Parody Song By Summit Mom And Others Goes Viral Amid Coronavirus

SUMMIT, NJ — Summit mom Melanie Wilson, who's lived in town for 26 years, joined forces with her son, a college junior, and another local college student recently to film a coronavirus song parody. Since they posted the video on YouTube three weeks ago, it's gotten over 30,000 views.

The song, to the tune of "American Pie," is called, "I Miss American Life."

The project started when Wilson thought of some of the lyrics last month. She posted on Facebook that she was looking for people to help record the tune.

Fellow Summit mom Jamie Kessel suggested her son Zach, who could play piano and sing.

Zach, a freshman at Northwestern University, has been performing in professional and amateur productions since he was young. In 2019, he was nominated for the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Award for Best Lead Actor in a Musical.

Kessel also writes opinions columns for the Daily Northwestern, and serves as president of the Alexander Hamilton Society.

Wilson loved the singing and piano-playing in Kessel's version, but thought the lyrics needed more highlighting. She enlisted the help of her son Matthew, a junior at Boston College who writes and performs in a sketch comedy group and is a DJ at the college radio station. He did some film editing.

The parody, so far, has gotten over 30,000 views on YouTube, and was chosen by NewYorkTheater.me as one of the top 10 corona parodies (yes, that's a thing).

Positive comments on YouTube include, "Lots of great Corona Parody songs out there....yours is the only one the wife and I sang along with. Thanks."

Melanie Wilson, a New York native, has been writing the occasional song parody since she was in middle school. She is the director of marketing for Dreamcatcher Theatre in Summit, and runs a chapter of Believe, Inspire, Grow, a group for women entrepreneurs.

Check out the video above.

For up to date information about coronavirus in Summit and how to help or get tested, click our most recent story.

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