Dreamer ENT

Twenty-five years after Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie wrote and recorded the song “We Are the World”, celebrities gathered again recently to remake the song as a tribute for Haiti. Quincy Jones, Lionel Richie, Celine Dione, Wyclef Jean, Usher, the Jonas Brothers, Jordin Sparks, Jennifer Hudson, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and many others lent their voices to recreate the song, which is now available at Itunes.com/WeAretheWorld. Visit the official website at http://wearetheworldfoundation.org to learn more.

The proceeds of the song will benefit the victims of the devastating earthquake. It’s great that they came together for this cause, to help the people in Haiti, and the stars talked about the feeling of unity and compassion they felt throughout the event. Below is the official recording of the song that premiered on Friday, February 12, before the Opening Ceremony of the Vancouver Winter Olympics. You can also view behind the scenes clips of the recording below:

Click below for behind the scenes videos:

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Nick Jonas is teaming up with Do Something, the volunteer empowerment organization aimed at teens, to help save school music programs across the country. We think this is a great cause because music, and all of the arts, are so important in schools to keep inspiring young people like you to express yourselves and spread creativity.

Join in the action by entering The Battle of the Bands competition, and find out how you can support the campaign at your own school with this list of ideas. Also check out the teens who won the “Save Our Music” grant from Do Something and VH1 to support music education programs at their own schools.

Speaking of Nick Jonas and bands, be sure to check out the great new debut album, Who I Am, from his group Nick Jonas & The Administration.

From DoSomething.org
School music programs are being cut across the country and Nick Jonas is joining teens nationwide to do something about it! Nick, along with DoSomething.org and The VH1 Save the Music Foundation, is kicking off the Battle of the Bands campaign to save music education. Tune into VH1 on Thursday February 4th at 9pm ET to see the winners from this fall’s Save Our Music campaign and the debut of Nick’s PSA for Battle of the Bands. The spots are part of the Pepsi Fan Jam concert in Miami, Florida featuring Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Timbaland, and more!

The Battle of the Bands campaign will run from March 1st through April 16th. You’ll be able to submit your videos of your own musical performances with a testimonial telling us why music ed matters to you! Then, a panel of judges will evaluate the entries and the Grand Prize winner will be flown to NYC to perform at the Apollo Theater in front of major music execs! Other winners will be chosen to receive up to $5,000 for your school music program, and other prizes like concert tickets and Rock Band video games!

So what are you waiting for; join Nick and sign up for the mailing list on Save Our Music to stay informed on the upcoming campaign.

Got questions about the upcoming campaign? Email battleofthebands@dosomething.org

More about the VH1 Save the Music Foundation:

The VH1 Save The Music Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring instrumental music education in American public schools, and raising awareness about the importance of music as part of each child’s complete education. Since 1997, the VH1 Save The Music Foundation has provided $45 million worth of new musical instruments to more than 1,700 public schools in more than 100 cities around the country, impacting the lives of more than 1.4 million public school students.

“If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream.
— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. lived and dedicated his life to a dream – a vision of unity, seeing people of every color and every creed living, walking and serving together. Let’s remember his legacy today, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. You can carry on his dream today by spreading kindness, compassion and striving to live a life of helping others. Listen to Dr. King in the videos below, talking about his dream and passion for service:

Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Photo Credit: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

The world witnessed as on Tuesday evening a 7.0 earthquake devastated the capital city of the Caribbean country Haiti. The aftermath and aftershocks of the earthquake left children without food and comfort, many in need of aid, and families without homes in a country that was already crippled by poverty. In such a huge situation, there are ways you can help and make a difference.

How You Can Help?

If you’re able to donate financially or can ask your parents to do so, you can text “HAITI” to the number 90999 on a cell phone. A $10 donation will be charged to the cell phone bill that will go to the Red Cross. It’s quick and easy, and every bit helps. You can also visit www.redcross.org or http://www.unicefusa.org/ to find out how to donate online.

In the coming days and weeks Haiti will be needing much help, and you could start a fundraiser or collection drive to collect things like clothes and other items that may be needed. DoSomething.org suggests that “the most important step when donating materials is to contact an established, professional relief organization BEFORE you collect anything.” Be sure to listen to the news and visit the websites above to see what the people may need the most. Over all, keep the people of Haiti in your thoughts and prayers, and remember that helping others, even if they are miles away, is important, and something you can do even when you’re young.

Variety Magazine honored five young performers, Corbin Bleu, Keke Palmer, Jesse McCartney, AnnaLynne McCord and Miranda Cosgrove, for their dedication to community service at a special ceremony on December 5th, 2009. Variety’s Power of Youth Initiative is focused on encouraging top young talent to become involved with philanthropic and humanitarian causes, using their positions in popular culture to motivate others to do the same. Check out the organizations each of the honorees gives their time to below, and learn more at www.variety.com/PowerOfYouth. You can also take action in your community, and maybe with similar causes, with a grant from the organization Do Something. Click here to learn how you can get involved.

Actress and singer Keke Palmer spoke on how it felt to be honored, and the importance of service in her blog:

“…I attended an all day event honoring young entertainers in Hollywood, not for how many records they sold, or how many movies they have done, but for their charity work, and to be a part of that group was so very humbling for me.

“I could not even speak I was so nervous, I guess I could not believe that anyone would give me an award for helping people something that my parents taught me to do, with much given comes much responsibility, I hear that around our house a lot…

“Yes Charity begins at home, but if you can find some time, just a little time to think of others you will feel like a complete person, and what better time can we help others than at CHRISTMAS!!!!”

- Keke Palmer in her Myspace blog

Check out the honoree’s acceptance speeches in the videos below:

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