Montclair, New Jersey — Half the world's population is now under orders to stay home during the coronavirus pandemic. That's a hardship for many — but for some, it's an opportunity to show off their talents to a global audience.
In New Zealand, Jack Buchanan came up with family lockdown boogie.
In this battle against an enemy we can't see, we are using the weapon of what we can hear. People are not letting the need to stay apart keep them from creating soul-soothing sounds together.
One unassuming British family shook off the familiar lockdown squabbling by rewriting the lyrics to the classic song "One Day More" from "Les Miserables" and became the royal family of Quarantunes.
UPDATE ON 5 APRIL: if you like this video, and feel able, please contribute to the charity that we are donating all our revenue to, which is the World Health Organization COVID-19 Solidarity Fund: https://www.facebook.com/donate/1564752357011737/. Facebook will match what you give. You can find a post about our response to our 'One Day More' video going viral, and another family musical number on my Facebook feed above (or here: https://www.facebook.com/ben.marsh.1650).
ORIGINAL MESSAGE ON 29 MARCH:
This is the last one we are going to do on a lockdown theme, but it felt very apt. And it might be just in time to cheer up some friends and family who have had - or are about to have - birthdays, all by themselves. Decided to include a bit of the intro so that you can see what kind of madness Danielle Marsh and I would be dealing with, if we didn't occupy them with music making...Hope everyone out there is doing okay.
The music is sparking social-distance dance parties as well, from Wales to the Greek Islands to Africa, in families from sorority sisters to fathers and grown-up sons.
They are all discovering there is no better way to demonstrate resilience than by shaking off the COVID-19 cabin fever, one TikTok challenge at a time.
Jim Axelrod is the chief correspondent and executive editor for CBS News' "Eye on America" franchise, part of the "CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell." He also reports for "CBS Mornings," "CBS News Sunday Morning," and CBS News 24/7.
