The pandemic may have forced us to stay home and communicate primarily via screens this year - but it has strangely brought us together in other ways.
Yesterday, for example, it enabled several thousand people to participate in the largest music lesson ever held - breaking a Guinness World Record in the process.
Pianist and jazz-pop star Jamie Cullum led the lesson, which was a bid to raise money for Age UK, a charity for older people.
He taught 2,282 people - from random members of the public, to children in school - how to play the Christmas carol 'In the Bleak Midwinter', after they tuned in to his YouTube channel for a tutorial. Special guests Robbie Williams and pop star Sigrid also made an appearance.
“I am passionate about music education for all and also an evolving student of music myself only having come to the more technical side of music theory in the last couple of years," Cullum said. "Even the very simplest things are very new to me. I hope this lesson gave everyone who took part, from the very beginner to the more advanced, something they can take away with them and was fun in the process.
“I loved putting it together and would love to do more in the future like this.”
If you missed it and want to have a go yourself, you can watch it back now:
See pictures from the record-breaking lesson below:
Thank you so much to everyone who signed up for #PianoWithJamie. I’ve been so moved to see the videos of all of you joining in and having a go. Thank you @age_uk, @bestpiano, and to everyone that tuned in. We now have the world record for the largest ever virtual music lesson! ? pic.twitter.com/ToIE7166zW
— Jamie Cullum (@jamiecullum) December 9, 2020
Class 19 in action with Jamie Callum this afternoon #PIANOWITHJAMIE In The Bleak Mid Winter. pic.twitter.com/dHbtQuvhY9
— William Law CE Primary (@WilliamLawSch) December 9, 2020
And finally our Year 8s took part in #PIANOWITHJAMIE with @jamiecullum in which he broke the record for teaching the most amount of students EVER at one time! It was wonderful that our students were able to be a part of it! #LearningEnrichmentWeek pic.twitter.com/ezO419A0jd
— Varndean School (@VarndeanSchool) December 9, 2020
Our Year 9 music class are taking part in a Guinness book of records attempt this afternoon. We are joining @jamiecullum with his mass online piano lesson, learning how to play In The Bleak Midwinter. Great fun! @westhillschool #pianowithjamie pic.twitter.com/AQASNG8GqC
— West Hill Music Dept (@WestHillMuse) December 9, 2020