I'VE ALWAYS BEEN FIRST AND FOREMOST A SINGER. AS A CHILD I GREW UP IN THE LIMELIGHT OF MY MOTHER, THE FIRST GREAT FEMALE CANTOR, FRAYDELE OYSHER. I STARTED PERFORMING WITH MY MOM AT AGE SEVEN. I COULD SING IN SIX LANGUAGES. I WAS INSPIRED BY MY UNCLE, THE LEGENDARY CANTOR MOISHE OYSHER, AND WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE RECORDED AND SUNG DUETS WITH MY UNCLE AT AGE FOURTEEN. AS A KID I SAT THROUGH EVERYTHING FROM PUCCINI TO WAGNER AS MY DAD, HAROLD STERNBERG, SANG BASSO WITH THE METROPOLITAN OPERA. SOME KIDS ARE ARMY BRATS, I WAS A MET OPERA BRAT, AND THE "ELOISE" OF THE YIDDISH THEATRE.

AS A TEENAGER AT MUSIC AND ART HIGH SCHOOL, I WROTE AND RECORDED THE DOO WOP OF THE TIMES, AND ULTIMATELY RECORDED WITH PHIL RAMONE, HUGO AND LUIGI OF RCA VICTOR, WARNER BROS. AND ABC PARAMOUNT.

MY MENTOR, THE ARRANGER AND SAXOPHONIST, HAL WESS, SCHOOLED ME AND DRILLED ME IN EVERYTHING FROM PEGGY TO FRANK, MORGANA, JUDY, EYDIE AND LENA. CONSEQUENTLY MY LIFE HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO THE ABSORPTION AND INTERPRETATION OF AN ECLECTIC VARIETY OF MUSIC. ON THE JOURNEY I'VE STOPPED EVERY SO OFTEN TO DABBLE IN THE REALM OF COMEDY AND MIMICRY ... OR HIDING BEHIND A FUNNY FACE.

THIS THEN, IS AN ALBUM OF SONGS AND FINALLY I AM BACK TO MY ROOTS. I'VE COME FULL CIRCLE. BECOMING A PARENT HAS BEEN THE GREATEST EXPERIENCE AND JOY OF MY LIFE. I BELIEVE THAT MOST PARENTS FEEL THIS AS DEEPLY AS I DO. THE SONGS THAT I'VE CHOSEN ON THIS CD ARE VARIED IN STYLE, BUT THE LYRICS ARE ALL UNITED IN ONE THEME. I INTERPRET THEM AS MESSAGES AND FEELINGS WE, AS PARENTS, HAVE TOWARDS AND ABOUT OUR CHILDREN. THAT FOR ME HAS BEEN INSPIRATION ENOUGH. I HOPE THEY GIVE YOU AS MUCH PLEASURE IN THE LISTENING AS THEY GAVE ME IN THE PERFORMING.

Best known as the uncanny voice of other show business personalities, Marilyn Michaels is a warm and winning vocalist in her own right.

Michaels ranges far and wide, from the Broadway and film masters to folk ("Scarlet Ribbons" and the Yiddish "Beneath the Trees") and some originals, including a sentimental title song by Marvin Hamlish, Alan Bergman, and Marilyn Bergman. When Marilyn Michaels offers up Marilyn Michaels, vocal artistry is of high order.

by Andrew Gans

What is most evident in Marilyn Michaels, "A Mother's Voice", is the singer's pure joy for singing and her love of these beautiful classic songs. Michael's voice/singing is an amalgam of styles: part Broadway belt, part jazz and even somewhat gospel-flavored. Her simple, unaffected rendition of this uplifting tune ("A Mother's Voice") is completely heartwarming. Michaels also scores with a jazzy, appealing rhythmic rendition of "My Favorite Things" as well as a playful "Talk to the Animals" and a joyous "Me and My Baby," in which she is joined by her 14-year-old son, Mark Wilk.

by David Hinckley

"A Mother's Voice" is first class, with Michaels mixing standards like "September Song" and "The Impossible Dream" with sentimental songs like "A Mother's Voice" and "Children and Art".

In the end, in fact, what she skillfully crafts is a record that can work for both grownups and children, thanks to "My Favorite Things," "Talk to the Animals' and "When You Wish Upon a Star." It's hard to resist.