Kailey Carranza will donate all proceeds from her debut album to a foundation dedicated to funding research to find a cure for leukemia.

Courtesy of Fever Promotions

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A Marana Middle School student is putting her musical talents toward a worthy cause.

Eighth-grader Kailey Carranza, 13, said she spends as much as 10 hours a week writing and recording songs for her debut album, "Singing for a Cure."

When released in June, all proceeds from the CD will go toward a foundation dedicated to funding research to find a cure for leukemia.

"I couldn't imagine what it would be like to have such a horrible disease," Carranza said. "I just wanted to do whatever I could to help."

Carranza, who describes herself as an avid singer who spent two years in the Tucson Girls Chorus, said she got interested in making the CD after learning about the Lea Foundation.

Her mother, Catherine Cortes, and cousin, Carla Sgro, both have done volunteer work with the Connecticut-based non-profit, which was founded in 1998 and is named in honor of Lea Michele Economos, who died in 1992 of leukemia at 27.

The foundation has raised close to $2 million since its inception.

Foundation Director George Economos — Lea's brother — said having Carranza's CD be a fundraiser for his organization is something he never expected.

"This was all Kailey," Economos said. "She really wanted to make a difference. This puts us on another side of the map that we hadn't anticipated."

Carranza said she has finished four songs for the CD, which she hopes will have at least eight tracks on it when complete.

She is collaborating on the album with local producer Billy Buelna, and sponsor Peter Piper Pizza is helping to underwrite her costs.

Carranza describes the music as "kind of pop-py, kind of alternative," with a lean toward the sounds of Disney Channel musical stars such as Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers.

"That's what I wanted to make it sound like," Carranza said.

The CD will sell for $15 and be available online at the Lea's Foundation website, www.leasfoundation.org. Carranza said her mother is seeking to get the CD in some local stores in an effort to increase sales and increase the amount of money raised for the foundation.

"Anything would really help," Carranza said. "Even $100 would help."