CENTER DIRECTOR, Music Together^®, YOUNG PIANISTS. An Early Childhood music educator since 1999, Christy Zarlengo has been the director of Urban Music Together since 2001, and founded the Children's Music Center of J.P. in 2006. Christy has taught piano lessons, Suzuki piano and early childhood music classes at ZUMIX, Brookline Music School and the New School in Cambridge. She has an undergraduate degree in Psychology, and is an alumnus of the Berklee College of Music, where she studied voice, piano and songwriting. Christy has also studied at the summer Dalcroze Institute at the Longy School of Music, and has completed Certification training with the Center for Music and Young Children in Princeton, NJ. She recently completed a full-length CD of "grown-up songs," which you can listen to at Christyzarlengo.com, and she is co-creator and featured teacher in "Little Virtuoso: Music's Everywhere," an interactive music DVD/CD for children infancy-5 years. Available at: cdbaby.com/littlevirtuoso

PIANO LESSONS Katie Anderson is a pianist, music teacher, composer and aspiring trumpet player from Brooklyn, New York. She graduated in 2005 with a degree in Music Education from the University of Rhode Island. Since that time, Katie's love of music and teaching has taken her to many different places, from a little piano studio in Rhode Island, all the way to Japan. Before relocating to Boston, Katie spent a year teaching elementary general music at the Harlem Promise Academy in New York City.
She has many diverse hobbies, but music, by far, is number one. Katie looks forward to each and every opportunity she has to share and spread that love of music with others.

MUSIC TOGETHER
Born in California to a Brazilian family, Barbara grew up in Rio de Janeiro. Music has been part of her life from an early age, singing in the school choir and spending long afternoons sitting at the piano with her grandfather. She started her music studies at Antonio Adolfo Music School in Rio de Janeiro, taking guitar and voice lessons. Her love for music brought her to the USA in 2000 where she formally started her studies at Santa Barbara College. In 2004 Barbara relocated to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music, earning her Bachelor’s degree in 2007. During her years in Boston, she has been a vocalist in an acoustic ensemble playing Brazilian music around New England, including rhythms like Bossa Nova and Samba. Barbara is now back in Boston, after three years in Los Angeles, where she taught voice and basic keyboard lessons to children. In her free time, Barbara loves athletic activities such as long runs by the Charles, spinning rides, yoga, and dancing, but also singing and relaxing along with good friends.

MUSIC TOGETHER A native of New Orleans, Miriam relocated to Boston in 2000 to attend Boston University, graduating with a degree in Sociology. Hoping that music could be a part of her future career as well, Miriam continued her education at the Berklee College of Music, studying Music Therapy. She received her Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy in June, 2008, and went on to complete a Masters in Social Work at Simmons College in 2010. She currently works as a full-time social worker, and a part-time Music Together teacher at CMCJP. Miriam currently lives in Jamaica Plain where she enjoys JP Licks icecream, long walks in the Arboretum, and spending time with her cat, Calliope.

IN-HOME PIANO & VOICE LESSONS. At the age of five, Whitney Jones knew that music was apart of her purpose & that God had given her the gift. Her mother, identified that her daughter was musically inclined one holiday season as she was in the kitchen cooking and singing, “Joy To The World.” She heard Whitney’s little fingers playing the melody of the song, completely by ear. Thus, her mother enrolled her in formal piano lessons, where she continued to be classically trained throughout her school-age years.

As Whitney built her music skills, she also discovered that she had another passion: psychology. Having an interest in the brain and learning to understand people, helped drive her passion for helping others. Eventually, Whitney decided to take her craft to the next level by attending & graduating from Berklee College of Music, where she has earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Therapy (’09). Having completed her internship at Wild Acre Inns (mental health population), she is now ready to sit for the board exam. Throughout the years, Whitney has participated in various community outreach programs, implemented music education in a pre-school, created a music curriculum for a private school, as well as taught piano and voice in the home for five years now.

Whitney hopes to open various programs that offer music therapy as well as music education to under-privileged individuals dealing with various mental health needs. She believes that there is more to music that just listening. There’s a healing power in it. All people should have access and exposure to music, as it helps to create a well-rounded individual.

PIANO LESSONS Lisa Keefe has been teaching piano and music theory to students of all ages for over ten years. From an early age, she has had a love of music that was instilled in her from her mother and grandmother who also play the piano and enjoy singing. Music is a part of her everyday life and she enjoys sharing this gift with others so they can reach their full creative potential. Born and raised in Massachusetts, Lisa graduated with honors from U. Mass Amherst with a degree in Psychology and Communications, while studying piano application and theory under Russian pianist Lucy Portnov. Throughout her life, she has enjoyed touring the world and submersing herself in a variety of cultures and languages. Lisa also spends her time volunteering in the community, traveling to Europe and South America, continuing to gain inspiration from plays on Broadway and opera, and cooking new and exciting dishes.

MUSICAL THEATRE
Dylan Merry attended Pocket Full of Tales Theater classes and camps during elementary and middle school. He continued to participate as a teacher in training during high school. As a teacher in training he worked as the lighting director as well as assisted children by directing, singing, and leading art projects.
He is now in his third year at college and has kept close connections with our programs throughout these past few years. Most recently he has worked at Longfellow Sports club for three years as a staff member in their after school program as well as their summer camp. His duties at Longfellow included supervising children ages 5-11, organizing events such as swimming, outdoor play, indoor play, and supervising field trips. Dylan is excited to be working with Pocket Full of Tales again!

YOUNG MUSICIANS, GROUP KEYBOARD, PIANO LESSONS:
A native New Yorker, Emma moved to Boston in June 2010 to begin pursuing a Master’s degree in Music Education at Boston University after graduating from Manhattanville College in 2006 with a Bachelor’s degree in Music. A performer in every sense of the word, Emma has enrolled in dance, theatre, and music programs since she was 5 years old. She thrives from creativity and expression, and her greatest joy in life is helping children discover their inner artist or something else that they’re passionate about. In her spare time, Emma loves to read, cook and bake, attend sporting events, concerts, and Broadway shows, volunteer at the BSO, and return to New York to spend time with loved ones.