Luz de Vida is a compilation album of music from artists both in Tucson and affiliated with Tucson. The songs are expressions of community, love, healing, grace and hope. All proceeds from the sale of Luz de Vida will go to the Tucson Tragedy Victims’ Fund, administered by Homicide Survivors, Inc. The project began in the days after the Jan. 8 shootings, as not only a way to create a positive response from Tucson’s musical community, but to provide aid and comfort to the victims and their families. Music Against Violence, a group of Tucson musicians, engineers and writers, is the entity guiding the Luz de Vida project. The group includes recording engineers Nathan Sabatino and Thomas Beach of Loveland Recording Studio, music journalist and former Giffords for Congress communications director Eric Swedlund, Tucson Weekly music editor Stephen Seigel, Rialto Theatre general manager Curtis McCrary and Ryan Trayte, the theater’s marketing and design manager.

Among the first artists who have committed to providing a song for Luz de Vida are Howe Gelb, Calexico, Rainer Ptacek, and Robyn Hitchcock. Luz de Vida is scheduled for worldwide release in April.