The popular online community connect2earth.org has launched a new service that links young people directly with the world’s top environmental experts to talk about headline-grabbing topics that they care about such as climate change, the energy crisis, and species loss.

All about connect2earth video:

IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), WWF and Nokia launched www.connect2earth.org in 2008 as an online community for young people to have their say on the environment by uploading videos, pictures and comments.

The website drew three million visitors from 190 countries in its first year, and it has now entered an exciting new phase of development that enables users to debate, learn and share information directly with top environmentalists from around the world.

In 2009, young people will be able to connect with friends from around the world and experts to discuss specific topics such as renewable energy, the species extinction crisis, climate change and sustainable living.

Community members can debate by posting text, images, audio, video and then follow the discussion live as it plays out on the web or on their mobile phone. connect2earth community members, together with a jury of green experts, will then pick a winning contribution, giving the winner an opportunity to take even more action.

The winner could snag a trip to be part of an official delegation to the United Nations climate negotiations in Copenhagen later this year, or even get hands-on experience in a real on-the-ground conservation project somewhere in the world.

“connect2earth lets you talk directly with people all over the world and some of the world’s top experts. Participate in the community and you may even get to be part of the global UN climate change negotiations, or take part in a real conservation project!” says Skandar Keynes, star of Hollywood hits The Chronicles of Narnia: “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” and “Prince Caspian”.

“connect2earth is a great way for young people to engage with environmentalists, but also for us to learn from young people. They are the future of our planet and they need a voice in the global debate – in both the corridors of power and on the ground,” says Julia Marton-Lefevre, IUCN Director General.

“connect2earth fosters a real dialogue among young people and leading environmentalists, and it gives them an opportunity to take real action on pressing environmental issues by speaking their minds,” says James Leape, Director General, WWF International.

“More and more communities are going mobile,” says Kirsi Sormunen, Vice President of Environmental Affairs at Nokia. “Therefore, we are also launching a mobile version of the refreshed site. We are proud to continue supporting this exciting community and be part of an initiative that creates a way for young people to express and share their ideas and connect with top environmentalists as well as with their peers in a new way.”

More information, go to:

connect2earth Official Website

I’ve been a fan of social networks for awhile now, and over the years have tried a few. Some stuck, some didn’t. Twitter seems to be one that’s sticking. So far so good. I like Twitter. I like it a lot.

By using Twitter as a networking tool, I’ve been meeting some interesting people. Mostly music related because that’s my main interest, but there are also some people that I’m following just because they seem interesting. There are also some tech related twitterers that I follow because I like to keep up-to-date with the online tech industry.

Before I found Twitter, about a year ago, I knew that I wanted something like it. Because I’ve been spending more time lately publishing press releases and other people’s music reviews, my blogging has been lacking. Which is disappointing really, because I do enjoy it. The good thing, though, is that Twitter has allowed me to keep up with blogging – just on a different platform, and with shorter entries. Much shorter. 140 characters per tweet.

So Twitter has helped me to get back on the blogging saddle as well as meeting some cool people. Its become a great place for community. Special almost.

Through Twitter, I was asked by Oxford City Guide (@OxfordCityGuide) to review Swedish band Baskery at The Jericho Tavern in Oxford. It ended up being a great night out and I really enjoyed their music.

In the review, which included a short write-up of local Oxford band InLight, I noted that it would be great to see InLight play as a full band, as that night they were there as just a 2-piece. Well. Lead singer Charlie happened to see this, got in touch with me, and then invited me to see the full band play, which I did, and that then lead to an interview with Charlie for Band Weblogs. That’s just two bands as examples, that I’ve been turned on to because of Twitter.

My latest Twitter story is not affiliated with music – but baseball. I’m following someone (@GallagherMeow) who tweeted that he made a list of his ten favorite Red Sox players of all time. After following the link back to his blog, I noticed, in my opinion, a couple players were missing, so I replied to him on Twitter asking “Where’s Jim Rice and Fred Lynn?” because they happen to be my favorite Red Sox players of all time. He didn’t reply back, but that’s okay…he pretty much answered that question by writing up his own personal top 10.

The next day I opened up my email and saw that: “Jim Rice (Ask14) is now following your updates on Twitter”. I just sat there for a minute and had to digest the information. I re-read the sentence and clicked on the link. I was pretty excited.

I added a message on Twitter – “I can’t believe it. Is that the REAL Jim Rice following ME??? @Ask14″ hoping that I might get an answer.

Sure enough, a couple hours later I received a tweet from the real Jim Rice, “Yes. How are you?”. I was walking on air for awhile after that. Growing up in NH/VT area, when I was very young, Jim Rice was like a hero, along with Fred Lynn. Probably because my dad and my brother really liked them.

So, my “inner child” certainly came out the day Jim Rice unexpectedly got in touch and asked me how I was. Warm fuzzy childhood memories came rushing back, and the feeling of what me as a little girl might have felt like if I had met Jim Rice then.

The meeting wasn’t in person, and some might think Twitter is just a silly site they can’t figure out, but it’s because of Twitter that these wonderful experiences have happened.

Jim Rice – Ask 14 Official Blog

Jim Rice on Twitter

Follow me on Twitter!

Jenny May on Twitter

By: Jenny May – BandWeblogs.com

Oxford born singer-songwriter and YouTube sensation, Ben Walker, is truly a modern day bard. His careful exploitation of web based communication tools and social networking sites have gained his quirky and satirical songs a worldwide following.

Since 250,000 viewers tuned in to YouTube to watch his song “You’re No One If You’re Not On Twitter”, it has become the unofficial anthem of Twitter worldwide.

Watch “The Twitter Song” video:

Now Ben is using the internet to create a new gig concept.

Ben’s Big Gig will be a concert with a difference at the North Wall Arts Centre in Summertown, Oxford on 1st May, 2009.

Not only will the gig be streamed live over the internet for his global fan base to enjoy, but screens within the venue will display real-time messages, photos and videos from fans around the world who want to join in. Ben’s Big Gig promises to be a truly interactive experience that is already a hot topic on Twitter!

Musician and social media expert Steve Lawson describes Ben as “a very clever man. He writes wonderful catchy songs, and then comes up with funny, engaging and interesting ways of letting people know about them. Once you’ve found him via one of his myriad internet presences, it’s all about the songs. Fortunately, they’re fantastic. I’m a big fan.”

Ben’s satirical songs explore the characters that are close to his heart: the North Oxford greenie, the lovelorn geek, the frustrated trendoid, and even celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley- Whittingstall. The gig will feature Ben on the piano and guitar, backed by bass and drums and joined by many special guests – not forgetting collaborators and audiences from around the web and across the globe.

Ben comments, “Cabaret 2.0 is the working title I’m using for the gig. Not only is it going to involve lots of live connections to and from the internet with video, Twitter messages and photos, but the most interesting part is that they have ‘crowdsourced’ all the planning and promotion (even this press release!). My fans are a smart bunch of people, and I’m asking each of them to help with the promotion in their own way.”

Ben has already got his online fan base involved in helping him to promote his Big Gig. Within 24 hours of issuing a request on Twitter, fans from America, Canada and France had used a publicly editable wiki page to help write his publicity copy for the event. In the same way that he’s conducted live video song writing sessions on the internet in the past, Ben will also be documenting his progress and the results of his Big Gig to help other musicians.

Ben comments, “It’s the creative and collaborative attitude of social media users that has propelled my songs across the world. I’m using the same medium to give something back. I’ve already streamed live song writing sessions to inspire budding songwriters and I’m documenting my Big Gig experience to help other musicians who are looking to do something similar.”

Of course, Ben’s Big Gig, is not just a virtual concert. For those attending the gig at the North Wall Arts Centre on the 1st May, it promises to be a very entertaining and interactive experience.

Tickets for Ben’s Big Gig are on sale at £5 for students or £10 for adults. They can be purchased by phone from the North Wall box office on 01865 319450 or online:

Ben’s Big Gig tickets

The gig will also be streamed live on the internet at the same address.

Ben Walker – ihatemornings.com Official Website
Ben Walker / ihatemornings on twitter
Ben’s Big Gig on tumblr

As well as 10 things bands can do to help them become famous, this could also be a list to help bands to try and make a living playing music. It’s not an easy road to go down, but in some cases, it can actually happen.

This list can be looked at as a work in progress as there are certainly more than 10 things to consider. Feel free to leave a comment if you want to contribute to the list.

10 things bands can do to help them become famous:

1. Make sure when coming up with a band name, that no one else is using it. It’s easy to do the research by searching Google, MySpace etc.

2. Write songs as often as you can.

3. Play as many gigs as you can get.

4. Get along with the band members.

5. Find a reputable booking agent.

6. Record a great demo, but don’t spend too much time or money on it. Preferably give it away for free at gigs to help get your name and music out there – or if you really don’t want to give your CDs away for free, sell them if you can, but it might not be easy if you’re just starting out. Also, slap some tunes up onto your MySpace page.

7. Keep an open mind. Sometimes there will be things that will come up that you may not have initially wanted to do, but if you broaden your perspective you may find that it could be for the best.

8. Practice.

9. Get in touch with bands that you like and are similar to your sound, and offer to support them at a gig or two.

10. Use social networks. Currently, the three best social networks for bands in my opinion, in order from best are: MySpace, Twitter, Facebook. There are more out there, but you’ll end up spending a lot of time juggling websites and it may become overwhelming … however, social networks are great for networking and meeting people who may end up as fans. Of course, you can always send your press releases/images and review requests to BandWeblogs.com!

Please leave a comment if you have more ideas that can help bands on their journey to success.

By: Jenny May – BandWeblogs.com

TalentDatase.com was founded by Jimi Beach, an entrepreneurial artist from Orlando, Florida and also a fellow musician, who played in the surf rock band Lo Presher.

At first, there’s a lot to take in on TalentDatabase.com – there’s so much information available on the site. The good thing, though, is that it’s set up nicely and navigation is clear and to the point. I’m actually quite surprised with the number of talent “Channels” (categories) that are available for people to create profiles in.

At the time of this writing, the Channels are:

Art, Body, Comedy, Communication, Computer, Crafts, Dance, Design, DJ, Fashion, Film, Food, Gaming, Magic, Modeling, Music, Photography, Sports, Theater, Unique and Writing.

From what I’ve checked out in the Art, Fashion and Music Channels, there are indeed profiles created by some very talented individuals. It’s funny to see Magic listed, only because I’m not familiar with seeing Magic included on other social networking sites, but for any magicians out there, this would be the place for you!

TalentDatabase.com also includes directories, featured listings, most popular within Channels, the ability to add links to users websites in profiles and to get contacted directly. Musicians can add music, artists can add art etc. There are newsfeeds by genre and relevance which allows users to stay on top of breaking news and ahead of the trends affecting their industry. I’m a news junkie, so this is a handy feature.

The search options are great. Talent can be searched for by location, interests, specialties, tags and popularity. A person’s popularity or “POPfactor” is determined by how active they are on the site. The more you network, the higher your ranking. By connecting with other members, adding portfolios, being acknowledged, bookmarked or viewed by other members, among other things, improves a person’s POPfactor. The benefit to being more popular is that you end up with a higher position in the search rankings, which helps to increase exposure by user profiles getting found easier.

This isn’t “just another social networking site”. The free opportunities available to musicians, artists and more, along with the look and feel of the database, and the art that’s prominent throughout, helps for it to stand out as a quality website with a positive community environment.

For more information and to sign up, go to TalentDatabase.com

By: Jenny May – Band Weblogs