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Dr. Anna Langness, Colorado, has enjoyed a long, successful career in music education. She taught in North Dakota, Minnesota, Colorado, and at The University of Colorado in Boulder, before retiring. Her mission is to mentor music teachers in their quest to develop teaching skills in using the principles and practices of SongWorks. Through this strategy students use "music as play" so children internalize music and it becomes part of their whole being.

Dr. Langness has studied methods of teaching and has found that singing is very important in a child's education. Using a holistic approach to teaching rhythm and pitch helps students move from song literature to symbols, from the sound of songs to the symbol of songs. She believes that there should be a high priority placed on listening skills.

While visiting last week, at Taylors Falls Elementary, Dr. Langness observed, taught, and dialogued with Leah Steffen, Taylors Falls Elementary Music Specialist.

Mrs. Steffen has been using the principles and practices of SongWorks in her classroom for the past eleven years. She has been working with the Music EdVentures organization as well and is active in developing and implementing new SongWorks lessons. This March, Mrs. Steffen will be in Vancouver, British Columbia presenting some of those lessons. Dr. Anna Langness will be at the conference as well.

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