When you write a blog, you spend a lot of time wandering the web. Meandering online helps me come up with ideas for blog posts. Another thing that inspires are the blogs I read.

I’ve found a lot of valuable, interesting, funny and just downright bizarre stuff in cyberspace. A lot of it never grows up to be a Songtaneous blog post. This post includes a cornucopia of things I’ve come across during my virtual travels.

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Series-ous about Improv

One of my favorite local bloggers is doing a series on improvisation for MNartists. Happy day.

Bloggity Goodness

Sparky Firepants – a great name and a funny, insightful blog by a west coast graphic designer.

My friend J hipped me to this hip blog by singer/songwriter, life coach and blogger Christine Kane.

Donate to Haiti Relief Efforts

I donated through Oxfam and I read on their site that donations made before 2/28 can be deducted on 2009 returns. Needless to say, a variety of sites are taking donations. I’ve listed a few others below.

• Partners In Health
• Architecture for Humanity
• American Red Cross

By the way …

If you can’t afford to give a donation, you can send your thoughts, prayers, and energy to the people there. I believe that that’s as powerful (and as needed!) as financial support.

Making Music

If you’re a local and into singing, I recommend Never Stop Singing (and not just because the name is awesome *wink*). It’s a documentary about the choral phenomenon in Minnesota. And, if you’re a MN choral conductor, you can request a FREE copy of the DVD.

The Nudge site‘s motto is “Everyone can create music.” I’m all for that. It’s also a great way give up an hour of your life to the Cyber gods. (You were warned.)

Then again …

Just because we can make music doesn’t mean we should.

Check out this “impossibly awful” video about Microsoft’s Songsmith. My favorite part of the video is the guy who’s in the band and is going to use Songsmith to write better material. Wow. (Actually to be fair, the singing is just fine, it’s the marketing that smells.)

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Remember: Songtaneous is THIS Saturday at 2pm. Visit the Events page for all the details.