I just got the brand new Shloime Gertner CD, Say Asay, and I’m hearing these songs for the first time. Often I hear music in pieces before it comes out, so that “first full listen” feel is lost.

For this album I did not hear anything before we all heard those sample clips. I’m listening to this CD completely fresh out of the box, taking it in. That’s why I’m excited to hear something “fresh” in full.

I have a certain method with how I listen to new CD’s for the first time, and I figured I’d share it with you.

I’m not saying this is the right way to listen to a new CD, I’m just saying this is how I tend to always do it.

Step 1: Open CD, read through booklet once.

Step 2: Play CD – go straight to title track.

Step 3: Listen to all the fast songs first. For me at least I pick up the fast songs quicker.

Step 4: I usually listen to the fast songs a few times. Each time I let the slow songs between play longer and eventually start picking out the ones I like more.

Step 5: Listen to the CD in full, from start to finish.

Step 6: Listen to all slow songs.  The reason I skip the slow songs at first is that since I don’t connect to the slow songs right away, I don’t want to listen once and sub consciously not like a slow song because I’m itching to just skip to the fast exciting songs. Like this I can give the slow songs their own respect.

Step 7: Read what all the bloggers, websites, twitterers, facebookers and friends say.

Step 8: Ask producer when the “next one” is coming.

How about you?

I haven’t updated this website as far as information about what I’m doing in ages. It’s been a really crazy last few months.  For those that don’t I’m no longer working at Sameach Music. I’m currently working in a brand new office, my office! It’s located in Crown Heights, and I’m working for Aderet Music (aka MostlyMusic), plus some other clients. The switch from Coke to Pepsi has been very eventful and exciting. In my last job I sort of grew into many of the things I was doing as far as marketing, and podcasting, and internet stuff. Now, at the new job, I was hired initially specifically to do these things. I’m very excited specifically about the ability to offer downloads now for the products that I market and design for.

Dov and I are actually continuing the podcast, only we changed the name and are now doing it for JewishMusicReport.com, a new music website. We did our first show a little while ago and I’m hopeing very soon we’ll be doing show # 2. Of course I’m also still working on Benny Friedman’s debut album, which is going to be so off the hook I can’t even tell you. Trust me, I’ve been right there in the thick of “new cds that are different and off the hook” for 6 years. I’ve heard the whole “this isn’t like anything you’ve ever heard before” shpiel a million times.

I’m actually nervous people are expecting way more than anyone can humanly deliver. I’m going to be releasing an article very close tied to the release of the new CD which will I think lay out very plainly what you can expect from this CD. Yes, it has stuff you’ve never heard before, styles I promise you have not been tried in “mainstream” Jewish music. But it also has the same classic styles that you are familiar with.

Enough about that, and about me, I’m gonna try to post more pics on the blog and I’ll be back with another update very soon. You can follow me on twitter now at http://www.twitter.com/designsbysruly and you can email me at either sruly.meyer@gmail.com or my mostlymusic email, srulym@mostlymusic.com

I just wanted to wish a quick Mazel Tov to my dear friend Benny Friedman. Benny’s wedding was last night in Crown Heights, and it was truly a beautiful wedding. There were lots of people there and many friends of the album too.

Avi Newmark and Yitzy Spinner were there as well as Dovid Stein, and Yitzy Waldner, who has 6 songs on our CD. Mazel Tov Benny!

Here is a direct link to the song ….

I was just listening to Yaakov Shwekey and Yonaton Razel sing V’Hi Sheamda on the new Shwekey DVD and that got me in the mood of some Aaron Razel. While I was listening to that it got me thinking about people who have brothers singing with them in the business.

Eitan and Shlomo Katz

Aaron and Yonatan Razel

The Shapiro Brothers (Acheinu)

Paul and Sol Zim

Yaakov and Yosef Chaim Shwekey

MBD and Mendy Werdyger

Solomon Brothers (Moshav/SoulFarm)

I can’t think of any more off hand. Anyone have any additions?

This post is dedicated to Sruly Werdyger, who has a cousin (Yeedle) but no singing brother. (Sorry Sruly you don’t count in this list.)

Here are some more:

8th Day (Marcus Brothers)

Aryeh and Dani Kunstler

Shlomo and Shmuli Sufrin (Shlomo Simcha)

Yossi and Avi Piamenta

Kol Achai

I’m going to be posting about my recent designs in the next day or so, and I hope we will be doing a new podcast on Thursday. Until then, please enjoy this wonderful video from Sheya Rubenstein, a new artist Sameach is coming out with very soon.

The CD will have songs by all the top composers, Yossi Green, Yitzy Waldner, Elimelech Blumstein, Baruch Levine, etc, etc.

I can’t believe it’s been almost 4 months since I last blogged. I can’t tell you how many times I want to post and then don’t end up doing so.

What has happened since my last post? I see it was about my trip to Iowa, for my nephews bris that didn’t happen for almost a month later. The name was Benny, for the record.

I think this post will be more about designing than person goings on.

Let’s start with Sruly Werdyger’s CD cover.

I think if people saw the original version of this cover they would be surprised. Sruly and I worked on the first version for a couple weeks and after many early morning coffee meetings at his new home we finalized a beautiful, classic, very Jewish cover. It was that it was typical, but it had strong vibes of the Baal Shem Tov and after lots of debate, both from outside and inside our circles, we decided it would lead people to think it was a Niggunim CD, and not brand new songs. So after weeks working on a cover we went back to the drawing board.

While I was looking for ideas I had a thought that since we are talking about a CD that is titled Bayis Neeman, maybe I could use a blueprint somewhere in the CD. I wasn’t sure how that would work and while I was searching through some photos my wife (who is also a designer) suggested without knowing what I was up to, the same thing. I figured that was a good sign and we started on the path that led us to the final cover.

A lot of people came up with a lot of good ideas to help give the cover all the depth it ended up with. I ended up photoshopping a lot of the original blueprint photo to remove all the English labeling of the rooms, as well as a bathroom. Funny story, the original photo I bought had the blueprint plan for the bathroom right in the middle of where the cover would be. Of course every home has to have a bathroom, but we didnt want people being reminded of bathrooms when they picked up the cover. So I photoshopped the beis hakeesay out of the diagram.

I removed all English labels and replaced them with brochos for a bayis neeman, many of which are found in the chorus of the title track. Next, there were real measurements from the original blueprint, and I erased them all. Then I counted up the gematria or Bayis Neeman B’yisroel and divided it up into many parts and put them all over the cover. So if you add up the measurements they add up to bayis neeman b’yisroel. Next I put in peoples initials who worked or sang on the album in the front of the cover. YT (yossi tyberg) SF (Shua Fried) SW (Sruly Werdyger) GM (Gershy Moscowitz) Etc …

It was a fun experience and I loved working with Sruly Werdyger, he is such a wonderful guy and it’s a pleasure to find such people in the business I work in. I didn’t just get a new client and a job, I also made a new friend.

Another job I’ve been working on for a while now is the new website for Yossi Green. It’s been in talks for months, but I finally assembled a fantastic team and we are building it now as we speak. Yossi approved the front and style of the website. It’s going to be the largest collections of information for any Jewish producer and composer in the history of Jewish Music. This website will feature every single CD Yossi has produced or even had a song composed on. we are talking 100′s of CD’s here.

There will be a full biography and time line of Yossi’s career as well as a place to buy stuff, download sheet music, and catch up on what Yossi’s working on right now. I can’t wait until it goes live.

I am now also working with Avram Zamist on a string of things. I just finished the main body of his website, Sheer-Simcha.com, and I created a video promo for his Ohel concert this year.

I also just finished the poster for the Queens College, Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills concert.

This was a lot of fun because it was my first official CONCERT poster. I’ve been looking to expand my resume for a while but I didn’t know anyone who wasn’t attached to a regular designer for their shows. Now that my buddy Avram Zamist is doing a lot of shows, he was more than happy to take a risk on a concert poster newbie. Our first attempt was much more conservative. Yes, you are seeing a running theme here. I think I am afraid people won’t go for the more wild progressive stuff so I hold back and aim low. While the first poster was really cool, it lacked the boldness that this poster has.

Honestly, I thought they would say it was too bright and too many colors and not good for a Jewish concert. I only made it for myself. I worked on it and played with the coloring and trying to make the singers stand out in a while they don’t usually in Jewish concert posters. I sent it, and they loved it. Not only did the producer and concert coordinator love it, Avraham Fried loved it, Baruch Levine loved it, 8th Day loved it, and I got two concert poster jobs from Eitan Katz. Although, he hadn’t even seen it when he hired me, but I guess that works either way.

I’m also helping the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hill concert coordinators advertise the concert, so if anyone runs a Jewish news website or blog and might be interested in exchanging advertising for tickets to the show let me know.

I’m excited about this show, I actually was the one who campaigned for 8th Day to be on the show and I think people are going to be for a real treat. They are a lot of fun in concert, if you want to go to the show go to JewishTickets.com and buy your tickets TODAY.

As I just said, I did a poster for Eitan Katz’s Chanukah concert, you can see it here. It’s in two colors, red and blue, I don’t know which he has gone with yet, maybe he should print it in both colors.

I’m in the middle of doing CD covers (and the booklets) for Six13′s newest CD. I’m also almost finished with the (Yochi Briskman produced) Acheinu 3 CD cover, which I hope will be online soon as well. I’m working on two other covers right now but can’t say the details. I don’t know if one will work out and the other is a Chazzanus CD.

The Ohel CD/DVD artwork I’ve been sitting on for almost two years should be out by Chanukah. I know this has become something I’ve said now for two years, but it isn’t me. The art has been fiished for ages, it’s the video editing, it’s been dragging, but I think it’s done now.

I think that’s enough information to chew on for now. I think I made up for the absence in content and post length, is that correct? I hope to post again soon once a few more jobs are made public.

OH – and watch out for the Shea Rubenstein website and music video coming very soon. I’ve seen the video and I don’t like to hype up expectations but the song will bring tears to your eyes.

I just downloaded wordpress to my ipod touch w/ wifi and I just had to try writing a post.

As far as what’s happening with me, I am working on 4 websites right now. Two are Jewish music related, one is for a shul and the last one is for a random business

Make sure you get your tickets for the chazzak show this summer. August 16th. The benny Friedman will be singing there along with fried, shlomo simcha & dovid gabay.

That’s all for now. Oh and one more thing, mazel tov to my little brother Shuky. He and his wife just had a baby boy!

Over and out!

I’ve got three offices. Well, four if you can’t the place we (Dov and I) do the podcast.

1) Sameach 2) my desk at home doing Designs by Sruly non Sameach stuff and 3) The Studio where we record for Benny’s CD.

So I spent the entire day at office number three today. You’d think hanging out at a studio recording music all day would be a walk in the park, but it’s not. For some reason I feel even more tired and drained then I would have just sitting at my desk doing Graphic Design at the office.

I’m trying to update the blog more often. We spent a LOT of time in the studio this week so I felt like I should update the blog (unlike some other people!)

Check out Jewish Lifestyles upcoming issue for a full page blog excerpt for an upcoming post here about Benny’s CD. Then keep an eye out at the end of the Summer for something very big about Benny’s CD in the September issue of Country Yossi Magazine.  I probably shouldn’t be saying this stuff but hey, what’s a blog for if not saying things you are not supposed to be saying!

I wrote up a whole long post last week and then I decided to use it as an article instead. One of the Jewish Magazines was interested in publishing it, so look out in a few weeks for an excerpt from this blog. When it’s out I’ll post it here as well. The post was all about Benny’s CD. About workign on something so big from behind the scenes. It’s really exciting now that we have a lot of the music done for many of the songs. We did some vocals last week, we’re going to do more this week. I’m loving every minute of this experience. As we get closer to the end of the summer I’ll start unveiling some real hard cold facts. For now, you’ll just have to take my word for it. It’s amazing.

What else is happening with me? Nothing much, we’re painting in my house, we’re on week 3 so, ya, that’s fun. I’m meeting with a pretty big name in Jewish Music this week to work on his website. This will be my biggest website to date, it’s going to be H-U-G-E with some very cool features. I finished the Ari B Six Days of Creation booklet last week, that should be coming out to stores this week.

More updates coming later, more pics later from this weeks studio session. That’s all for now, hasta.