Sandy Hook children's 'Over the Rainbow' lifts spirits

NEWTOWN -- The gift of song can help to heal hearts, and 20 Newtown children hope their recording of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" will bring a measure of peace.

The children, including a few Sandy Hook students and survivors of the Dec. 14 mass shooting, performed the song live Tuesday morning during the closing minutes of "Good Morning America" on ABC. They recorded the song Jan. 9 in Fairfield, at the home recording studio of Talking Heads' and Tom Tom Club's Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz.

Singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson accompanied the children on ukulele at both performances. The song is available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon, and all proceeds from the project will go to the nonprofit Newtown Youth Academy and the United Way of Western Connecticut.

The project, called A Song From Sandy Hook, was produced by Tim Hayes, co-owner of the former music mecca CBGB's, along with Newtown-based music teacher Sabrina Post.

"We came here for the purpose to give our talent as a gift to so many of the people who live around us, to help them move forward and to keep memories alive," Post told the children at a rehearsal for the recording. A video of the recording was posted to YouTube on Monday.

It shows 16 girls with green ribbons in their hair and the four boys with green patterned dress shirts. During the video, some of the children can be seen making snowballs on the lawn in front of Weymouth's and Frantz's barn.

"Like a lot of people, we moved from New York City," Frantz said. "The idea was that we'd be providing a more wholesome environment for our children to grow up in, with fresh air, green grass and good schools. You think you're in paradise, but maybe it's not really that way."

Frantz said Tuesday about 60 people were in his home for the recording session, including parents and technical staff. "It was a festive, almost joyous atmosphere; it wasn't somber at all," he said. "There were some moments when parents got choked up. It's an emotional song to begin with."

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow," by Y.A. Harburg and Harold Arlen, was first sung by Judy Garland in the classic 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz." The song includes the lyrics "Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue; And the dreams that you dare to dream, Really do come true."

The song, "Sandy Hook: Over the Rainbow," featuring Ingrid Michaelson and the children of Newtown, is available for digital download from iTunes and Amazon for $1.29.