I just thought of a terrific way of making potential new members of this forum aware of its existence. It happened quite by accident. I was watching someone play an old school siguiriyas on YouTube, and the thought came to me that hundreds of millions of people watch YouTube all around the world, and millions of them are aficionados of flamenco in some form or way. And I said to myself – "Right at this moment, and in the past, and in the future, hundreds of thousands of people will be watching this and other videos of old school flamenco, and every one of them is a prospect for a new member." So on a sudden impulse, I wrote in the "Comments" box the following:

"If you like the flamenco you are now watching, you are invited to join the Old School Flamenco Forum - http://www.oldschoolflamenco.com where you can discuss and learn more about old school flamenco with other aficionados."

All of us watch flamenco on YouTube. If every time each of us watches a flamenco video on YouTube we put that into the "Comments" box, we can reach an enormous number of really viable prospects to become new members. I saved the comment in a Word document on my desktop, so it takes maybe thirty seconds to copy and paste it into the box on YouTube on any video I am watching. If all of us do this on a regular basis when we watch a flamenco video on YouTube, I think we can substantially increase our membership.

PC, fine idea!

Carlos

Prominent Critic wrote:"If you like the flamenco you are now watching, you are invited to join the Old School Flamenco Forum - http://www.oldschoolflamenco.com where you can discuss and learn more about old school flamenco with other aficionados."

That's a great idea!

-Bob

Does this forum have a Facebook and MySpace page? If not, you should consider making one. I'd be willing to contribute or assist in administering those pages.

You should also write up a one paragraph intro. about the forum and blast e-mail to all the flamenco Web sites and blogs you can find on the Internet, as well as the flamenco festival organizers, such as the annual February one in Washington, D.C. I would also e-mail to all flamenco luthiers that are online (in USa and abroad), and to all the guitar/music departments at colleges/schools around the country and even abroad.

You should also consider creating----if not already done ----- a YouTube channel where forum members can post material regularly.

Michael

Michael –
Great ideas! Just because we're "Old School" doesn't mean we can't get into the twenty-first century. YouTube – Facebook – MySpace – and all the other things you suggest are bound to attract new members. The internet is obviously a world wide phenomenon, and there are millions of potential members all around the world who could be made aware of this forum. Below for your convenience is the comment that I have been posting in the "Comments" box on YouTube flamenco videos. Anyone who wants to do that can just copy and paste into WORD, and keep it on your desktop.

If you like the flamenco you are now watching, you are invited to join the Old School Flamenco Forum - http://www.oldschoolflamenco.com where you can discuss and learn more about old school flamenco with other aficionados.

Or you can make your own wording along similar lines. Perhaps substitute "traditional flamenco" for "old school flamenco" in the blurb - "learn more about traditional flamenco with other aficionados."

Thinking about it, since the term "Old School" is already in the name of the forum, then in any informative or promotional material that we might create for Facebook, MySpace, etc. it might be better to use the term "traditional," which is unambiguous and understandable for prospective new members. Michael has offered to help administer those sites if we can get them started. I'm a writer as well as musician, and I would be happy to help write any introductory paragraph or informative material. How can we get this started?

Michael, I tried finding you on FB, but their are several Michael Rosados. How do I know which one is you? Many of our members here have utube accounts and FB sites and are linked together as friends. Many of us are members of the same traditional flamenco groups on FB. For instance I am in the groups UTRERA Y SU COMPÁS, ADELANTE GITANA(OPRE ROMNIA), Gastorenos-Moroneses, Pepe Torres Flamenco Dancer, RAMON BARRULL, Fernanda De Utrera, MIGUEL EL FUNI , Morón de la Frontera (Sevilla), Juana Amaya, Son de la Frontera, Diego del Gastor Fans, Agustin Rios Amaya Flamenco Legend

It seems new groups are started everyday there.

Manos,

Michael Rosado is my screen name here-------my real name, on Facebook, is Michael Chapman. This link should go there.

http://www.facebook.com/Ramirez1962?ref=profile

Michael

Prominent Critic,

Pages for "Old School Flaemnco" or "Traditional Flamenco" could be set up on Facebook or MySpace and YouTube channel at anytime. You could just use the language from this site to keep everything uniform and branded, so to speak. You can also use images, phots and videos. If you want to go ahead, I can assist or am more than willing to promote (and link) the pages through Facebook and YouTube, etc., once they are established.

Regards,

Michael

Michael –

I said it was a good idea, but I should make it clear, as I have on earlier posts, that I am tech challenged, and wouldn't know MyBook from FaceSpace. YouTube I can handle, but just to watch and make comments. But I'm all for implementing this. Maybe Bob can give us his thoughts.

Ramon