Videos of 4-year-old Riverton boy singing national anthems attract attention of NHL, Winnipeg Jets
Ryan Palsson has been serenading his family several times a day while they practise social distancing
The home of a Riverton, Man., family is sounding a lot more like the start of a Winnipeg Jets game lately, with their four-year-old constantly serenading them with the Canadian and American national anthems.
The adorable videos of Ryan Palsson's musical performances now have thousands of views, and have even caught the attention of the NHL, which asked to share the videos on its social media pages.
In one video taken by his mom, Angela, Ryan belts out the national anthems wearing his tiny Winnipeg Jets jersey.
As is customary during actual Jets games, he gets a formal introduction from his family members each time.
WATCH | Ryan Palsson belts out O Canada:
"That's what he expects. He yells out 'introduce me!' And so you almost have to do it the way they do it for the Jets games," Angela told Information Radio host Marcy Markusa on Friday.
Ryan is also very particular about how he is introduced, his mother said.
"My kids are usually standing here, pretending to yell. And we have to yell 'woo hoo!' and sometimes he'll tell us if it's not loud enough. He'll go back and start over."
Angela said she posted videos of Ryan's performances in a Facebook group, which is when they really took off.
His siblings' reviews of his performances so far have been … mixed. Recently, Ryan's nine-year-old sister has been hiding his microphone so she doesn't have to hear him in the early morning.
Granted, Ryan has been singing "many, many times a day" his mom says.
How family is coping with pandemic
The family of six has been hunkered down in their home in Riverton, about 125 kilometres north of Winnipeg, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Angela said she's just been going out for groceries.
Ryan was diagnosed with asthma in January, so the family is trying to be especially cautious during the pandemic, Angela said.
Being in a rural area has been helpful though, she said.
"We're very fortunate. We live in the country, there's nothing but trees around us," she said.
"So the kids have the freedom to go outside. They don't have to worry about who they might have to come in contact with."
She said she's happy her son's performances can be a bright spot during a challenging time for some many people.
"It just makes people feel good."
Listen to the interview on CBC's Information Radio:
With files from Janice Grant