Product reviews
Jamaica Plain Gazette www.jamaicaplaingazette.com
August, 2006
Local woman produces family music
By Chantel James
Little Virtuoso, a Jamaica Plain-based company, has produced its first interactive DVD and CD, called Music's Everywhere. Children ranging from 3 months to 3 years old, are invited to join a "virtual music class" on DVD. From there, they are taught multicultural music through various characters, including a carpenter named Carl and an animated frog.
Christy Zarlengo, the producer of Little Virtuoso, is the director of Jamaica Plain's Urban Music Together, a music and movement class for kids ages 0-4. Zarlengo has been running the program for six years out of the First Church on Centre Street.
Little Virtuoso was created when wife and husband Tricia and Adam Winkler approached Zarlengo and said, "Wouldn't it be cool to have a DVD for at home that our child could actually interact with, move and sing to?" They said they had "interactive" DVDs that weren't interactive at all. From there, they teamed up and created Music's Everywhere.
Zarlengo agrees with scientists that music should be taught. "As an early childhood educator for years, I know how great music is for young children, both developmentally and as simply a joyful and life-enhancing experience." Zarlengo said in a recent e-mail interview. "I think the DVD is great as an addition to taking a music class (You can bring a music class right into your own living room!), or in and of itself as part of a child's DVD collection because it is so interactive, it gets the child participating and active and moving!"
Zarlengo not only does music for children, but she also recently released a CD called "Apron Strings (& other things)" for "grown-ups." She is busy this summer opening the Children's Music Center of Jamaica Plain in the Brewery Complex on Amory Street. The center, which will open in September, will have a musical theater, group music classes for older children and private instrumental study.
Finally, in the future, The Winklers and Zarlengo will be making another interactive DVD and CD that will teach kids world and ethnic music.
For more information about the future DVD and CD or the most recent, please visit littlevirtuoso.com. For more information on the Children's Music Center of JP, visit jamaicaplainmusic.com. For information on Zarlengo's "grown-up" CD see christyzarlengo.com.
