Mothers sing out to children with One Clear Voice

From lullabies to children's songs, to music that touches their own lives, mothers and music seem to find a natural connection. Here are a couple of recent projects that demonstrate just that:

The women of One Clear Voice did not exactly set out to create a CD to inspire and uplift mothers.

"It's just that this is where we are in our own lives," said Tammy Simister Robinson, "so we chose music that had deep and important meaning to us. For us, the music has always been about the message. We are first and foremost mothers; that's the most important thing to us."

The four women — Robinson, Tanya Barkdull, Johanne Perry and LaRene Tinney — have 14 children, ranging in age from 1 to 21 years old, so "this music reflects where we are in life," Tinney says.

The women have recently completed their second CD, "Go Without Knowing." It has taken them two years, in part because they are all so busy with their lives, but also because "we tried to be more involved in the whole process," Robinson says. "So everything took twice as long. But it was a wonderful thing, a wonderful process. We had to go outside our comfort zones, doing things we had not done before. It's been a great benefit to us; we hope it is to others."

They felt the title song was particularly apropos; that's what we all do in life, they say. We all have to rely on faith, but we can find help and inspiration along the way. "I have always connected to songs that give hope and strength, that offer courage and faith," Robinson says. "These songs are so appropriate today. We need to hear messages that buoy us up."

They sing songs of "Gratitude"; songs of example, such as "Children Will Listen"; songs of home and family, as "My Nest."

They also sing songs that remind us to "Dance in the Rain;" and that advise "How You Live (Turn Up the Music)."

"They reminds us that the storms will come, but you can't just wait for them to pass; sometimes you have to barrel on through," says Tinney.

"I love the message of 'How You Live' so much," Barkdull says. "A lot of songs are 'woe is me, just hang on.' But this one talks about how you choose, how you take what life gives you and what you do with it. We all get gifts every step of the way; gifts of strength and growth and knowledge that we can't comprehend at the time."

There are also songs that connect to generations past. "My second son was born on the same day that my husband's grandmother passed away," Perry says. "She was the last of her generation, and we realized that we had all moved up a generation; that is "The Way of Things."