Last week, in the list of things that currently make me happy about the Bay, I mentioned Soundtree. Soundtree rocks!

Soundtree is a fairly new recording studio in Whakamarama, though boss Shane Davies has had the studio in many forms and several locations during the last couple of decades.

The new incarnation is the biggest and best yet, with a couple of large rooms and a full set-up for recording both audio and video. Most important though, is what Shane is doing there.

Every week for the last three months, he has been producing a web-broadcast TV show of Bay of Plenty music. This mixes video clips of bands (some from the bands, some made by Shane) with a weekly live session, recorded in the studio, usually about five songs and an interview.

And here's the exciting news for bands: Shane is offering this service – to record you and feature you on the show – for free. Yes, Shane wants to promote the studio, but he also wants to promote Tauranga music. Like me, he believes there is remarkable stuff happening here and he wants to give it a wider airing.

I know that sounds too good to be true and Shane has ironically noticed a certain hesitance on the part of bands for exactly that reason. What's the catch? Well, after spending a few Wednesday nights (that's when the live sessions usually happen) sitting in at Soundtree, I can assure you – there is no catch.

Bands (or soloists or duos or whatever) set up and, with two broadcast-quality cameras running, record their songs. Shane has some good mikes. The recordings usually come out very well and the camerawork looks good. Shane edits the songs and they go out on the webcast. And bands get to keep video of their songs. If – for any reason – bands are not happy with their performance, then they won't air, no hard feelings.

And that's it. A brilliant, simple idea that relies only on the skill and time that Shane is throwing at the project. All Shane asks in return from the acts is that they do their best to promote the venture by posting on Facebook Pages, or whatever networking tools they use, to let as many people as possible know about the Soundtree sessions. Not a lot to ask.

The webcast, shown live every Saturday night and then downloadable at will, started life in a two-hour format, which must have been a punishing schedule to keep up. Sensibly it has now moved to one-hour episodes. With the recent addition of a South Park-style cartoon to the show, it's looking better each week.

Shows are also archived online and there is some stunning music there. Since the live scene in Tauranga, particularly for those delivering original music, is a little sparse, many of the acts at Soundtree are not those you'll see out in the pubs.

Grant Haua has done a session and his raw emotive blues is astounding, but it's the acts that I didn't previously know, or know well, that really caught my attention: Shirley Rider does a terrific job with accompaniment from Graeme Hardaker; Kesli Bullot (daughter of harp player Grant) plays a lovely solo spot; and Jessica Ross, a young English singer, is simply sensational and has since started recording a full album at the studio.

But what most impressed me was a band called The Elements. I know nothing about them. Google didn't help. But their music is sensational, channelling an alt 70s/80s vibe with hints of Talking Heads, The Smiths, The Cure, oh and dozens of others while sounding defiantly original.
I strongly suggest checking this stuff out. The homepage is www.soundtreeproductions.com

But it's just as easy to go to YouTube and search for ‘Soundtreelive'.

Musicians – this is a golden opportunity just waiting for you. Music lovers – see what's happening in the Bay and tell your friends wherever they are. There are people all round the world looking for a hit of Tauranga music. Just as Kiwis in London flock to hear Kiwi bands, so there is a worldwide Tauranga population homesick for local sounds. That's what the internet is meant to be good at, so let's use it.