We’ve all seen the quarantine videos. The ones where celebrity musicians jam together at home from locations all over the world, usually with unbelievable results. You may have said to yourself, “boy, I wish I could make one of those cool videos!”
Well, the amazing folks at Koolulam recently made it possible.
The Israeli mass-singing initiative decided that today’s world needs more music. So they recently solicited video submissions from fans, and quickly received more than 5,000 from around the world. The result? A gorgeous rendition of “Fix You” by Coldplay in three-part harmony, sung by ordinary folks from around the world.
And it will give you chills.
Singing With Koolulam: The Process
Having never attended a Koolulam event before, I knew I had to participate in this virtual event. Let’s just say they’re very good at what they do.
When I clicked on the link in the email I received, they asked if I wanted to sing baritone (ideal for most male voices), alto (a “lower” female voice) or soprano (higher female voice) part. As a man, I chose the baritone part.
Up popped a video featuring Ben Yefet, the dread-locked conductor you see in most Koolulam videos. He slowly – and effectively – taught me to sing “Fix You”, a song I wasn’t familiar with beforehand. Ben did a great job helping me rehearse my part, using text on the screen and a good deal of repetition.
About 20 minutes later, it was time to record.
While watching the video on my laptop with headphones, I recorded myself singing the song on my smartphone. My seven-year-old son Tobey, who had joined me for much of the rehearsal, sang along (which I thought would improve my chances of inclusion due to the cuteness factor).
Alas, they did not use my submission in the final product. But I had a great time learning the song, and my participation made the final video even more special. It looks like they only used about 100 videos in their compilation, and with 5,000 submissions competing for airtime in a 4-minute song…well, my chances were minimal.
All in all, Koolulam has done it again…and it’s just what the world needs right now.
