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VIDEO: Salmon Arm family in isolation rises to musical challenge

The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine used to share efforts to avoid spread of COVID-19
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A Shuswap family is spreading cheer with a musical parody documenting their efforts to avoid contracting or spreading the COVID-19 virus.

Set to the tune of The Beatles colourful classic Yellow Submarine, the video features parents Darcy and Brad Calkins and kids Sam, Max, Katy and Ian, cooped up at home or walking about their Salmon Arm neighbourhood, singing with notable exhaustion about their isolation experience.

“As we walk and run our dog, we see our friends are outside too. But we must avoid them all. Or Doctor Henry will have to call,” sings Brad in one verse.

Darcy explained the video, which took the better part of a day to make, was prompted by a family musical challenge, influenced by video parodies that others have been sharing over the internet.

“My sisters and I said why don’t we all challenge our families to do one…,” said Darcy. “This is something my family has done in the past where we write musicals, and none of us are particularly talented in any form, we just think it’s funny.”

Darcy said they picked the song Yellow Submarine because it’s universally known. For the video they dressed in bright colours influenced by the 1968 animated motion picture of the same name.

Scenes in the video were largely inspired by what the Calkins have been doing to keep busy while helping to flatten the curve.

Darcy said her kids were happy to participate, though they did provide some editing requests.

“Some of the footage that we shot, when we showed them, they’re like, ‘No you’re not, cut that,’” said Darcy. “We tried to not super embarrass them… They were largely happy to participate though. They were bored too.”

The video will be a keepsake for the Calkins, a happy memory born from challenging times.

“Hopefully it will continue to make us giggle going forward out of it,” said Darcy.

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