Quarantine Karaoke: Oak Park Neighbors Tweak Popular Song Lyrics To Have Fun While Staying Home For COVID-19
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Starting the morning on a good note, a tight-knit block in Oak Park misses each other so much during the statewide "stay at home" order, they gather every day on their front lawns to serenade each other.
CBS 2 Morning Insider Lauren Victory shares their musical medicine.
"Star light, star bright, shelter in place is no delight."
How's that sound? Let's ask the queen of quarantine.
"We're trying to have fun with it. We keep spinning the words as much as we can," said Cathy Popick, who has been bringing her neighborhood in Oak Park together with quarantine karaoke.
Quarantine Karaoke in Oak Park More Wednesday morning at 5 & 6AM on CBS Chicago. We learned about this block from another Morning Insider story about quarantine silver linings: https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2020/04/07/stay-at-home-silver-linings-finding-the-bright-side-of-the-battle-against-covid-19/
Posted by Lauren Victory on Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Popick's become a rhyming maestro.
"COVID is not really easy," she said.
"Some of them work, some don't, but whatever," said Bernard Norwood, co-songwriter of the Edmer Avenue choir.
Doors creak open every day for a performance of popular songs with amended lyrics for the coronavirus outbreak.
At 8:30 a.m. each day, Oak Park front lawns transform into stages; retirees turn into rock stars, and fathers become Frank Sinatra.
"They're at school, and we're at work. That's usually what's happening. So it's a definite change to normality," said an anonymous father dressed up as Ol' Blue Eyes.
They've weathered the coronavirus storm for almost three weeks; singing daily in the snow, rain and wind.
"It provides a little bit of stability and routine to the day," said the Sinatra impersonator.
Videos posted online caught the eye of some essential workers.
"Her and her fiancé are both ICU RNs," Popick said. "This is sort of their escape and break of, 'What's the new song for the day?' Gives them a little smile, a little relief."
The show will go on until shelter in place is over.
"It's probably one of the best times of the day," Norwood said.
It's also a perfect excuse to check in on neighbors while practicing social distancing.
Wednesday morning, the Edmer Avenue neighbors will sing their version of Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sounds of Silence."
You can find their performances on their YouTube channel and their Instagram page.