Uhlich Voices CD Release

Talking about life on the streets as it really is - no fake glamour or wannabe badness - Uhlich Voices represents victims of abuse and neglect, a group we rarely hear from - except in newspaper horror stories.

Three of its four members - Fred Long, Victor Spencer, and Erick Johnson - have been there. Former wards of the state, the social services and support they received from UCAN helped them survive poverty, abandonment, and the loss of their families. The fourth, Jason Daniels, got to know them through school. Their first CD - Emancipation: Inside the Hearts of DCFS - uses rap, songs, and poetry to share that experience with others. The CD also gives hope to young people everywhere, letting them know that they can overcome and accomplish anything.

Now Uhlich Voices is sharing its experience with other children. The new Uhlich Voices CD Project allows young people to express themselves through creative writing and performing. The resulting CD - The System - features tracks written and performed by youth from social service agencies, including Kaleidoscope, Hull House, Lawrence Hall, and Jamal Place, who participated in weekly workshops.

Funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services' Teen REACH Focus program, the Uhlich Voices CD Project enabled eight youth from each participating agency to create and record music at the Chicago Producers Circle studio in Joliet. Illinois Representative William Davis (D-30) joined one recording session to add his unique opening to a song.

Members of the group are available for performances and interviews. Contact Fred Long at 773-429-9362 or longf@ucanchicago.org.