Her voice drenches you, evoking a feeling of bubbling tears inside your heart. The lyrics to the song cling to your soul and every tragedy, every heartbreak, ever known churns to the surface of your mind. Jazz singer Suzi Stern’s rendition of ‘I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry’ could easily have come from the mouths of children…children lost in a system, with little hope and even less of a future.

6302.As Suzi finishes her song, the audience thunders and the string players behind her, Will Taylor and his band Strings Attached, prepare for Kellye Gray and her poignant interpretation of Eleanor Rigby. Both Kellye Gray and Suzi Stern are on stage as part of a benefit concert lending their voices so that abused and abandoned children who are shuffled through the court system, might, in fact, also have a voice.

The idea for the benefit emerged in 2003 when Will Taylor, creative director and string player for the band, approached CASA of Travis County. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate, and is an organization that provides an activist for the welfare of each child who enters its arena.

CASA began in Seattle when a judge felt that insufficient information was used to make decisions about the lives of abused and neglected children. The judge conceived of the idea of using trained community volunteers to speak for the best interests of these children in court. This Seattle program was so successful that soon judges across the country began utilizing citizen advocates. Eventually in 1990, the U.S. Congress encouraged the expansion of CASA with passage of the Victims of Child Abuse Act.

Established in 1985, CASA of Travis County was the fourth CASA program launched in Texas. At year end in 1986, CASA of Travis County had served 85 abused and neglected children on 60 cases with 43 active volunteers.

The Travis County courts eventually increased responsibility from CASA as a "friend of the court" to "Guardian ad litem." At year end in 2003, CASA of Travis County had served 1,036 abused and neglected children on 499 cases with 388 active volunteers. In 2004, the number of training sessions will increase to eleven in efforts to extend a hand, heart, and voice to the remaining 43% of children in need. (CASA info from www.casatravis.org)

The music swims and swells around you, a palpable hush settling over Ruta Maya Coffeehouse. To look at the scarlet draped stage, to hear the moody vibrations of the viola and the deep hum of the cello, to feel the heartbeat of the drums and the soulful whistle of the trumpet, you would not know that the proceeds raised from this concert will save the lives of children in Travis County.

Taylor’s vision, however, did not stop at the concert alone. He created a CD from the live performances at the Strings Attached Concert Series, and released it as Live Vol. 1 at the concert. Taylor wanted to donate all proceeds from the sales of the CD to CASA as well. The purchase of every CD donates money to CASA of Travis County and continues to provide the desperately needed voices for the children who might not otherwise have such a powerful advocate. It truly represents a gift that continues to give.

The CD’s song list is an appropriate one for these children, including Eliza Gilkeyson’s "Persephone", a piece reflective of the mythological journey of Persephone into Hades’ lair. Patrice Pike’s "Volcanoes" adds the weight of heartache with a song that speaks to those who have loved and lost. Slaid Cleaves lends his own flavor with "For the Brave" with lyrics that take you with acuity to the struggles of life: "I see you walk with your head hanging low, you’ve stopped even wonderin’ why, no longer trying to win, you’re happy just to get by". Abra Moore’s "Four Leaf Clover", as well as Suzi Stern’s "I’m So Lonesome" and Kellye Gray’s "Eleanor Rigby" are also on the CD.

After Suzi Stern and Kellye Gray leave the stage, Karen Cox, Director of CASA Travis County, relates her own story of how she became touched by a young woman who came through the court system and the extraordinary lives that emerge as a result of the volunteers who lend their hearts and their time to the organization.

After the brief intermission, Austin’s newest soul &emdash; strumming emblem, Tucker Livingston, takes the stage with songs including "The Air You Breathe", "King and a Queen" and "Elements of Youth" which is on the CD as well.

Will Taylor and Strings Attached, are icons defining originality, intrigue and artisanship in the Austin music scene but in this mode they have stepped out of their role as musicians making a living for themselves, and are helping to create a life for others.

Checkout the cd http://www.ampcast.com/music/26773/albums.php