mrs. Brackney was named Outstanding Student in the School of Music and Outstanding Choral Musician and was the first recipient of the Barbara Bennett Award for Music Education at Baylor. She also holds a Master of Music Education degree with a minor in special education from the University of North Texas. While at UNT, she was Assistant Director of the UNT Early Childhood Music Program and received her Level 1 Kodaly certification. She is also certified in First Steps in Music.

​Mrs. Brackney is the author of Actively Ringing!, a book of lessons for integrating handbells and handchimes in the upper elementary classroom, published by Sweet Pipes. She co-directs the children’s choirs and Bell Blast at St. Andrew Methodist Church in Plano. Emily and her husband, Doug, are the proud parents of Joshua and Andrew, who are both involved in music at their schools.

Please reach out at [email protected] to connect. Visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store here. I would also love to come to provide professional development for your school or district.