Mario Polese pumped his fist in excitement after learning he was able to keep a copy of a CD for which he had performed a song.
       Polese, 34, and some 20 others with developmental disabilities gathered in the rec room at the Queens Centers for Progress in Bellerose for the CD release party of "Musical Expression: A collection of song from the heart."
        "No matter what the disability... everybody (was) able to participate in something like this." said Janet Ingber, the center's music therapist for 17 years and organizer of the album. Like those she worked with on the project, Ingber, who is legally blind, copes with a disability.
        The songs were made by what the center calls "consumers" - those more than 21 years old with developmental disabilities who participate in the center's day program.
        The most common disabilities of those who participated are mental retardation and autism, according to Gerri Feretic, the director of the day program. Others have cerebral palsy or medical conditions such as seizures.
       The 15-track CD ranged from children's songs like "Michael Row Your Boat Ashore" and "I've Been Working on the Railroad" to "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" and "Kumbaya" to original instrumental pieces involving piano, drums, keyboard and the soundbeam- which converts movement into music using a microprocessor, much in the way that ultrasound converts movement into pictures. 
        Ingber said that while the project was a recreational activity, it also helped with the participants' motor and socialization skills.
       "Not only is it great for their self-esteem, but they're part of a group project. They feel important- We're focusing on their abilities, not their disability," she said.
       Richmond Hill resident Roseann Polese, Mario's mother, said her son has become more mature and sociable since he attended the day program at age 21.
     "It's a great program. He loves music. Janet's a great teacher," she said.
      Roseann Polese noted that Mario, who lives with her, loves Britney Spears as well as music from the '60s and '70s and artists Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and Gyndi Lauper. He even has a karaoke machine at home.

     "He loves that mic," she said.
     Ingber said the project showed that the developmentally disabled can do more than most people think.
     "When people encounter consumers that are here it's important to focus on their abilities. They can do a lot. They can socialize. They are a person too, and JUKI don't look at the disability," she said.
      The CD is selling for $5, but is limited only to employees of the center and the consumers' families. Ingber said there is a possibility the album will be sold outside of the center, but a decision is yet to be made.