The girls of L C Dreamers, a high school band that performs motivational songs targeting teen girls in Montgomery County, don't mind their role-model status.

In fact, a reference to Disney Channel's wholesomely talented Cheetah Girls could be in order — but it's definitely not cool enough for the singers of L C Dreamers, who say they'd rather be compared to Mexican-American pop groups such as Prima J.

"We're supposed to influence girls our age not to do bad things," said Ginayra Garcia, a freshman at James Hubert Blake High School who is known as the rocker of the group. "But now that we're teenagers, we're singing love songs, too."

L C Dreamers stands for "chicas, Latinas, y soñadoras," or "girls, Hispanics and dreamers." The group performs inspirational songs from R&B artists such as Brandy and Alicia Keys at county fairs, coffee shops and community days.

It was founded several years ago by Iveth Smith, who wanted to combat the peer pressure her daughter was experiencing in middle school.

Smith said the reason behind creating a band was two-fold: She'd engage talented teenage girls in a healthy and safe activity while putting their faces out there as role models for other girls.

"Every day, girls have to make choices," Smith said. She said she wanted to make sure those were the right choices, such as going to school every day and attending college.

The stars of L C Dreamers — Smith's daughter and Magruder High School freshman Cristina Crespo Long, Garcia, Sherwood High School sophomore Simone Brown and John F. Kennedy High School freshman Kayla Ware — say the group is also an outlet to do what they love.

"It gives you an edge up on being recognized as a singer," said Ware on Friday before the girls' show at DeJaBel Café in Wheaton.

Ware, known as the group's hip-hopper, is the newest member of the group. She joined in December after the band was short-handed and Smith recruited her out of the audience.

The twice-a-week practices and twice-a-month performances have noticeably increased Ware's confidence, said her mother, Lisa Ware, who noted the girls almost always perform in small venues, just a few feet away from strangers and friends in the audience.

"The people can throw tomatoes at you," she joked.

But the girls said the threat of a tomato-stained shirt doesn't even cross their minds when performing.

Brown, who joined in December and balances sports, performances at the Kennedy Center and a school theater group with L C Dreamers, said being a part of the band has strengthened her sense of self.

"If you try and be like everyone else, you're just going to end up unhappy because it's not you," she said. "I'm happy doing what I want to do."

Crespo Long, who along with Garcia is the most tenured member in the group, agreed with Brown but added that doesn't ease the apprehension before each show.

"You still get nervous," she said.

After several line-up changes over the years, Smith said she thinks L C Dreamers has found the right dynamic. She said she wants to expand the group into an afterschool program and get the girls writing their own songs.

"I'm so proud of the girls," she said.

-The L C Dreamers perform at Aqui Brazilian Coffee in Germantown the last Saturday of every month, at DeJaBel Café in Wheaton the first Friday of every month and at Al Carbon in Rockville once a month.

-To be a part of or find out more about L C Dreamers, visit their Web site at www.lcdreamers.com or contact president and founder Iveth Smith at 240-750-0317.