As far back as he can remember, freshman Maxwell Taylor’s family has always been musically inclined. Whether it be his father’s guitar strumming, his brother’s mandolin tuning, or both of his sisters’ shower singing, Taylor was born and raised in a home that was never quiet. But it was not until his older brother Mason Taylor was nine years old did they decide to share their music with the world.

   Thus, “A Side of Taylors” was born.

   “As far back as my memory goes we’ve all been singing, but our family band ‘A Side of Taylors’ started with Mason (9 at the time) with my Dad. Then one by one we all joined in becoming a family band,” Maxwell Taylor said. 

   With Mason Taylor in the lead, the band has been thriving, posting YouTube videos online of musical numbers, family covers, and even some originals. Though, according to mother JJ Taylor,  “making money has never been the focus,” one of their most recent videos has acquired them a large sum of money.

   Ten thousand dollars, to be exact. 

   It all started when Maxwell’s sister Lydia Taylor was scrolling through Instagram.

   “I was scrolling… and saw that Yes Theory had posted a view about a contest to win 10k. I went ahead without telling anyone and submitted a video we had done previously.” Lydia Taylor said.

   As it so happened, the Yes Theory, a Youtube channel focused on positivity and inclusion, had advertised a talent show to all those in quarantine. The creators dubbed it “Living Rooms Got Talent,” promising seven lucky winners $10,000 each. They hoped to inspire others in a time of uncertainty, and hopefully bring the world closer together. From the comfort of their own homes, of course. 

   Fast forward a couple of weeks, and the Taylors’ video has become one of the winning entries.

   What is this video, you ask? 

   A parody to the ever-classic Come on Eileen, the main subject being COVID-19. Hear the similarity?

   “My dad had a friend that said, ‘I can’t read another article about Covid-19 without thinking about Come on Eileen!’ So then my dad started working on a parody, he brought it to us all individually and then we gave our input. He says that it was all of us that worked on it, but really it was all him,” Maxwell Taylor said. 

   Though the present situation that we are all faced with may have its downsides, the Taylors hope that their video makes people smile, and allows them to realize that we can still enjoy ourselves while being confined to our homes. 

   One of the most unique things about the contest was that half of the money was required to go to a food bank of the winner’s choice. The Taylors chose Operation Give Back. 

   “There was such a variety of people and talents, it was really cool to see what people could do when they’re confined to their living room. It’s also really cool that only one other person that won lives in America, so that means that food banks all over the world are getting money as well which is really cool to think about that impact it’ll have,” Maxwell Taylor said. 

   As for the rest of the money, JJ Taylor points out that it will be divided among the six family members, which each of them will use for themselves. In the future, they may plan on monetizing their YouTube channel, so perhaps the money making does not stop here. And, as they have already displayed, it is not like self-isolation is getting in their way.

   To view the Taylors’ video, click here.