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Monday, February 15, 2010

BEHOLD! The Power of Twitter!

CDC member EliOK recently published an article about Christopher Dallman and the power of social networking on her blog http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=14178361&blogId=529000733.

Thank you so much for letting us publish your article on the CDC blog, Eli :-)

BEHOLD! The Power of Twitter!

An amazing thing has happened in the world of social networking.
Zachary Quinto – actor, animal-lover and music aficionado - introduced to his own fans via his Twitter account a remarkable musician by the name of Christopher Dallman. Based in L.A. Chris is not your typical run of the mill “guy-with-a-guitar” indie musician. His lyrics are soulful, heartfelt and thought-provoking. He hits to the very core with an intensity and oftentimes humor that resonates with the listener and draws them into his world, identifying with the pain of coming into one’s own and the bittersweet sense of self that comes only with maturity and acceptance of a less than ideal world.

Like Zachary, Chris also uses Twitter to keep in touch with fans for professional reasons. Unlike Zachary, Chris takes it to the next level: comingling his personal and professional lives in one place which allows him to develop more of a direct connection to his fanbase and friends. (This is by no means a criticism of Zachary, who has attained a level of celebrity that requires he keep a safe distance in order to preserve some amount of sanity and calm in his life).

In any event, as a follower of Chris’, I feel that through Twitter I have come to know this talented musician in such a way that - dare I say - I can call him a friend: at least in a guarded, virtual sense. My “friend” has another fan/friend for whom he just did something quite brilliant. Something so altruistic and kind, not to mention a sheer stroke of marketing genius that it blows the mind. He used Twitter and Facebook to promote a benefit concert on behalf of a woman stricken with MS; a victim of our current politically-charged and practically non-existent healthcare system. The woman did not have insurance to cover the cost of the medication that would slow the progression of her chronic illness, specifically the deterioration of her brain.

Touched by her story, Chris brought together three of his fellow indie musicians for a benefit concert, with an eye to raise at least part of the $6000 it would take to cover a one year supply of medication. As Chris stated at the outset “I don’t expect to raise close to $6000 at the concert alone. $6000 is a lot for one person, but $1 from 6000 people sounds like something we can achieve!”

Indeed, he put the word out at the end of January via his various online portals – Twitter, Facebook, his own website. Through his efforts, and the efforts of his fans and followers (many of whom were brought to him by Zachary), Chris raised over $1000 within the first few days. In a massive effort to aid the object of their admiration achieve his goal and to help out a fellow human, his fans and friends retweeted, reposted, texted, forwarded and passed along the word via their own online portals and mobile devices. On Zachary’s community forum alone, I counted no less than a couple dozen different reminders to the community’s 2000+ members to donate or pay it forward by passing along the good word. Like a tsunami, word spread. By the time the event rolled around a couple weeks later, Chris had nearly the entire amount of money raised – BEFORE ticket sales.

A remarkable feat for a guy with a guitar. And a Twitter account.

1 comment:

  1. It is a wonderful thing to see social networking work for social good. I came to know of Christopher's music via 'Race The Light' and have been hooked since. I have gotten to know the man himself on the various social networks, and I have yet to be anything but impressed with the honesty, humor, and humility he has shown no matter what. It is fantastic to be a fan and have that person not only meet expectations, but exceed them. I just love him, and can't wait for even more new music.

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