I hope everyone is doing well. Sadly due to time constraints we are not going to be able to record an acappella podcast. That's the bad news, there is some good news.

Dov and I recorded a commentary track (extended podcast) for an upcoming Sameach DVD. I can't say which one right now but I can tell you it's going to be a lot of fun to listen to. If you like when Dov and I ramble, you will love this commentary track. It's over 2 hours of myself and Dov discussing what's happening on this unnamed concert DVD.

We will be recording a podcast for Lag Ba'omer with real music and a couple acappella songs for those who still hold from Lag Ba'omer till Shavuos. We will be IY'H having a HUGE surprise for the next podcast. Aside from the new music we will be debuting, we will have not one, but TWO major in studio guests which will performing live on the podcast. This will also be video recorded like other past in studio guests.

That's the update for now. Please feel free to e-mail us at SameachMusic@aol.com and let us know what you think of the podcasts or current new releases from the world of Jewish Music.

We've been getting a lot of emails and phone calls at Sameach recently about what goes into creating an a cappella album. Many people are wondering how the background vocals sound so much like the real thing. Many people are asking if this type of music is even appropriate for Sefirah. Some people are just curious about the history behind Jewish a cappella and why this style became so popular in Jewish music.

To answer these and other questions, I e-mailed Mr. Jordan B. Gorfinkel and asked him to come online and have a discussion about these topics via Instant Message. We recorded it for everyone else to read and hopefully you will learn a few new things. Jordan, or as we call him, Gorf, has produced and/or sung in many of the most popular a cappella albums out today.

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SrulyMeyer: This is Sruly from the Sameach Music Podcast and I have with me on the other end of this AIM chat Mr. Jordan B. Gorfinkel.

SM: Welcome Jordan, how are you doing?
Jordan B. Gorfinkel: Thank the One Above, I'm doing well. Busy with many creative projects and a wonderful family.

 
SM: Baruch Hashem, so - have you ever done an AIM INTERVIEW before?
GORF: Yes, back when I was a comic book editor, many times.

 
SM: And here I thought we were breaking new ground.
GORF: In Jewish Music, we are!

 
SM: Which albums have you produced and/or been a part of?
GORF: Beat'achon: Jewish A Cappella (the first professional Jewish A Cappella CD, way back in 1993� and it's still selling, B"H), Beat'achon: Soul Food/Ochel Nefesh, Beat'achon: West Side Z'mirot, Kol Zimra: Kulanu B'yachad, Kol Zimra 2: The Music Of Abie Rotenberg, A Cappella Treasury: Shabbos (made between Purim and Pesach and I remain so proud of it!), Voices For Israel Volume 1: Chazak Amenu�We Stand As One, Voices For Israel Volume 2: Keeping the Faith and most recently BOJAC: The Best Of Jewish A Cappella� and advising, singing backup or simply cheering on many others from Shlock Rock to Blue Fringe.

SM: When did you first get into Acappella?
GORF: As a frustrated keyboard player, I've always relied on my voice as my instrument of choice. You could argue that from the tenderest young age, when I would finish up at shul with Anim Z'miros, I was already into the idea of unaccompanied vocal harmony. Which I guess makes us ALL a cappella aficionados!

 
SM: Well, some people would suggest that the earliest forms of Jewish Acappella was just people singing Zmiros around the Shabbos table.
GORF: I'm with them!

 
SM: Well, you would  know something about the earliest forms of Jewish Acappella. Tell us a little about Beat'achon.
GORF: Singing around the Shabbat/Shabbos table is the genesis of Beat'achon. We were six guys, all transplanted from the Midwest to Manhattan, who'd grown up singing with our families and particularly in camp. The opportunity to perform in our UWS shul's talent show led to the formation of the group which, to this day, still performs as six guys singing together around one microphone.

SM: What year did the first Beat'achon album come out?
GORF:Beat'achon formed in the early 1990s. At the time, every producer we approached told us that this �a cappella� thing will never fly; back yourselves with a band, then we'll talk. We didn't want to. We loved singing in harmony -- the purity of the voices was what we enjoyed! There was no marketing motive, only a love of expressing our Yiddishkeit with rich singing. As it happened, there was a demand for sefira-appropriate music and for the entire decade, Beat'achon filled that need exclusively. But first and foremost, we made vocal music because that was our vehicle of expression.

GORF: Beat'achon recorded two more CDs that are strong sellers to this day, and we perform live when our growing families and schedules allow. The over 20 members of Beat'achon over the past 15 years + are all active in multiple musical pursuits. Naturally, we look forward to recording another CD, but it's going to take a monumental coordination level. Of course, the Beat'achon method of performing and recording a cappella, i.e. rehearsing as a group, is rare these days. The advance of technology has opened up new and interesting methods of creating vocal music. With Beat'achon, what you hear on the CD is what we did -- and do! -- live, in person.

 
SM: Let's talk about that a little now. Many people have started questioning the very real sounds from some of today�s a cappella music.
GORF: The part of the evolution of a cappella to which you refer is the story of the evolution of computers. As in all endeavors, the result is only as good as the creator, not the tool. Computers are a marvelous tool. They abet the process of communication and creativity, whether in business, politics or music, tremendously, thanks to the speed and clarity they offer. The trick is to not let the tool run the show. For example, just because you know how to use Photoshop doesn't mean you know how to take a good picture. It's like that in music these days, the danger of the tools creating style, but little substance. And in JEWISH Music, substance is critical. After all, think about what we're singing about!

 
SM: Even though no actual musical instruments are being used, what is the process in which voices end up sounding like real drums or other instruments?  
GORF: Contemporary a cappella music is recorded as follows:

First, individual voices are recorded on separate tracks into the computer. It is exceedingly rare that any vocals are sung in an ensemble group. Practically speaking, this is to ensure the clarity of each part. Human imperfection is tolerated less and less in this computer-saturated world -- I'm not judging, just observing. Thus, it's important for an engineer to have clean tracks, recorded "in the clear," to maximize the ability to blend, or mix, them later.

Second, once all the voice parts are collected -- today, it's possible for one person to sing multiple parts, a process called "overdubbing" -- they are assembled in the computer and layered. It's possible to manipulate the voice in the computer in pitch, tone, volume, frequency� in just about any way. It's a blessing because, to take just one example, I can't tell you how many times I've had to trash an amazing take because of a flat note. With a computer, you don't have to lose the magic because of an error, you can correct it.

GORF: A cappella is most popular on college campuses. I've just produced BOJAC: THE BEST OF JEWISH A CAPPELLA, which is the first compilation to include collegiate Jewish groups. It's a topic for another time, but college groups serve to not only perform Jewish Music, they also introduce Jewish Music to students� and often introduce students to Judaism! This brings us full circle to the beginning of our conversation, how singing around the Shabbos table introduced all of us to a cappella. The collegiate group just has a larger "table" LOL :-)

SM: So we know that no actual instruments are used in the making of these albums. Yet the background effects have become so amazing today. What do you say to people that worry that the result is too good. Is it appropriate for Sefirah?
GORF: Collegiate a cappella groups draw most of their repertoire from popular music. The trend is to arrange versions of what's on the radio, and groups challenge themselves to mimic the original song as close as possible with their voices. Over time, computers have come more and more into play, to manipulate the original singing technologically to, say, sound like a drum or a guitar. I once heard an organ -- that was impressive� technologically. It's really cool! That said, creatively, I don't personally see the point. One man's opinion, but if you want a guitar sound, play a guitar.

 
GORF:To the people who ask about a cappella music sounding like instrument-accompanied music, I say a few things. First, the groups with which I'm associated (which granted, are a lot!) record a cappella because we love vocal music. We hope our audience will listen all year long. I've heard from many a fan who thank us for creating music that isn't too noisy and that emphasizes the Jewish values they share. Sefira (and the Three Weeks) has become a time to highlight a cappella, and we'll get to that soon. Foremost, a cappella is enjoyable all year round!
 

GORF: Second, I do appreciate that the majority of music is made with instruments. I�m in a wedding band myself! So at a time of year, like sefira, when there are customs not to listen to instruments, people like to fulfill the "letter of the law" as they understand it, by listening to a cappella music that approaches the style of music to which they're accustomed, with a strong backbeat and kickin' rhythm section. Which leads to the most important and third point:

The Jewish religion is commendable for being founded on the principle of learning. It's incumbent on everyone to educate themselves about the minhagim of sefira. In short, consult your Rav. I've done my own learning about Jewish Music issues -- not just sefira, but Kol Isha, musical ethics, and more. I've been surprised by my own ignorance!

 
SM: That�s great advice and that is exactly what I've been telling people who e-mail me with this question.
GORF: Perhaps it would be helpful to illuminate the modern history of "sefira" music. In the early to mid 20th century, the custom as I understand it was that, in the period of mourning between Passover and Shvuos, upbeat music was eschewed. Instead, people listened to music that was reflective of this period, and of Jewish learning. As such, sefira was a huge season for cantorial concerts. On the Upper West Side alone, in the very shul where Beat'achon was born -- Ohab Zedek -- the great Yossele Rosenblatt presided over sell-out crowds.

GORF: Jewish A Cappella is our generation's cantorial music. (Which is not to say that cantorial music has faded; "ad'rabbah," it's seen a tremendous surge in the past few years!)

Like any Jewish Music, however, it can be substantive or it can be all style. My personal model is Reb Abie Rotenberg. On a recent JM in the AM interview, one that is mandatory listening for Jewish Music fans, he noted that the words we're singing are holy and the music must be spiritual, or it's not truly Jewish Music. He made the point so eloquently and I'm not -- which is why he's Abie Rotenberg and I'm not! Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, I'm told, used to blanche at people applying different words to his melodies. His "L'shana Haba'a," for example, is applied to a melody from a completely different song. The reason he cited is that he didn't write the songs. They're "min hashamayim," from heaven. He's just the vessel to deliver them. This, to me, is true Jewish Music. But it may not be for everyone. Each Jew is responsible to learn and decide on her and his own!

GORF: The question about certain a cappella being appropriate for sefira is really a subset of a larger question: how "appropriate" are words of Torah set to disco music? The answer is, Jewish composers have been adapting popular music styles for centuries. The most common Adon Olam melody was originally a German beer song or some such.

My answer is this: certainly there are immutable lines. But overall, if we can create music that bring our kids, teens, families and elders closer to Yiddishkeit, is this such a bad thing?

GORF: Can anyone who's ever danced to Yidden be wrong? LOL :-)

SM: I think that people out there who think that maybe this style of music isn't right for them during Sefirah -- they should buy an a cappella album after sefirah so that they can appreciate it for the style of music it is, as opposed to it just being filler for Sefirah.

GORF: That would be great! But music is purchased to be enjoyed, not to be appreciated. (That�s the error of too many a cappella recordings, that you can appreciate the technology that created them but can�t dance to them, so to speak.) Anyway, the reality is that the "noise" of instrumental music drowns out a cappella the rest of the year. After Pesach, I appreciate having a platform for highlighting a cappella music. As with music of any other kind, at any other time of year, it's incumbent on the consumer to be educated. A cappella music became the music of choice during sefira for a reason: because there was, and is, a genuine custom not to listen to certain types of music and a cappella filled the void. That style of less computer processed, more purely vocal a cappella music is widely available, if that�s your desire. You know, just because a CD didn't come out in the last five minutes doesn't mean it isn't excellent.

 

SM: I was just listening to A Cappella Treasury this morning and that is a great CD. It has a wonderful collection of songs from all the different groups popular on the scene.
GORF: Thanks! I design my CD productions to be first and foremost enjoyable and user-friendly. This goes back to my Beat'achon days. "West Side Z'mirot" features the incomparably excellent NCSY "bencher" as its booklet. This way, anyone who wants to learn the songs has the words written out in English, Hebrew and transliteration. Likewise, the songs are arranged to emphasize the simple melodies in the beginning, with more and more harmonies added in as the songs progress.
 

GORF: If you're uncertain about which CDs, from the growing a cappella catalogue, to buy, check out (like you just said) A CAPPELLA TREASURY: SHABBOS from Sameach and the newly released BOJAC: THE BEST OF JEWISH A CAPPELLA. Both are superior compilations of most of the groups out there and include more information about the participating artists in their booklets. That way, if you like one of the group's songs, you can easily seek out their full CDs!

Plus, both CDs include songs not available anywhere else, so they're unique in their own rights. For example, if you love the Carlebach havdallah, you'll LOOOOVE the havdallah on A CAPELLA TREASURY.

 

SM: Before I let you go, is there anything we can look forward to in the realm of a cappella?
GORF: I'm personally looking forward to producing a second volume of A Cappella Treasury. I have a fantastic theme and no shortage of amazing talent I want to work with. Of course, if Izzy Taubenfeld, maestro of Sameach, were in on this conversation, he'd be saying, Gorf, first finish the rest of the projects you owe me! LOL :-)

Really, there's little reason to look forward when right now, the store shelves are stocked with great product, from the recently released Six 13 Volume 2 (which I affectionately refer to as "Six 14"), to the many great volumes released in years past. And if anyone has any questions, you can email me and I'll direct you the best I can.

SM: Whats the best way for people to contact you or any of the groups you are a part of?
GORF: gorf@gorfy.com

SM: Thank you very much for taking the time to do this. We look forward to having you again either via Instant Message or on the Sameach Music Podcast.

Please make a request in the comment section below. What would you like to hear on our upcoming Acappella podcast?

Six 13's new CD "Encore" is now available for purchase online. You can also see the updated cover by clicking here.

Be sure to check out all of our great acappela titles. Six 13's first CD, A.K.A. Pella, Lev Tahor, Chevra acappela, Shabbos Treasury, Kol Zimra, Yossi Goldstein, Beat'achon and more.

If you would like to make a request for next week's special Sameach Acappella Podcast, please email us at Sameachmusic@aol.com