Transforming lives through music. That's the motto of Urban Voices Project, a choir comprised of artists and performers from Downtown Los Angeles' Skid Row. The group performs many public concerts over the holidays, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.

This dedicated family of performers works year round learning, rehearsing, and performing.

"Every person who's here is a living, breathing, singing success story," said associate director Kate Richards Geller.

Urban Voices formed several years ago when the Wesley Health Clinic reached out to the Colburn School of Music to start a street choir for the residents of Skid Row.

"Music is such a good way of connecting with people. It's such a natural, no stigma way of expressing ourselves and connecting with each other," added Geller.

While it's a lot of fun, members do have to demonstrate a commitment to the project before they can join. The group meets regularly in Skid Row to rehearse and to learn music literacy.

"When we're out on the streets trying to survive, there are areas of the brain that just go offline. But coming in here, those areas come back," said Geller.

Every member has a unique story, like Lorraine Morland, who lost both of her sons to gun violence.

"It's been a healing process for me, and I'm still healing," said Morland. "You have so many people in Skid Row who don't have their families, so they feel very lonely; but we embrace them and let them know we are family together."

"I'm the new one here and already they tell me how important I am to the family," said Keith T. Johnson. "They tell me that they needed me."

Ken Anderson, the choir's accompanist and vocal coach, was a professional musician who fell on hard times and found himself on Skid Row.

"Not only is it music, but it's meaningful music. It isn't just gigs for gig sake," he explained.

"It eases people's hearts, because you never know what people are going through," added Morland.

And in this season of giving, sometimes having a voice is the perfect gift.