Spring brings us new life in many forms. I just received a copy of "Broken Wings Can Fly," the compilation CD put together by Gary Priour at the Hill Country Youth Ranch.

Talk about new life! The songs on this CD are based on words written by and about the young people at the ranch, young people who have been given a new chance in life.

Called "The Children’s Music Project," this CD marks a beginning, an ongoing project of recordings where songwriters come to the ranch, record at the newly installed Turner Studio and interact with the young people now at the ranch.

This CD includes music and writing by Sara Hickman, Mike Cross, Flaco Jiminez, Douglas and Susan Balentine, Diana Jones, Papa Mali and "Frosty," Glenda Lynn, Scott Boland, Tony Young (also producer), Carol Priour, Jeff Hogan, Max Swafford, Thomas Hughes, Mount Olive Baptist Church, Denny Hardy, Mark Edson, Kim Abel-Snell and a group of backup singers.

Lots of local involvement in the project. The CD insert gives the story behind each song as well as the story of the ranch and its purpose.

Executive Director Gary Priour says at the beginning, "Why a publication of an album from a children’s home? Because at the heart of healing is communion between God and self in the midst of pain, and music can be both a catalyst and an outgrowth of this holy event." Yes, music can be a significant part healing.

My suggestion: businesses could order 25-50 CDs as support for the project and give them away to customers. In that way, word can be spread in the community. A shared project. Call (830) 267-2131 for information and ordering.

The youth ranch project is music from the heart, and that also happens to be the name of Rod Kennedy’s long-awaited book. Although I have only read through part of the work in progress, I know this 400 page collection of stories and photos is another addition to our community

INGRAM – "We learned early in our work that art and music are powerful healing tools."

So reads the booklet in "Broken Wings Can Fly," a compact disc recently published and released by the Hill Country Youth Ranch in Ingram.

The youth ranch provides foster care for at-risk children and has been publishing children’s poetry and stories for 20 years.

But in March 1997, Doug Balentine and a group of others at the ranch created the Children’s Music Project to transform the poetry into song. Balentine acted as the musical arranger and one of the recording engineers from the start.

He and others at the ranch began collecting poems and stories children had written about traumatic events in their lives. They amassed more than 100 pieces of writing.

"We contacted songwriters and gave them the children’s poetry and stories," Balentine said. The songwriters adapted the creative works and put them to music.

Musicians performing on the album include some of Texas’ best known recording artists: Mike Cross, Sara Hickman, Flaco Jimenez, Glenda Lynn and Monte Montgomery. Balentine and his wife Susan also performed.

The songwriting process took six months, and recording took six months, Balentine said.

"Scheduling the performers was a big problem," he added, because the recording studio had to work around the travel schedules of the performers. Most recording was done at Turner Studios at the youth ranch.

Hickman recorded some of her songs in Austin, including "I Believe in Heaven," based on a poem by twelve-year old Sara G.

Sara wrote the poem, originally titled "Bang," about her mother’s violent death to accompany a picture she’d drawn. "I just felt like I needed to write something about how my mom died, "Sara said.

Sara and the other children retain ownership of their compositions, and will be paid royalties from the sale of the CD. If a poet is a minor, royalties will be placed into a trust fund until the child reaches 18 years of age. All other proceeds from sales go to the youth ranch.