What is BayTaper.com? Who Runs this Website?

BayTaper.com is an ongoing online multimedia documentary featuring original live recordings and photography from the San Francisco Bay Area underground jazz and creative music scene. The project is run by a single devoted citizen journalist with a passion for documenting a small part of the amazing world class performing arts scene that’s available in the Bay Area today.

The project also represents a purposeful effort to push the limits of what a “one man band” cinema verite or cinema direct documentarian can do single-handedly using cutting-edge new media techniques coupled with the latest technologies to capture real life events as they happen with an incredibly discreet style. My approach involves experimenting with a full spectrum of multimedia formats – including prosumer quality audio, video, and photography – and spans an end-to-end workflow that allows me to rapidly acquire, produce, and distribute content within days of first capture. I also frequently blend old-school production techniques with new-school technology, one example is my frequent use of double-system sound which requires manual syncing in post. In essence, this project is conceptually built on a foundation of modern one-man field recording techniques, new media creation, and online distribution – what I sometimes describe as a citizen documentary of sorts.

It’s also worth mentioning that I understand that every artist has a unique perspective on online music sharing, and I recognize that it is a constant struggle for today’s artists to balance the need to gain a wider reach and fan base with the need to protect their intellectual property and make a living from it. I work on this project mostly for the pure enjoyment of being a documentarian and archivist, meeting new and interesting people, making life-long friends, enjoying live music, and with the good intentions of introducing others to some of the – often under-appreciated – talented artists and musicians that perform in the San Francisco Bay Area every day.

It’s also important that readers understand that I always respect the rights and intentions of the artists I record, and every recording I make and post to this website is done with the explicit permission of the artists involved. My ability to record these amazing artists is based entirely on building long-lasting relationships and trust that results in being given intimate access to their lives and their live performances. So, you can be assured that I always seek permission before recording and posting any content to this website, and if the copyright holder of any material posted on this website does not wish their content to be made available to the public, simply contact me immediately, and I will take it down posthaste. Please also remember that all content on this website is copyrighted work which is being made available only for personal, non-commercial use. Any other use requires explicit permission from the recordist and artists involved.

Thanks for your interest in this site, and don’t forget to subscribe to my RSS feed and come back often to check for new content. And please make sure to go out and see live music and support your local artists as often as you can!

– Thanks

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