

Kelowna man’s music video confronts COVID stress with humour

Power guitar tune combats pandemic uncertainty

Enduring the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t typically bring a smile to people’s faces, but a Kelowna man is trying to shed some humour on a difficult situation.

James Manning, 57, is using his platform of creating music videos to help others alleviate the stress from the pandemic, even if just for a short time.

“Humour sounds the same no matter the language,” said Manning.

“It tears down barriers and brings us together in an environment of empathy and understanding, not to mention the health benefits.

“When truth is embraced, it allows us to somehow find some humour in the reality that confronts us, allowing us to more effectively cope and navigate past its challenges.”

Manning knows something about navigating life challenges, having moved from the Lower Mainland to Kelowna three years ago, and subsequently overcame his addiction battles with the support of the Freedoms Door program.

The music for his video, which he calls COVID Chaos, was a guitar-driven instrumental he actually composed some 10 years.

He was assisted in the film and music production aspects by Stefan Matis of Curators Studio, with scenes created at Lions Park and Willow Church in Rutland ago which he felt captured feelings of uncertainty and anxiety caused by the pandemic.

C-19 " A Humorous Antidote from James Manning on Vimeo.

You can find COVID Chaos and other videos produced by Manning at or