The Magic Of Solomon

Choose Your Repertoire Carefully

2010-11-15T01:55:00.000-08:00

When deciding on what tricks you are going to include within your act, take your time and consider all the factors involved before deciding on the tricks that will go into your set.

Pick tricks that you like and that suit your style and work for you. If you like the effect, chances are your enthusiasm for the effect will be apparent in your performance. If you are unsure about the value of a trick to you, you can always practice in front of a friend and ask for feedback.

Different magicians can get away with performing different tricks. It really depends on your image and your character. You may be suited to fast paced tricks such as "chop cup" and "ambitious card" whereas other people may find gambling demonstrations or mentalism is more suited to their character.

There may even be some people out there who can make mathematical tricks or spelling tricks entertaining!

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Get A Good Website

2010-11-15T01:54:00.000-08:00

These days more and more people are looking to the web to book magicians. For this reason it is vital that you have a good website to help get you bookings. A poor looking, unprofessional website can make you appear like an unprofessional magician to your clients whereas a good website can help secure gigs that you may not otherwise have got.

You should also consider employing someone who knows about search engine optimisation to help you appear at the top of Google's search results for your chosen targeted key phrase.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Be Prepared To Perform At All Times

2010-11-15T01:52:00.000-08:00

As a magician you need to be ready at all times to perform a magic trick. Regardless of the situation, if you are in company and it comes into conversation that you are a magician, you should be at the ready to perform and hand out your business card.

For this reason you should prepare a few tricks specifically for those impromptu situations and if they require props, have them with you at all times. Many magicians carry a deck of cards with them at all times for this reason. A deck of cards is portable and there are a wide range of effects possible with cards. However you may also want to consider learning some coin tricks, elestic band tricks or mental effects.

There are also many brands of magicians watches that allow you to make spectacular time predictions that can be used as regular watches such as "Watch and Wear" and "Time Machine" watches. Check them out by visiting my online magic store.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Tips On Articulation

2010-11-15T01:48:00.000-08:00

When speaking to your audience, be wary of how you talk. Speak clearly and try not to mumble. Speak loudly and clearly at all times. If the audience cannot or struggle to understand you, the overall effect of your performance may suffer or they spectators may not follow your instructions correctly leading to errors in your tricks. If you have a strong accent, be extra careful, particularly when giving instructions.

If you have a problem in this area, you might want to speak confidently by reading paragraphs from a book everyday or better still practise and rehearse your trick with patter until you can fully articulate it without blinking.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Find Your Niche In Magic

2010-11-15T01:42:00.000-08:00

Whilst it's wise to be as versatile as possible, at some point you may want to focus your attention to an area of magic and focus your attention in that area.

For example, you may want to specialise in close up magic. This type of magic generally involves cards, coins, cups and balls or smaller props.

Some magicians may prefer "Mentalism" which includes mind reading, precognition, telekinesis, metal bending and esp.

Other magicians may prefer to focus on stage illusions or cabaret magic or even escapology.Whatever niche you decide to enter into, find something you enjoy doing and that suits your character and focus on it.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Join A Magic Club

2010-11-15T01:40:00.000-08:00

When in doubt, go to the expert.
- Italian proverb

Why not join a magic club or society? Joining such clubs will not only help you to learn new effects but also to share experiences with fellow like minded people. It also may help to keep your passion for the ilk fresh and allow you to gain insight into other styles of magic.

Also, if you have any difficulties, you will never be short of people willing to help you progress.The insight you get from discussing your approach to magic with others will bring you insight that is priceless.

If you are a Singaporean who is interested in homing the art of magic but find that you don’t have the galls to try out street magic you might consider joining The Singapore Association Of Magicians.

The Singapore Association of Magicians was officially registered in Singapore on 27 September 1973 after it became the first Assembly of the Society Of American Magicians International to be formed outside the United States of America in March the same year.

The Society of American Magicians International itself is the World’s oldest Organization of magicians, having been founded in 1902. Today the society has more than 150 Assemblies (branches) with more than 7000 members- professional, semi-professional, amateur magicians and hobbyists- in the major cities of the United States, Canada, England, Rhodesia, India, Japan, Australia and in Singapore. Members of the Singapore Association of Magicians are Singaporeans and Malaysians who find magic to be a relaxing and creative hobby. From an initial small group of only 12 founder members the Association has grown and exceeded to a total of over 50 members currently.

The club is constantly upgrading to serve it’s members better. It organizes monthly meetings and has an occasional guest night where members of the general public are invited through it’s secret doors to watch magic performances.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Quality Over Quantity

2010-11-15T01:27:00.000-08:00

When Houdini, the famous magician and escapologist was asked how many card tricks that he knew, he replied "Oh, maybe eleven or twelve". This came as a great surprise to many as from his apparent skill with a deck of cards, it would be easy to assume that he knew hundreds of cards tricks.

Unlike many magicians today, Harry didn't spend his life trying to digest every magic tip, secret or trick that he could, instead, he selectively focused his attention to a dozen or so tricks and perfected them. This was to became his entire repertoire.This only goes to prove that you do not necessarily know to have a massive range of tricks to be a top performer. Remember, quality is far more important that quantity! Strive to be great at the effects that you actually do perform rather than be poor at hundreds of tricks.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Maskelyne’s 24 Rules Of Magic

2010-11-15T01:25:00.000-08:00

Never set aside any accepted rule, unless it is absolutely necessaryto do so for some clearly defined reason.

Always try to form an accurate conception of the point of view most likely to be adopted by a disinterested spectator.

Avoid complexity of procedure, and never tax either the patience or the memory of the audience.

Never produce two simultaneous effects, and let no effect be obscured by any subsidiary distraction.

Let each magical act represent a complete, distinct, and separate entity; compromising of nothing beyond one continuous chain of essential details, leading to one definite effect.

Let every accessory and incidental detail be kept well “within the picture,” and in harmony with the general impression which is intended to be conveyed.

Let nothing occur without an apparently substantial cause, and let every potential cause produce some apparently consequent effect.

Always remember that avoidable defects are incapable of justification.

Always remember that a plea of justification is ordinarily an acknowledgement of error, and consequently demands every possible reparation.

Cut your coat according to your cloth, but spare no pains in the cutting, or your procedure cannot be justified.

Always remember that a notable surprise is incapable of repetition; and that the repetition of an effect, of any kind whatever, cannot create surprise.

A minor conception ordinarily demands the cumulative effect of repetition; a conception important in itself should usually create a distinct surprise.

The simultaneous presentation of two independent feats is permissible when one of them is associated with cumulative effect and the other in a final surprise.

Unless good reason can be shown, never explain, UPON THE STAGE, precisely what you are about to accomplish.

When presenting an effect of pure transition, the first and most important essential is the avoidance of every possible cause of distraction.

When an effect of transition ends with a sudden revelation or surprise, the course of the transition should be punctuated by actions or sounds leading up to and accentuating the final impression.

In every effect of pure transition, the beginning and end of the process involved should be distinctly indicated by some coincident occurrence.

In each presentation, the procedure should lead up to culminating point of interest, at which point the magical effect should be produced and after which nothing magically interesting should occur.

When a presentation includes a number of effects in series, the final effect should represent a true climax, and its predecessors successive steps whereby that climax is reached.

When Magic and Drama are combined in one presentation, the stage procedure should primarily be governed by Dramatic requirements of the case, rather than the normal principles of Art in Magic.

When, in a combination of the two arts, the primary requirements of drama have been satisfied, all subsidiary details of procedure should be dictated by the normal principles of Art in Magic.

No magician should ever present, in public, any magical feat in which the procedure cannot be, or has not been, adapted to his own personal characteristics and abilities.

Never attempt, in public, anything that cannot be performed with the utmost ease in private. Never present in public any performance which has not been most perfectly rehearsed—first in detail, and finally as a whole.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Important Tips On Performing Street Magic

2010-11-15T01:18:00.000-08:00

Street magic, unlike what many people would think, is not all about the secrets behind a trick. Learning a lot of magic secrets does not automatically make you a street magician. There is a lot more to it than that. Many people get into magic for the wrong reasons and if you get involved with magic simply to discover how a trick works, you're probably going to be left disappointed. However if you start performing street magic and get into street magic because you enjoy entertaining people, you will be far more likely to get a lot more out of the hobby.

One of the most important aspects of performing is preparation. The old saying goes "failure to prepare is preparation for failure". This is never so more true than in street magic. Nothing ever fails quite so hard as a street magic fail! So, before you perform, make sure you have practiced it several times so that you know that you will not make a mistake when it comes to performance. Make sure that you have mastered any sleight of hand needed to perform the trick and know what you are going to say. Its also wise to be prepared for impromptu performances. One of the best magic tips regarding impromptu performances is to always carry some small props with you at all times in case you are asked to perform such as a deck of cards or some coins.

When performing street magic, you need to be aware of your character. Too many magicians appear smug when performing. This is a rather unlikable character trait and should be avoided where possible. Do not assume that because the audience may not be aware of the methods behind your magic tricks that they are unintelligent. Be careful never to patronise your audience and be humble and your audience will warm to you better. If your audience likes you the likelihood of you being heckled is much less.

You should always avoid complex procedures. The magic will be lost if you tax the patience of memory of your audience. Never repeat an effect. Part of the appeal of a magic tricks is a surprise. If you repeat a magic trick, you cannot create surprise the second time round. For the same reason, you should never explain to a spectator what you are about to accomplish. Finally, always listen to the magic tips and advice given to you by others who have more experience than yourself.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Where To Do Magic?

2010-11-15T01:11:00.000-08:00

Almost anywhere, anytime is an excellent venue for magic! You can perform on the bus, on the street, in a pub... absolutely anywhere!

Many magicians turn to the streets as a venue for their magic. As in Walk-Around magic, the street magician must carry his act with him and has to perform completely surrounded. Performing on the street can be very rewarding and many street magicians can earn their living purely from tips that they earn performing on the streets.

On the other hand though, when performing on the street, hecklers can become a bit of an issue. Of course you'll encounter hecklers in any environment but street performers seem to attract them.

Traditionally, good tricks for street performers include the "Linking Rings," "Cups and Balls" and "Chop cup". However, if you have other abilities such as juggling, balloon modelling or making music you may wish to consider incorporating these other talents into your act.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

The Best Advice A Street Magician Could Have

2010-11-15T01:08:00.000-08:00

It is unwise to presume that just because you know a few magic secrets that you are above every one's intelligence. Similarly, because a lay audience does not know those secrets, do not assume that they are not intelligent. Whilst you must make what you say and do as clear as possible, be careful never to patronise your audience. To think that you are of a superior intellect than your audience is a very unlikeable character trait and as such, your audience will respond negatively to such a display of arrogance.

Furthermore, don't presume that just because people didn't like a trick it was because they weren't clever enough to understand it. Your effect might very well be more confusing than amazing or just plain boring. Think about the trick itself and your presentation and ask yourself what you could have done differently to make it better. If in doubt, you can always ask another magician for an opinion.

In magic, the mind is led ingeniously, step by step, to defeat its own logic.
- Dai Vernon

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

How To Do Progressive Routines

2010-11-15T00:38:00.000-08:00

When performing street magic, you need to be wary of how strong your magic is and structure your routine accordingly. Its generally best to start off with something light then build up to your stronger effects.

Assuming you are performing a three trick set, you may want to open with a short, quick trick that grabs peoples attention. This could be something like a sponge ball production or chop cup routine. Any kind of puzzle or optical illusion also is a great way to open a set of tricks.

Your next effect can be longer and perhaps more 'serious' as the audience are now paying attention. Your next trick could involve a story or something with a bit more talking.

You ideally want to leave your best trick to last. If you don't and do your strongest trick at the start or end of your routine, all the tricks that you perform after are less impressive and can be a bit of an anti climax in the eyes of the spectator.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

The Best Rabbit To Use

2010-11-15T00:32:00.000-08:00

The most frequent choice of rabbit that is used by magicians is a breed called the "Netherland Dwarf,". This is due to their pleasant nature and small size.

If you want to include any animal in your act however, remember you will have to care for it as a household pet.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Escapology

2010-11-15T00:02:00.000-08:00

Escapology is a sub-genre of magic where the aim of the magician is to escape from a seemingly impossible or dangerous situation.

This can include jail cells, wooden trunks, coffins and tanks filled with water to name a few. Many times the magician may be bound in a straight jacket or handcuffs or bound in ropes or chains.

Some people argue that escapes aren't very entertaining. A magician is in cuffs one second and then releases himself. In the twenty first century it seems that magicians are generally more impressed with their own escapes than their audiences. What makes the effect interesting is the seemingly impossible conditions in which an escape is performed.

One of the issues surrounding escape artists that use handcuffs is that spectators tend to believe that they must be tricked in some way even if they are apparently supplied by a police department. Comedy can goes a long way in vivifying a staid performance.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Mentalism

2010-11-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

Mentalism is a performing art that is similar to magic in many respects. The line between magic and mentalism can often become blurred. Mentalism practitioners use the same basic principles and magic secrets that magicians use in their craft, however, the difference between magic and mentalism lies in the type of effects that are performed. Effects that mentalists perform are generally creations of apparently supernatural abilities of the mind. This includes effects such as mind reading, psychokinesis, extra-sensory perception, precognition, clairvoyance and mind control.

Mentalism acts can be traced back directly to tests of supernatural powers that were carried out by so-called "mediums, spiritualists and psychics" in the 19th Century. However, the history of mentalism has been recorded as far back as 1572 to a performance by magician Girolamo Scotto.

Mentalist vs Magician

Mentalism has often been thought of as "boring", however charismatic performers such a Derren Brown and television shows such as "Phenomenon" been able to change the perception of mentalism somewhat. There is also a trend of magicians become mentalists because mentalism appears more "believeable" to an audience than standard magic tricks. It is often claimed that Mentalism is the only area of magic that an audience can consider to be "real".

Mentalists tend to avoid "standard" magic tricks altogether because doing so associates mentalism with the 'trickery' employed by magicians. Some mentalists claim not to be magicians at all, arguing that it is a different art form altogether. There are exceptions to this including the likes of David Blaine and David Copperfield, who mix aspects of mentalism together with their magical illusions.

Many mentalists actually claim to possess supernatural powers such as telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, or telekinesis and, whilst there are some people who believe this to be true, this belief is disputed by scientists, skeptics, magicians and mentalists. Some mentalists openly admit to using less than supernatural skills to achieve their craft. Some tend to disguise their methods by giving false explanations such as claiming to be read body language or to manipulate someone subliminally through psychological suggestion.

The Book Test

A standard mentalism effect is the book test. A books is chosen at random by an examiner (usually a member of the audience) and opened at a random page. The examiner would then concentrate on a word, sentence or paragraph of his or her choice. If the mentalist can discover the thought-of word(s), apparently using only "mental powers", then he passes the "test.". The magic secrets on how these effects can be achieved vary greatly. There are various methods available to accomplish that generally involve either forcing some one to pick a particular word whilst apparently giving a free or random choice or somehow obtaining a glimpse at the word the spectator is looking at after it has been written down.

Living-and-dead test

In the living-and-dead test, the names of a deceased people are mixed in with names of people still living. They are all written on identical slips of paper. The feat involves the mentalist using mental powers to separate the living from the dead. There are once again, various methods to replicate this. Many can be attributed as variations of card magic effects such as "Out Of This World" or "Oil And Water" where the magician is able to magically separate red cards from black cards.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Abra Ca Dabra

2010-11-14T23:58:00.000-08:00

The word Abracadabra comes from the Hebrew expression ‘I create as I speak.'

A variation of these words exist throughout the Jewish scriptures. According to scripture, whenever God is about to create something, He will announce the creation beforehand. It's not wise to tell people what you are about to do when performing a magic trick though- it spoils the surprise!

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

The Word Magician Translated

2010-11-14T23:55:00.000-08:00

The following is a list of words that mean "magician" or "sorcerer" in 85 different languages. (In some languages, the word "sorcerer" is used in place of magician)

1. Afrikaans - Kulkunstenaar
2. Albanian - Magjistar
3. Arabic - Saher
4. Armenian - Gakhart or gaqart
5. Basque - Aztia
6. Batok - Manicot
7. Bengali - Jadukar
9. Bulgarian - Fokusnik or Bókychnk
10. Burmese - Milleseya
11. Bylorussian - Charadzey
12. Catalan - Mag
13. Croatian - MadjioniCar
14. Czech - Kouzelník
15. Danish - Tryllekunstner
16. Djula - Jinamory
17. Dutch - Goochelaar
18. English - Magician
19. Esperanto - Iluziisto
20. Estonian - Võlur
21. Farsi - Jadoogar
22. Finnish - Taikurin
23. Flemish - Tovenaar
24. French - Magicien
25. Gaelic - Draoi
26. Gallego - Bruxo
27. German - Zauberer
28. Greek - Magos
29. Gujarati - Jadoogar
30. Hawaiian - Ho'okalakupua
31. Hebrew - Kosem
32. Hindi - Jadoogar
33. Hungarian - Büvesz
34. Ibo - Onye Amuma Ogwu
35. Icelandic - Sjonhverfingamadur
36. Igala - Ache Ogwu
37. Italian - Mago
38. Japanese - Tejinashi
39. Kanada - Jadoogar
40. Kashmiri - Bazighar
41. Korean - Masulsa
42. Kurdish - Cedû
43. Lappish - Calmmegeaidi
44. Latin - Magus
45. Latvian - Buruju mäkslinieus
46. Lithuanian - Burtininkas
47. Loa - Nark man ya konh
48. Macedonian - Volshebnik
49. Malay - Pensilap
50. Malayalam - Manthrikan
51. Maltese - IlluZjonista
52. Mandarin - Moshusi
53. Nepali - Chataki
54. Norwegian - Tryllekunstner
55. Pashtu - Jadoogar
56. Persian - Magii
57. Polish - Magik
58. Pohnpei - Akmanaman
59. Portuguese - Mágico or Illusionista
60. Punjabi - Jadoogar
61. Romanian - Vrâjitor
62. Russian - Bókychnk or Coldun
63. Sardo - Magu
64. Senefu - Katchin-win
65. Serbian - MadjioniCar
66. Singalese - Vijja Karaya
67. Slovene - Carovnik
68. Spanish - Mago
69. Swahili - Mchawi
70. Swedish - Trollkarl
71. Tagalog - Salamangkero
72. Tamil - Mayakkaran
73. Thai - Nuc ma ya kol
74. Tibetan - Migturl or Guma Khen
75. Turkish - Sihirbas
76. Turkmen - Gozbagdjy
77. Ukrainian - Mag
78. Urdu - Jadoogar
79. Uzbeki - Sihrgar or Qizikchi
80. Vietnamese - Thày phù thûy
81. Walloon - Magicien
82. Welsh - Dewin
83. Yiddish - Kishef
84. Yoruba - Babalewu
85. Zulu – Usaragor

The Mandarin word for magician is “mo-shu-shi”. Translated literally, this means "ghost-art-specialist”.

Also According to Charles Harrington Elster's book “There's a Word for it,” published by Scribner, a group of magicians is correctly referred to as a “misdirection of magicians”.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

The Best Response To “How Did You Do That?

2010-11-14T23:51:00.000-08:00

"How did you do that?" It's a question that a good magician will be asked many times. One of the best responses for is the following:

"Very well.

[smile and pause]

Did you enjoy it?"

This apparently simple response achieves several things.

You have answered their question.
You have not exposed any magic secrets.
You have not come across as smug or arrogant.
You have added a bit of humor to the situation.
You have now turned the focus of attention onto the spectator rather than yourself.
You appear genuinely interested in the spectator.

It's very important not to answer the question in a way that makes you come across as smug or arrogant. Many magicians answer this question with cheesy statements like "it's magic" or to dodge the situation with statements like "I can't tell you". If the spectator's question goes unanswered or dodged, an awkward situation arises. The last thing you need to do is leave your spectator with a bad taste in their mouth. An attitude of "I know something that you don't know" is a very unlikeable character trait. By turning the situation around and asking the spectator a question about themselves, you avoid a potentially awkward situation.

Remember, performing street magic is all about pleasing the spectator, not about the magician. You are there to put smiles on other peoples faces.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

It Looks Like..

2010-11-14T23:49:00.000-08:00

These days with television shows and spotty teenagers on YouTube exposing all sorts of trick methods and other magic secrets, spectators are more aware of magicians techniques than ever before. Sometimes to clarify or to enhance an effect, magicians often state what is magical effect is happening during the performance of the effect. The phrase "it looks like", particularly for close up magicians, may help reduce the likelihood of a more method aware spectator from heckling.

Take the scenario of the performance of a basic coin vanish. Say for example you do a false take of the coin and then pretend to vanish the coin. If you were to state that "the coin has vanished" you have a situation that could possibly arise where the spectator may heckle you. The issue here is that by stating "the coin has vanished", you have blatantly lied to the spectator. When someone detects that they are being lied to, a basic human reaction is to confront that lie. Therefore its understandable that responses like "its in your other hand" or "well, we know that its not really vanished" can occur in this situation.

Now, if we turn this situation on its head and use the phrase "it looks like" before we say "the coin has vanished" we arrive at "it looks like the coin has vanished". This simple change in language gives the same effect but this time you haven't lied to the spectator and they are therefore less likely to heckle or interrupt you as they will see that you are creating an effect rather than lying to them.

This can apply to virtually any effect.

Other examples

"I give the card a little rub and it looks like it changes to your signed card"
"I give the coin a rub and it looks like it goes straight through the table"
"I give the fork a rub and it looks like it's melting

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Misdirecting Your Audience

2010-11-14T23:41:00.000-08:00

There are two rules of misdirection involving your eyes.

If you look at something, the spectators will look at it.
If you look at the spectators, they will look at you.

This is why you should never look at your hands when performing a sleight.

It is a good idea to look into the spectators eyes, whilst doing a secret move. This is better still, if you can talk to them at the same time, a funny line, perhaps!

If someone is determined to stare at your hands, you simply look straight at them and talk. They will then look right back at you, you can do your move and continue. It's only polite for them to do so, besides they can't actually help themselves, it's human nature!

All too frequently, magicians can destroyed good effects through poor use of misdirection. Properly used, misdirection can allow you to make moves you could never otherwise have made without being caught.

Here’s another way:

There is an old saying in magic "A large action covers a small one".

This essentially means that if you are trying to disguise a move, you can help to make it invisible to the audience by distracting them with a larger action. For example. If you are trying to execute a move with a deck of cards such as a 'Pass', if you do it in the process of putting the cards onto a table, the move will become much less detectable.

In this example, the larger movement of moving your arms to put the cards on the table compenstaes for the smaller movement of the action of your fingers. Speed is not an issue here. A large movement can make for such good misdirection that it can be done at a natural pace.

Try it with one of your tricks, and watch the move become invisible yourself!

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Revealing Magic Secrets

2010-11-14T23:35:00.000-08:00

Many magicians will say you that you should never reveal how a trick is performed.

In the past, anyone who revealed magic tricks was shunned by the magic community. It is unfair to magicians to spoil their performances by revealing how they do their magic. However, in recent years, television programmes and countless people on video sharing websites have exposed magic to such an extent that keeping the secret of a trick may seem a bit pointless. If someone wishes to find out how a magic trick is done, chances are they will be able to able to find it if they look hard enough for it.

Revealing Magic On TV

In 1997, Val Valentino shook up the magic world by debuting a TV programme that exposed how many magic tricks were done. The TV ratings for the series was huge but the tone of the series was very negative. People watching the program would come away with the opinion that magicians were nothing more than crooks out to deceive people and would think less of the art of magic in general.

On the opposite side of the scale, magicians Penn and Teller also made a reputation from exposing their tricks, however they did so in a very different way. Many routines they developed were created specifically for the purpose of being exposed. They would often perform a trick and get an applause from the audience then show an exposed view of the same trick and perform it again to achieve a second round of applause. Instead of portraying magic as the art of deception, they made the audience appreciate the skill, thought and effort that it took to perform it. The audience would come away not feeling deceived but they would appreciate the skill and thinking behind the methods.

Many people have become magicians after watching magicians on TV, went looking to discover the secrets themselves and developed a keen interest in the subject from there. So is exposure wrong? Well, it depends entirely on the context that it is done. You have to expose magic in order to teach magic. Without teaching magic, the art would die out. At the opposite end of the scale, if the audience is aware of how a trick is performed, they will not be interested in the magic aspect of the performance.

Give people a mystery, not a useless piece of knowledge

The general consensus among magicians these days is that it is okay to teach magic to someone who wishes to perform but exposing magic for the sake of doing so is not. Revealing how a trick is done can take the fun out of magic. People enjoy having a mystery. People love to be fooled. When you reveal how a trick is done to someone, they gain a piece of useless knowledge but they lose something a lot more valuable. They lose a mystery.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Keep Your Street Magic Simple

2010-11-14T23:32:00.000-08:00

Good street magic is simple and simple magic is good! At least in the minds of the audience. If you cannot describe your street magic effect in one or two sentences, you may have made the effect too complicated. You may have the most fantastic method possible but if the audience does not understand what effect you are trying to create, the effect is lost. Remember, you are not performing to people who understand the complexity of the sleights or skills involved in creating your street magic.

For example, you may be doing a card trick. The effect should be something like "the card changed colour" or "the card cas cut into two pieces then restored back to one". Too many magicians perform multi-phase routines that leave the spectator thinking "What just happened?"

When performing a magic effect, you should try to keep the effect as clear as possible. Street Magic is not the art of confusing people. You are not there to puzzle your audience. You are there to amuse, amaze and most importantly entertain your audience.

A good analogy for this is:

K.I.S.S. A. T.I.T - Keep It Simple, Stupid And Think It Through

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

The Debate On Flourishing

2010-11-14T23:18:00.000-08:00

Why do magicians flourish?

If that were the case, it appears unclear as to why magicians would perform elaborate flourishes in the first place. One theory is that it makes the magician feel a little bit special. A spectator can appreciate the skills of a guitarist or painter as they can see exactly how these artists created their art. Magic, unlike any other art form, hides the method so the audience therefore cannot fully appreciate the skills involved in creating that art. Because of this, performing flourishes may satisfy a performers need to feel appreciated for their skill set.

However, magic is not about making the magician feel important, its about making the spectator feel important. Whilst a spectator may appreciate the skill involved flourishing, its often all too easy to appear to the spectator as a "show off" which can a very unlikable character trait. Magic on the other hand should appear selfless and skill-less. Showing off is a bit like masturbation: nobody wants to see you do it in public.

Creating the illusion of the impossible

Magic is an entertainment art where you create the illusion of the impossible. In order to create an illusion of anything impossible, you need to eliminate the possible methods in the spectators mind so that the spectator can come to the conclusion that what they saw had no possible method. Great magic is when in the minds of the audience there is no possible method. Your trick should appear to the audience that you have no skill whatsoever but yet magic just happens.

This is where flourishing has its major conflict with magic. If you show a great deal of physical dexterity, you essentially give your audience a possible method. This method essentially is that your hands are too fast for their eyes and therefore you must have done something very quickly that they missed. This may not be the method that you actually used but if a spectator believes they know how a trick was done, regardless if it is the real explanation or not, the impact of the magical effect is weakened.

To flourish or not to flourish?

Learning flourishes can be a very rewarding pastime for many magicians. Some may even enjoy card flourishing more than magic. However, because flourishing destroys the mystery of how a magician achieved a magic effect, the two arts directly oppose one another. One weakens the other. If you intend to do flourishes with magic, they probably should be limited to minor appearances of cards or very small displays of finesse. If you intend to go down the flourishing route more seriously, you are probably best to put magic in the background.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Street Magic–Tricks Done With Coins

2010-11-14T23:14:00.000-08:00

Money magic tricks with coins and with banknotes prove very popular with both magicians and spectators alike. But why is this? Many magicians like to use money as a prop when performing magic tricks for a variety of reasons.

Coins in particular are very popular props for magicians to use. They are readily available and there is a wide variety of magic tricks that can be performed with them. Like card tricks, there are a wide variety of skills involved and tricks range from self working tricks to ones involving complex and sometimes difficult sleight of hand moves.

Emotional response to money magic tricks

Everyone these days, like it or not, is obsessed with money. Our lives revolve around it. Many of us dream of having lots of it. Its both a status symbol and the key that can be used to obtain virtually anything desirable in your life.

Perhaps, because of this, when money is used in magic tricks, spectators invest a little more emotions in the effect than they normally would with a card trick for example. Especially if you are using money belong to them. For example, if you borrow a banknote from someone, and do a torn and restored banknote trick, chances are at the moment the spectator believes that their bill is genuinely being torn, you will get a strong emotional response from that spectator. The spectator cannot help but react emotionally if they believe their money is being destroyed because they see it as a desirable item of value that belongs to them that is being destroyed.

It is the emotional investment behind money magic tricks that makes them so powerful. If you compare that with a torn and restored playing card, whilst the spectators may be impressed with the effect, the emotional reaction will not be as strong as the item being destroyed is of little interest to them.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Dai Vernon And The Trick That Fooled Houdini

2010-11-07T01:20:00.001-07:00

In 1922, Harry Houdini was the most famous magician in the world. The forty-eight year old Houdini was so confident in his knowledge of magic that he had an open challenge to all fellow magicians - 'show me any trick three times in a row and I'll be able to tell you how you did it.' At the Great Northern Hotel in Chicago, Dai Vernon took the great Houdini up on his challenge. But Vernon would not repeat his trick three times in a row - Dai Vernon repeated it SEVEN TIMES and Houdini could not get it!

The trick Dai Vernon chose to fool Houdini with was his own version of the classic ambitious card routine, so named because the spectator's chosen card always wants to get to the top of the deck. Vernon had Houdini choose a card and then sign the chosen card with his initials 'HH'. Houdini returned his card to middle of the deck and, with a snap of Vernon's fingers, it magically appeared on the top. Houdini was astounded and Vernon repeated the trick. And then again, for the third time. 'You must have a dupilcate card!' Houdini guesses, Vernon calmly points outs: 'With your initials, Harry?' Houdini then suggests that Vernon must have used a well-known mentalist's device. But Vernon points out that Houdini's initials are written in ink. 'They make them in ink now!' Houdini splutters but no magician in the room has ever heard of these devices using ink. 'Harry you are fooled!' cries Sam Margules, a Magic Show producer and former assistant of the Whirlwind Illusionist, Horace Goldin.

Outraged and indignant, Houdini demands Vernon does the trick again even though he had already performed it three times, Houdini's challenge limit. Dai Vernon, in front of some of the best magicians in Chicago, repeats the trick four more times. Seven times in a row, Harry Houdini's signed card appears on the top of the deck over and over again. Houdini even tried pushing his card slowly and deliberately under the top card of the deck and it made no difference. Dai Vernon's card trick soon found fame in the magic world as The Trick That Fooled Houdini.Houdini never admitted that he had been fooled by Dai Vernon. However his wife, Bess Houdini (who was to became godmother to Vernon's son Ted), later told Vernon that Houdini had stayed up half the night trying to fathom out the trick, without success.

Harry Houdini was a proud man and jealously guarded his reputation as the World's Greatest Magician. This he may have been but Houdini certainly wasn't the world's greatest cardman. A few years after being fooled by Dai Vernon, he found himself performing some card effects over dinner for fellow magician - and then being offered what was meant to be friendly advice. Houdini was once again the President of the Society of American Magicians, and after a meeting, a bunch of magicians were eating out in Riggs Restaurant, New York. Dai Vernon was there, as were Sam Horowitz, Sam Margules, Al Baker and some other magicians and their wives. Houdini performed a few effects, and in one executed a very clumsy palm. Later, Margules innocently suggested that Houdini should ask Vernon to teach him, his now-famous, palming technique know as Topping the Deck. Harry Houdini went mad! The suggestion that another magician could teach the great Houdini some magic enraged him. Perhaps, the fact the the magician in question was Dai Vernon, creator of 'The Trick That Fooled Houdini' made it all the more harder to bear.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

5 Secret Tips To Boost Your Magic Performance

2010-11-02T12:25:00.001-07:00

As a professional performer and magician, I often get asked by people what are the most important things to remember when performing magic.
Inside today's post, I would like to reveal 5 Secret Performing Tips that all the pro's know about but don't always want to share.

Here they are:

Tip 1. Where You Should Be Performing

The great thing about the tricks I show you in my private magic lessons is that you can perform them anywhere. It doesn't need to be at the office or at dinner. On this website, I normally suggest places where the trick would be most appropriate. For example David Blaine really made street magic popular again so feel free to perform anywhere. I have performed magic to people on planes, boats, zoos and even bathrooms! Crazy hey?

Tip 2. What Kind Of Props Not To Use

If you ever happen to use props that are not considered "every day kinda stuff", people could think it's a 'magic prop' and will mostly assume that its fake and that is has mirrors or trap doors. If you simply use ordinary, everyday objects people will relate to your magic a lot better and will lower the chance that they might be expecting some kind of "funny business" with your special magical props.

Tip 3. How To Deal With Nerves While Performing Your Magic Tricks

Everyone gets nervous! I still get nervous even though I've been performing professionally now for years! The secret is to be confident with yourself and your magic so that your audience does not notice your "nervousness" at all.
But how do you get confident as a performer? Simply put, practice your little heart out! The more you practice, the more confident you will feel in your own ability, and therefore your own performance. If you are well practiced, your sub-conscious mind will take care of the rest when you get in front of an audience.

Tip 4. And The Secret Is... (drum roll please)

Most of the tricks I teach in my private magic lessons use the element of surprise. When your audience doesn't know what is going to happen, your magic will have more of a WOW factor because they were not expecting it. Think about it. No-one says they are going to produce an elephant - they just do it!

Tip 5. What Distinguishes The Pro's From The Amateurs

Instead of learning a dozen tricks and performing them badly, learn 3 good tricks and really spend your time figuring out the presentation and story with each trick. Remember, one good trick is WAY better than 10 okay ones.
That is what all the pros do and you can just copy them to get exactly the same effect! That's it for now!

Let me know if you like these kind of posts with tips in it like this. If a lot of people tell me that they like it, I will create more of these tips for you.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

5 Secret Tips To Boost Your Magic Performance

2010-11-02T12:11:00.001-07:00

As a professional performer and magician, I often get asked by people what are the most important things to remember when performing magic.
Inside today's post, I would like to reveal 5 Secret Performing Tips that all the pro's know about but don't always want to share.

Here they are:

Tip 1. Where You Should Be Performing

The great thing about the tricks I show you at www.themagicofsolomon.com/magiclessons is that you can perform them anywhere. It doesn't need to be at the office or at dinner. On this website, I normally suggest places where the trick would be most appropriate. For example David Blaine really made street magic popular again so feel free to perform anywhere. I have performed magic to people on planes, boats, zoos and even bathrooms! Crazy hey?

Tip 2. What Kind Of Props Not To Use

If you ever happen to use props that are not considered "every day kinda stuff", people could think it's a 'magic prop' and will mostly assume that its fake and that is has mirrors or trap doors. If you simply use ordinary, everyday objects people will relate to your magic a lot better and will lower the chance that they might be expecting some kind of "funny business" with your special magical props.

Tip 3. How To Deal With Nerves While Performing Your Magic Tricks

Everyone gets nervous! I still get nervous even though I've been performing professionally now for years! The secret is to be confident with yourself and your magic so that your audience does not notice your "nervousness" at all.
But how do you get confident as a performer? Simply put, practice your little heart out! The more you practice, the more confident you will feel in your own ability, and therefore your own performance. If you are well practiced, your sub-conscious mind will take care of the rest when you get in front of an audience.

Tip 4. And The Secret Is... (drum roll please)

Most of the tricks I teach www.themagicofsolomon.com/magiclessons use the element of surprise. When your audience doesn't know what is going to happen, your magic will have more of a WOW factor because they were not expecting it. Think about it. No-one says they are going to produce an elephant - they just do it!

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

The Classics

2010-10-19T21:16:00.001-07:00

There are sleights and effects that have been used by magicians for so long that no records exist of their origins. Many of these sleights and effects are given the honorific classic as recognition for their effectiveness as manual technique or for creating the illusion of magic.

Some sleights, such as the Classic Pass and Classic Palm, are specifically identified as manipulations worthy of being mastered by the magicians. Other techniques are considered classic in their intent, for instance the second deal or double lift, but the manner in which they are best executed remain a matter of opinion among performers.

Classic effects and the props needed to accomplish them vary of course with the era or century. Some, such as the Cups And Balls, are traced back to early civilizations. Others may have established themselves more recently, for instance the Chop Cup or Card To Wallet. Some classics will eventually fade from magic consciousness because the objects involved are no longer familiar to the audience, although magicians will sometimes persist in using objects and references long after they have passed out of common usage.

It is worth investigating manipulations, effects and props touted as classic - not just in this era but in previous eras. In some instances the reason for a trick's success and popularity may be dependent on the moment in time it flourished; in other cases magicians or their audiences may have tired of it as they sometimes do.

All of this is important because classic usually means dependable and performable, qualities less frequent than the magician in search of material might expect.

It should also be noted that some classics have antecedents that aren't quite classic. For instance Michael Zens version of Cards Across where three selected cards pass by magic from a sealed envelope held by one spectator to another sealed envelope held by a second spectator was proceeded by numerous effects, some with cards others with coins, that didn't quite achieve the impact of Zens' effect. Another example is the Egg Bag which began as an entirely different trick and and prop then it is today.

Understanding why a specific method and handling raises an effect to classic status is an important issue in determining the value of a trick, its mechanics and its potential to appear magical.

The why of what magicians do and have done is as important as the how. The happy combination of a nearly perfect how and why will usually result in a classic accreditation; however interpreting a classic for use may require more work than simply accepting it as classic because it is touted as such.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Creative Magic

2010-10-06T00:49:00.001-07:00

The Art Of Creativity Part 1 – Being Creative

There comes a time in a magician's life when using tricks invented by other magicians is not enough. The performer may want to create his or her own methods and effects to add to his existing repertoire. On the other hand, too many performers read or purchase a new trick and haphazardly use the patter, presentation and handling described by the author. In a perfect world taking the latter approach would be ideal, but I'm afraid to tell you this is not a perfect world! We are all different, in body and mind; meaning that what is good for one person may not be good for another. If you want to perform an effect successfully it is very likely that you will need to add your own performance style to it. In some cases one may feel that it is adequate to adjust the handling as well. In this essay I plan to discover how we can create our own effects and modify others to make them practical for the performer's use. The first thing that should be noted is that creativity is one of magic's greatest secrets, it is not something that can be taught in a single piece of writing. Creating a magic effect is a very personal experience; it is similar to driving a car - there are ten different routes to get to the same destination, each route being different. Whatever route you choose you will eventually arrive at the required place, although you will not know if it is the best route until you attempt the others. So if at first you do not succeed in creating original material do not worry, just try taking another route.

Why Should We Be Creative?

Nobody can force you to create new magic; it is something that must come from within. If you feel happy to perform magic exactly as it is taught you are doing the right thing, I cannot tell you this is wrong, as it is your opinion - something that cannot be wrong. I can, however prompt you to consider thinking deeper into what you perform, I am sure that it will make you a better performer, if not a better magician. Being creative does not necessarily mean that you should start performing only the effects that you have created; neither does it mean that you have to constantly create new tricks. If however you get the urge to be different, to do something that no one else is doing then I suggest that you do make the extra effort to produce some of your own material. Before I explain how we can become more creative I feel we should look more closely at the fundamentals of what qualities you should have already gained in your journey of magic. What Do You Already Know? I feel it is necessary to build a strong 'backbone' of magical knowledge if you want to create new magic, this can be gained from reading magic books old and new. There are a few reasons for this, firstly there is the possibility of 're-inventing the wheel,' there is no feeling worse than inventing an effect and later finding out that someone such as Vernon or Marlo invented it fifty years earlier. Another reason I suggest you should be knowledgeable of magic effects and moves is for ease of applying methods to your effects, which otherwise may seem impossible. At least if you know a few basic sleights you will be able to utilise them in your idea. An additional reason to be creative is that by studying the work of others you will gain a wider outlook of magic. Other magicians have inspired many of my tricks; I may take an effect and use a similar method to create a totally new effect or visa versa, using the same effect with a distinct method. There would be absolutely no reason of changing the method of an effect unless I had a problem with it, for example if the creator's method would not be suitable for the location I have in mind for performing it in I would consider modifying it to suit my needs. In fact if I regularly adapt the method of a trick by someone else if I cannot execute the moves properly without being suspected.

The Art of Creativity Part 2 - The Process

The greatest achievement of learning other people's material is not learning what has already been accomplished but learning how it has been achieved. Whilst reading a book you may stumble across an interesting technique that may inspire the method of one of your creations. Remember, everyone's mind works differently. If I were to pose a problem to all of my readers to find the method for an effect I guarantee that the results would be extremely varied. As an example, to perform a card location some magicians decide to use key cards, other crimp the selection, some use mathematical principles and some decide to keep the card under their control. Each of the methods can be expanded even further, such as the fact that some people prefer to use a Breather Crimp instead of a Corner Crimp. I am in no way implying that if you are not well versed in magic you should not invent new magic effects. In fact some people believe that developing a firm groundwork of magic is not necessary, it may even lead to many advantages. The main advantage that comes to mind is that if you do not know of a method to secretly reverse the bottom card of the deck you may be possessed to craft your own methods to achieve the feat. This way you will be even more creative as you have now produced an effect and a move. Whether or not you have read a lot of magic I am sure you are ready to adventure into the Creative Process.

Thoughts On The Creative Process

Creativity itself is something that is almost impossible to explain, as it is a subconscious event. There is no right or wrong way of creating new magic effects, I believe that the following quote by Carl R. Rogers explains my point, "The very essence of the creative is its novelty, and hence we have no standard by which to judge it." Some people are naturally creative; there are a few magicians who seem to produce and release new effects faster than we can purchase them! The majority of magicians, through no fault of their own have a slower approach to creating magic. This is not a bad thing as 'we have no standard by which to judge it' - so any creative thoughts are good thoughts. Remember to be creative you do not need to be gifted, you just need to be willing to stretch your imagination. Now that we have discussed the background points of creating new magic how do we think up new effects? As I have said earlier in this essay it is not possible for me to tell you how to create new magic. You will have to discover it for yourself. I can, however, give you advice on how you should go about inventing new ideas by discussing the methods that I use or have used in the past. Before we go on I ask that you have an open mind; whilst thinking you may stumble across a brilliant idea but pass it by as an impossible concept that would never be achieved. This is not true, remember in magic nothing is impossible! This is why I would like you to consider keeping a notebook - wherever you go try to keep it on your person. In the past few years I have stumbled across many ideas, amongst those ideas were some good inspirations. Unfortunately many of these inspirations are gone, I can only vaguely recall a few of them, this is my greatest regret in magic. I decided that it was time to take action against these many lost memories, the best method I could think of was to keep a notebook. Today my notebook is one of my most valuable possessions, as soon as I come across an idea I write it down in the back of my book - whether it is good or bad. Every night I spend a few minutes considering the ideas that I had earlier in the day and if I feel the need I expand on the day's muses, in some cases producing a complete routine with the single idea. All of this information is recorded so when I have time I can go back and develop the better ideas into effects that one day I may use in performance. If you do use this method of storing your thoughts please do not make your ideas opinionated, whatever thought you receive for an effect write it down. If it is of no use today it could probably be useful at some other time.

The Art of Creativity Part 3 - New Tricks

There are two main categories that creating a magical effect should be sorted under, they are Making A New Trick and Making A Trick New.

Both are very different, the first being a complete idea that produces an entirely original effect and the second is being creative by updating a previously taught trick. Let's take a look at how you can create your own, original effects.

Making A New Trick

One is often not given the encouragement to create new magic effects by others quoting such famous sayings as, "There is nothing new under the sun," and "What can be invented has been invented." I can assure you that this is by no means correct. I believe that one invention inspires hundreds of others, as an example we can look at domestic items, if Alexander Graham Bell had not invented the telephone in 1875 the answer machine or indeed the 'Cellphone' would not have become popular objects. This theory can also apply to magic, although we will look at this more closely in 'Making A Trick New.' Before you create new magic you must decide what your aims are - do you want to produce a close-up effect, a stage trick or something suitable for children? This is important as each genre of magic needs different designs for tricks - there is no good trying to invent a stage effect using props that cannot be seen on stage. I still have not answered the question you were probably asking at the begging of the essay - 'how do I create new effects?' This happens in the next stage; you should think about an object suitable for the performance style you have chosen, it does not need to be a magic prop, in fact using obscure items is probably the best approach to take. Think about this object, if you can look it at or try imagining it, now ask yourself the following questions:

What Is Its Function And Purpose?

All objects are invented for a reason, what problem did the inventor aim to solve by producing such an item? In normal usage what would you use this item for? Answering these questions will help you muse over its use in a magic trick.

What Could It Be Used For?

Not what is it used for but what other tasks could you use it for? Try to think of strange uses for the item such as a book is normally used to read but it can also be used to prop up an unstable piece of furniture. This will be very helpful later in the process, remember to write down all of the ideas that you think of, good or bad they are very important.

What Magic Properties Does The Object Have?

If you could do anything at all with this object what would it be and what magic tricks would you like to do with it? Answering this question is very easy if you have already thought about the previous questions as they will give you ideas of what you could do with such an object. Let's imagine that we are looking at a cassette tape, if I could perform any magic at all I would pull out the reel of tape and tear it up into many small pieces - then in a flash the tape would re-materialise and appear back inside the tape. At this stage the effect sounds impossible, but methods are not important. If you have wrote all of your thoughts down you probably have a full page of ideas, notes and doodles. Do not take a lot of time on this; do not force ideas out, as they should naturally flow from your mind - a five-minute 'brainstorming session' is adequate. As I said at the beginning of essay do not judge any of your ideas at this stage, just write them down. Some people find it easier to make simple drawings of their ideas - this is fine although I suggest that you make notes alongside your sketches just in case you forget what they are! Although you may not have realised it you have produced some of your own magical effects, just by answering three questions! Looking back at the previous five minutes you may find that some of your ideas are not brilliant, but amongst those ideas you are guaranteed to find at least one idea that has potential - if not more than one. If you could not think of any original tricks that use the item you have chosen you a number of alternative choices. You could try a totally different item, I don't recommend this though as you have spend five minutes thinking about this item. I do suggest however that you add another item to the previous one, then try and think of 'impossible feats' using both items, to start you thinking how about the items magically changing place?

The Art of Creativity Part 4 - Props & Methods We've discussed how to find and create ideas; it is now time to develop them into a magical effect. Find the idea that you are most happy with and take a new sheet in your notebook. You should have an idea of a trick in mind, sit back for a moment and think of that effect, imagine yourself performing it. Whilst doing this you should make an evaluation of the effect, you can do this by answering - yet more questions!

What Props Will You Need?

Do you need to use extra items to enhance the effect? This is important as if you add another prop for the effect there is a chance of extending the trick and developing it into something totally different (hopefully for the better.) Remember at this stage you are just thinking of an idea, do not stop because you have a good idea, with extra work you can improve it to make it an even better idea.

What Could You Do To Improve The Trick?

Let's say that at this stage you have an idea you are happy with but there are probably areas that could be improved. Maybe the props could be substituted so that it enhances the effect even more. If you are creating a trick suitable for a stage performance using fruit - such as apples ask yourself if the same effect could be produced by using a larger fruit - like a melon or even a coconut. Because you are working on stage a fruit of this size will look a lot better as the audience will have a better view of it and lay people believe that it is harder to manipulate a large item than a small item, which in fact it is! Of course changing the size of an object is not the only way to improve a trick. Think about the props that you use, if you are planning to levitate a pen around your head would it be more logical to levitate a toothbrush instead? Again, this will lead to much more you can do with the item such as have the toothbrush magically clean your teeth - something you would not have done if it were a pen. If you are happy with your effect then we are ready to move on to the difficult part - 'creating a method.'

Applying The Method

You have in your mind an effect that you want to produce, the picture in your mind now needs to materialize into something that the audience can visualize and experience the way you have for the past few minutes. I cannot tell you how to give your effect a method - that would be impossible as I do not know what effect you want to produce! I can give you a few pointers that I feel will help you along your way. First, have a think about how you would perform the effect; you may immediately have a few ideas of your own. If you have try them out and if they do not work find the bad points and try to remove them by changing the methods slightly. An idea I tend to use if I cannot think of any acceptable methods is to look at how others have solved similar methods. If I wanted to make a banker's credit card vanish in my hands I would immediately go to my collection of magic books and find effects that are similar, such as playing card vanishes. The first method that comes to mind is Howard Thurston's 'Five Card Vanish & Reproduction' using the Back Palm. On examining Thurston's method I can try to modify it so that the effect I want to produce will work with that method. By combining a series of methods and thinking about why the inventor choose to execute the trick in the way he did I can normally think up a respectable method. After I have thought up a basic method I will start practising and rehearsing the effect. This is very helpful as during my practising I can look at certain parts of the effect and change any parts that do not look right. If, however you cannot find similar tricks my next suggestion will be very helpful! You should discuss the idea with other magicians, they have probably read different books to you and as I said earlier everyone's mind works differently. With a few magicians brainstorming your idea I am sure you will be able to concoct a method. If you are not happy with the method use it as groundwork to produce another method.

The Art of Creativity Part 5 - New Presentations

In the previous article I explained my method of creating new magic. When I say 'my method' I do not mean to claim it as my own, it is the method I have always used. For sake of completion I am now going to describe some other proven methods of creating new magic. One method that I have used for a few years is solving a problem. As magicians we should be naturally inquisitive, we should look at objects and think 'I wonder how I could make that levitate,' or as we stand near a national landmark, 'How could I vanish this?' If your mind does not work like this don't worry there is nothing wrong with you! It just helps in your quest to create new magic. The solving a problem technique takes the question of 'How could I do this?' and makes it a reality. This does not mean that you should set about thinking how you could vanish the Eiffel Tower, but it means that you should try and work out methods for ideas that you may have ... whether it is for a grand illusion or a small scale close-up trick. I have recently been made aware of a book aimed at magicians and at helping them create new tricks. The book is entitled 'The Trick Brain' by Dariel Fitzkee and is a system that seems to have potential. If you are interested in this idea I suggest that you try and get hold of a copy. On a similar note I have stumbled across a few books and even computer programs aimed at writers and novelists. The idea is to inspire plots and stories by randomly generating phrases; this could also be applied to the creation of magic effects. Another method of creativity that I have experimented with is a very cheeky method that I believe has potential. In a conversation with your friends casually bring up the subject of magicians performing the impossible and ask them if you could perform any miracle in the world what would it be? Working with the response you receive you should be able to create a miracle! There is another method of creativity that we have not explored - taking a trick by someone else and making it suitable for our own personal use. We will look in depth at that method now.

Making A Trick New

Like most magicians I perform a card location routine. For a few months my presentation was exactly as I read - 'You pick a card and I will find it - you can then see how clever I am.' I found that this was not receiving the reaction I wanted. I spent a long time thinking about why I was not receiving the response that other performers were getting. What were they doing different to me? I later realised that it had nothing to do with the performance location, my style or handling of the effect (which can sometimes be the cause of bad reactions) but was in fact my presentation. Whilst performing the effect amongst friends I had a presentation idea, I would not merely find the selected card, I would make it turn invisible, the spectator would place the 'invisible card' back into the pack where it would re-materialise. I told the audience that during the materialisation process the card would become extremely hot. In fact too hot to hold, hence I would be able to find the chosen card by feeling the backs of the cards. The presentation of this effect was improvised; I made it up as I performed the standard routine. Now, three years on I still perform the routine exactly how it read in the book, although I have radically changed the presentation. If I had not been creative in that one performance I would have probably rejected the routine a few weeks after I had learnt it. This is an example of 'improvisation.' Although I didn't create the effect just described I used my own presentation perspective. If the same effect was shown to you now you probably would not recognise what effect it actually is, although at this point I must state I do not claim the routine as my own. This is good because I have taken someone else's routine and made it into something that I am happy with, something that suits my style and not that of the author's. It seems to me that the most successful magicians are not those who perform excellent sleight of hand but those who care for presentation of their material. Taking an old, outdated effect and updating it to something that looks almost new is a true art form and those who make the effort to do so will receive great rewards.

The Art of Creativity Part 6 – Conclusions

There are two divisions of making a 'trick new' - updating the effect or updating the method. When I say 'making a trick new' I do not mean revising a trick that has not been used on stage for 300 years, I mean one that has already been invented. There are about 100 tricks that I could state as being classics of magic. If you were to look in your performance repertoire I could guarantee that you would find a large number of these 'classics of magic.' This may be a good place to start updating your material ... remember today's audience have probably already seen the Linking Rings and the Cups and Balls. Lets look at the famous Linking Rings, a great effect that everyone knows of. I believe it has been made a classic of magic because of it's simplicity in performance. The audience sees a number of solid chrome rings link together. When updating this effect we do not want to lose its simplicity as that may lose the impact. The same applies to almost all classics of magic. They way I have always gone about updating effects is to study the prop used and write down all of the items I can think of that looks similar. By taking the Linking Rings we could change it to link bicycle tires or even giant wedding rings. As another example, in my notebook I have a number of ideas for the Zombie Floating Ball, to be original I could use a large bubble, which gives a reason for it floating in the air. You do not need to change the props used to update an effect. Try changing the presentation. Look at the many variations of card locations, the plot is the same for most of them, but the presentations are totally different.

Conclusion

I hope that by this stage I have given you a lot to think about, in fact already you may have ideas running havoc in your mind! If you have then this essay has performed the correct task and I am very please it has been of use. The 'Art Of Creativity' is not something that can be explained in one page of writing, in fact creativity is not something that can be explained at all. We can just do our best to describe our personal process of discovering new realms of magic. The only advice I have left to give to you is as soon as you get an idea write it down. If that idea seems poor today, one day it will be formed into a great idea.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Tips For Hiring A Magician

2010-09-07T02:07:00.001-07:00

For a lot of people the last time they wanted a magician at their party was when they were 8 years old but magicians don’t just work for children. Adults have always been a great audience for magic because they have defined critical thinking. They 'know' it isn't 'real magic' but if the performer does his job right he can bring about the childlike state of wonder in an adult. A good magician can bring you right back to experience the fuzzy feeling you had as a kid when your grandfather pulled a coin out of your ear.

There are 3 styles of magic that are most often hired for events where adults are in the majority.

Close-up magic a.k.a Street Magic(the most popular choice for people hiring magicians) Cabaret or Stage shows Drawing room or Theater shows

Close-up magic or Street Magic is often seen at cocktail parties where the magician mingles amongst the guests performing miracles with borrowed objects and simple objects he has on him. He works without a table and is an excellent choice if all the guests will be standing with drinks and eating finger food.

Another type of close-up magic or street magic that is closely related to strolling magic is table magic. Table magic is performed between the courses at dinners, wedding breakfasts, balls and banquets. You are more likely to see a short (between 3 - 8 minutes) mini cabaret act that has a structured feel to it. The magician may use the table but it will be as unobtrusive as possible because at banquets there is a premium on table real estate.

Close-up magicians are being hired more and more for Trade Shows to draw people to the stand with customised magic presentations. Presentations are designed to showcase the features and benefits of the stand they are representing but with amazing magic and not just dry sales pitches.

Cabaret or Stage shows are a great way for a lot of people to see some great magic in a relatively short space of time. Often a close-up magician who has performed strolling/table magic before hand will also do a 20 minute cabaret act after dinner.

There are many different styles of cabaret magician - comedy, traditional manipulation act to music, mind reading etc. The type of event you are organizing will dictate the type of cabaret magician you will require. If you would like lots of audience participation and laughter go for a comedy magician, if there will be lots of non-English speakers present then go for a visual act like the manipulator and if it is a very business orientated environed maybe a mind reader would be more suited.

You also see cabaret magicians at comedy clubs, cruise ships and also occasionally at motivational events where the magic is combined with a motivational speech.

Drawing room or Theater shows were almost a dead art for nearly a 100 years. They were immensely popular with the Victorians where the gentry would all gather to watch a conjurer perform magic. In recent years it is coming back into fashion at private parties where a magician may perform after dinner for 30 minutes or so. This is a taste of days gone by and is close enough for apparently no shenanigans to be going on yet far enough away to use larger effects for everyone to see. This kind of show is most related to a cabaret show but the effects are smaller and it is more interactive as the audience in only a few feet away.

When choosing a professional magician it is important to choose wisely as in any industry there are 'cowboys'.

Questions you may like to ask any prospective performer you are engaging are...

How long have you been a professional?

Some magicians may seem great on paper but as all know paper doesn't refuse ink. Experience is the key in this industry so make sure they have cut their teeth.

Can I see you perform?

The answer depends on the type of performer you are considering engaging. If it's a cabaret magician he may well work at comedy clubs where you can go and see him perform and close-up magicians often work at hotels, restaurants and bars as the resident entertainer several times a week. If it's open to the public then go and see them work. However if the performer works mainly at corporate events, weddings and/or trade shows you may find it impossible to see him work live as these are closed events.

Have you got a brochure/video I can see?

Most professional performers will have promotional kits including photographs, video and brochure. A good promo kit doesn't mean they are a good magician, it may just mean they know somebody who works at a printing press. A cheap and tatty looking promo kit doesn't definitely mean the performer is bad, but it does show a lack of professionalism and that is a warning sign. In this day and age some performers have no hard copy for promotional use as it dates so quickly so there website acts as the brochure. If the website looks like it was made from cut outs of magazines then they are not interested in making a good first impression. Would you trust somebody who didn't make a good first impression at your event?Does the price include VAT and any other charges? When in negotiations don't forget to clarify if there as any other expense other than fee quoted.

What magic tricks do you do?

You should be able to gain a good idea of the style of the magician from any online or hardcopy brochure but if you want to know what kind of effects he/she performs - go ahead and ask!

Are you a member of any magic societies or performer bodies?

Many magicians will be members of different magic clubs around the world. In the UK the most prestigious is 'The Magic Circle' where there are only 1500 hundred members world wide and you have to perform in front of experienced peers to gain membership. Again in the UK you will find many magicians are members of Equity the performs union which is another sign of their professionalism.Have you got any referees I could phone?

This may seem like a reasonable question but a lot of magician's work mainly in the corporate area and are not permitted to pass out the contact details of their bookers. You should be able to see testimonials and letters from clients on the websites/brochures. Of course the best way is personal recommendation; ask friends if they have ever hired a magician.Have you got public liability insurance?

This is crucial. The magician will be in close contact to your guests and maybe borrowing objects from them for effects. You don't want to end up with a magician who isn't covered!

I hope this all helps to give you a better idea of the different types of magic that are available for you to hire for your next event and what to look out for when hiring.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

The Classics Of Magic

2010-09-04T04:03:00.001-07:00

All of this is important because classic usually means dependable and performable, qualities less frequent than the magician in search of material might expect.

Understanding why a specific method and handling raises an effect to classic status is an important issue in determining the value of a trick, its mechanics and its potential to appear magical.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Getting The Lighting Right For The Square Circle

2010-09-04T03:51:00.001-07:00

Lighting is the principle problem with any prop that creates the illusion of false interior depth. Not all lighting is a problem, just lighting coming from above the prop. This is difficult to counter unless you're working in a theatrical situation. Many magicians forbid the use of overhead or back lighting in their contracts.

One thing that might help is to work on the exterior decoration of the props. With proper lighting it isn't necessary to make the exterior decoration blinding but if you continually encounter problems where you're working it may be the only solution. Metallic trim is probably your best bet.

Another suggestion is not to use black art. Many older illusions used a busy pattern on the inside of props rather than a solid black. In some cases this can be effective, you'd have to experiment.

Regarding the Square Circle, there is another solution. In truth, the Square Circles sold by magic dealers are not constructed properly: the load chamber is too large in diameter and requires that the magician line up the tube to slide it over the load chamber. Sometimes the tube is also too large in diameter, fitting too snugly into the square.

The load chamber should be much smaller in diameter, so that the tube can be dropped into the square. Once the load chamber has been reduced in size, the entire handling of the prop changes. It is possible, with practice, to appear to put down the tube and pick up the square in one motion so that the audience doesn't perceive that you have to put the tube into the square before you can pick up the square.

This handling makes the actual production much more magically convincing. Since just about any container can be used for the load chamber, you can try this without altering the prop you now own. It should be noted that the interior of the square must be covered with the exact same material that covers the load chamber, a good quality black felt is ideal. You will not have a convincing black art effect if the inside of the square is just painted black and the load chamber is covered with black material - they won't match. In magic, black on black requires that both blacks are exactly the same.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

The Magic Mushroom

2010-09-04T03:44:00.001-07:00

It seems there are always more magicians than there are places to perform. This is true on all levels of the magic business including places like Las Vegas where magicians are usually in demand.

For those who would rather be performing than doing anything else, this lack of venues is frustrating. It also means it is difficult to develop as a performer. Many magicians have turned to areas where there is a modest demand for live magical entertainment: restaurants, birthday parties, corporate work, cruises, and street performing among them. But each of these areas imposes limitations on the nature of the magic the magician will be able to perform and the manner of the presentation.

This doesn't mean it isn't possible to find places to perform or succeed as a magician. Obviously there are a number of highly successful magicians. What it does mean is that there is minimal middle ground in the magic business. You're either making a modest living or you're doing very well.

All that said, it is possible to build a business based on being a magician and get paid for providing your talents. What must be understood is that to do this your magical talents aren't quite as important as your business talents. Like any business, you have to determine what you're going to sell and who is going to buy. Then you have to figure out how to let your potential customers know that if they don't hire you they've made a big mistake.

In my experience very few magicians know much about advertising, promotion, publicity, contracts, theater or any of the other elements that are crucial being in show business. If you're not working as much as you want to, then you should consider spending your free time figuring out how to attract new customers just like any other business would do if they wanted to, er, stay in business.

Do as much research as possible to find all the places and companies in your area who feature or use live entertainment. This includes theaters, restaurants, caterers, corporate event planners, civic organizations, arts councils, schools and anything else you can think of. Check local listings to build a list of events that happen on a regular basis and find out who books them. With enough effort you'll probably be surprised at how many places there are that might potentially hire you. Be sure to include local newspapers, magazines, TV and radio on your list.

Once you've developed a master list, create publicity material that can be mailed to them. When you have an important show, let them know you're working with a promotional postcard or press release. The basic idea is to make everyone aware of who you are and what you're doing. Over time, you'll establish yourself in their minds as a magician and maximise your potential for being the one they call when they need entertainment.

Some magicians believe that with a web site touting their talents they're in business. Selling a magic show requires a more door to door approach than that. Most often potential clients are most likely to hire you if they've seen you perform, met you and like you.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

The Paper Tear And The Torn And Restored Paper – What’s The Difference?

2010-09-04T03:26:00.001-07:00

The Paper Tear is something magicians came up when they discovered they got little audience reaction by just tearing up a sheet of paper, then restoring it to one piece.

Originally a long, narrow strip of paper was torn to pieces, then magically restored to one long strip. The magician performed this at his finger tips, his open palms towards the spectators. Performed in an artistic fashion the effect is quite mysterious.

Once the premise and method got out, magicians started tearing up larger sheets of tissue paper and eventually moved on to newspaper as the preferred object of destruction and restoration. The method involved was varied, made more complicated, and very often resulted in the restored paper displayed with either severe wrinkles, creased fold lines, or both.

While this was going on, a second avenue of effect and method was pursued. At first it was called the Chinese Laundry Ticket, a strip of paper printed with faux calligraphy. The original thumb tip was abandoned, instead the restore paper was just crushed into a ball and stuck to one end of the back of the paper first shown. The visible strip was torn up and crumpled into a ball, then the restore paper was opened out, the torn stock ball hidden at one end on the upstage side.

While this can play fairly convincingly in the right hands, in most cases they weren't and it didn't. So magicians cast about for some way of performing the effect that required even less skill and presentational abilities. The result seems to have been the paper tear.

Generally the paper tear starts with two sheets of paper, often of contrasting colors. These are put together, torn up and when opened out the magician displays a paper hat or paper lingerie or other object which evades rational explanation. At this point magicians were quite pleased with the result. The method was the same as the laundry ticket, the ending was built in, no skill was required and if the audience just sat there blinking at the non-sequitur ending, at least it was an ending.

Although the original torn and restored paper strip effect did not feature a wrinkled strip of paper as a finish, all subsequent versions were unable to avoid the fact that the magician couldn't magic away the wrinkles, which out front more or less gives away the trick. Those interested in all this should work the original two papers, one thumb tip version to discover why it creates a better illusion than what followed.

And, yes, this does mean that some magic tricks or knock offs of magic tricks exist for no good reason, even if that fact hasn't occurred to the magicians performing them.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Propless Magic..

2010-09-04T03:10:00.001-07:00

Unless you find some way of reading other people's minds, it is fairly difficult to impress or amaze them without using props. Even effects like the Balducci Levitation or Meir Yedid's Finger Fantasies have props in that portions of the magician's anatomy are involved.

The trick here is to make magic using borrowed and familiar objects. This will create a props free impression in the minds of the spectators. Many magicians aren't comfortable performing tricks unless they're using equipment supplied by a magic dealer. There is no reason for this other than the often false confidence that the prop will somehow do the trick for them.

Becoming adept with the basics of sleight of hand and directing the spectators' attention during performance allows you to subject just about any object to magical manipulation. There are also routines such as the Cups And Balls and One In The Hand Two In The Pocket that can easily be done impromptu with borrowed objects. Too often magicians wait until they see someone like David Blaine turn the mundane into the marvelous before they suddenly think of doing the same.

What's amusing about much of this is that many classic magic tricks started out being impromptu, borrowed object effects. But soon magicians were having the objects used gold plated or spun out of brass and painted to look the original object. In some cases today's magic props, such as the die box or ball vase, were originally familiar objects ... a hundred years ago or so.

While the best way to impress your friends is to entertain them rather than fool them, there more likely to be both if you borrow a pen or coin or cap or piece of paper and use that to create the illusion of magic.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Starting Out..

2010-09-04T03:07:00.001-07:00

When starting out most magicians find themselves in this situation. They've bought some prop tricks, learned a few sleight of hand tricks from books or videos, then realize that organizing these tricks into a magic show is more complicated than they expected.

While it is obvious that a magic show is essentially a series of individual effects, one following the next, it is less obvious what tricks should go where.

In addition, there is the interesting question as to why any particular trick should be in the show at all. Just because the magician has purchased and mastered a specific effect does not guarantee that effect belongs in his or her show. Mr. Magic has seen many magic shows that would have been better or at least less tedious without the Linking Rings, the Egg Bag, the Sucker Egg Trick, the Professor's Nightmare and other stock classics.

However every magician hoping to put on a show has to start somewhere. Performing the tricks that he or she has technically mastered is a reasonable place to start as long as the magician is smart enough to immediately pull tricks that don't play. This doesn't mean that all the pulled tricks are gone forever, but that they need to be reconsidered and reworked before use.

The most important trick that a magician brings to a show is his or her personality. If the spectators enjoy being in the company of the magician, they are more forgiving as to the tricks presented. Learning what this means is the result of actually performing before an audience.

So the best way of deciding what plays and what doesn't is using the props and tricks you've got and performing as often as possible. When starting out it is better to find places that welcome a free show because they have no budget rather than attempting to charge for a show you can't deliver. Eventually you'll discover what tricks play and the best order for presenting them. At that point you'll have the beginnings of what you can realistically call a magic show.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Productions..

2010-09-04T01:24:00.001-07:00

First let's consider the word produce as it is used by magicians. When a magician decides to produce something, he generally means he will cause that article to appear as if by magic. This is not the dictionary definition of produce. Originally magicians used the phrase conjure up to describe the materialization of an object from nowhere. Conjure up implied that the magician employed his powers to bring an object into existence for subsequent use.

So when a magician decides to produce an object, often an article purposely manufactured as a production item, it is helpful to keep the theatricality of conjuring up in mind.

Since many magicians are not particularly competent at creating the illusion of conjuring up, they rely on a ancillary prop to make the production. While obviously less magical, a production box, tube, paper cone or other apparatus is employed. The magician attempts to convince those watching that he holds an empty box or empty tube from which the production article is subsequently taken. In magician's parlance the article has been produced from the empty box. Ideally the spectators will believe the article somehow materialized in the empty box, then is brought into view for them to see.

Magic dealers delight in offering boxes and tubes which can be shown empty before an over abundance of articles are pulled out of them. This further confuses the issue, since the magician begins to think in terms of quantity rather than quality and most certainly abandons any consideration of why he is using what. Thus we are confronted with the magician standing next to his Square Circle dutifully yanking out his collection of silk handkerchiefs.

When wishing to create the illusion that an article has appeared by magic, the magician must justify the reason for the article materializing. He needs a silk handkerchief to cover an object so they rubs his finger tips together and the handkerchief materializes. It has been conjured up in context since it will be employed in the magic that has yet to happen. Note that in this illusion conjuring up is a more proper description than produced.

In deciding when to use a production box or other supposedly empty container the end result should be considered. If the effect is the appearance of, for instance, a quantity of silk handkerchiefs, then producing them from the apparently empty hands is more magical. If the silks appearing in the box are then used to create a magical effect their appearance is secondary to their use and the manner of their appearance is unimportant enough to allow an apparatus production.

As to which production boxes are the easiest to use and most convincing, the prop's ease of handling and its inherent appearance of emptiness are important. There are many production boxes and similar apparatus that simply do not look empty when their interiors are shown and are quite cumbersome to handle and manipulate. Making something appear from nowhere should not be a complex or complicated process. In addition, the size of the production box should not dwarf the article taken from it. While magicians may deceive themselves, the spectators will not.

The most effective apparatus productions usually involve the removal of articles from the container that could not possibly fit in the container: De Kolta's flowers from paper cone, Robert-Houdin's portfolio, Hartz's devil of a hat and Molini's devil's supper among them.

In working this out for a show, ask yourself why every step of the way: why a square circle; why silks; why produce them. If there is no contextual reason, the answer is to avoid the use of props which serve no magical purpose.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Fooling People..

2010-09-04T01:16:00.001-07:00

Despite claims to the contrary every magic trick must be properly presented to ensure the mechanics are obscured so that only the intended illusion is seen. It isn't the prop that makes the magic or makes the operator a magician.

Many magicians engage in a life long quest to discover props that are self-working. While this endeavor certainly warms the hearts of magic dealers it rarely results in anything more than the acquisition of a few tricks that the magician finds easier to do than the rest. Even competent, experienced magicians are susceptible to this conviction that there is one trick out there somewhere which when added to a show will make them super stars.

This isn't to say that a correctly fashioned prop or gimmick won't make a trick easier to do. Since props and gimmicks must be manipulated, the performer should ensure that they are reliable and that their design facilitates comfortable handling.

While some magicians collect props and gimmicks just because they like props and gimmicks, many magicians buy tricks based on the advertised effect. They imagine the effect and the sensation they'll create when the spectators see them perform it. Very often on receipt of the trick they are disappointed by the so-called secret of how the trick is done. This may be because the props are shoddy or the method is impractical, a state of affairs that isn't unusual. On finding that the trick won't work itself with the method supplied, they express disappointment that the trick doesn't work and wouldn't fool anybody.

Dissatisfied with their purchase and the fact that it will not advance their desire to work wonders they forget they bought the trick because of the effect. However the effect hasn't gone away. The method may be clumsy, hardly self-working and unlikely to fool anyone but the effect is what they really paid for and should not be discarded along with the props. The concept that the value of a magic trick is the effect rather than the secret is foreign to most magicians. Yet the effect is what the audience will see and remember.

Having been prompted to acquire a trick because of the effect, the magician must then set out to find a way to create the effect so that it is guaranteed to absolutely fool those watching in that the illusion of the effect appears momentarily to be reality, no matter how fantastic that reality may be. Some magicians will 'get something out' of a particular effect, others will not. This has the amusing result of a magician buying a trick, deciding it is useless, then seeing another magician perform it effectively, and rushing home to dig out the props to add it to the play list.

It is advisable to stop worrying about how it is done and instead worry about how you'll do it. This is a more involved process which increases the possibility those watching will be taken by surprise as a result of your magic.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Familiar Object..

2010-09-04T01:03:00.001-07:00

Periodically magicians face the demise of a familiar object and the magic they've been making with it. What do you consider a familiar object you say? A familiar object is any object that is immediately recognized by those watching. For instance the top hat, silver dollar, walking stick, pocket watch, pocket handkerchief and many other conjurable objects have disappeared from public view.

In some cases magicians are forced to abandon classic premises and effects when it becomes patently obvious they are going to have a great deal of trouble borrowing a top hat from a spectator in the front row. In other cases magicians ignore the winds of cultural change and continue to utilize props that have gone from familiar to foreign.

This resistance to change is generally based on a lack of imagination and the fact that many magicians rely on the creativity of others to supply them with their magic. So, for instance, the advent about ten years ago of the baseball cap as popular head gear took over a decade to inspire even one effect. It often seems that most magicians idea of the contemporary is limited to giving old ideas a new coat of paint.

An example of this is the radical make over of world currency. In some countries paper money is no longer paper but plastic, making the torn and restored bill impossible; coins have been drastically reduced in diameter to the point where many classic manipulations are difficult. It is possible that magicians will face the demise of coins and currency altogether as purely electronic transfers take hold.

In aspiring to catch up with the current date magicians must be able to separate method from effect. In some instances both can be applied to a recently familiar object, in other situations a method taken from one older trick combined with an effect taken from a different trick can result in new magic.

One of the biggest intellectual leaps a magician has to make is to realize that the principles of magic apply to many more objects than those illustrated in the magic dealers' catalogs. A knowledgeable illusionist can look at any object and envision the various magical effects that might be created with that object. By the same token, someone who's done their homework will know the various effects that already exist using a particular object.

For example looking at a pencil or pen should bring to mind all the effects that use an object of this nature plus all the principles that might be applied to such an object; for instance every trick with a magic wand, walking stick or whatever that might be modified to use a pencil or pen.

Of course one does have to separate the magic from the props in order to create new effects. On a basic level this isn't really very difficult. Time tested methods such as palming, pull vanishing, sleeving and the like work just as well with the common objects of today as they did with the billiard balls and silver dollars of another era.

Despite the need to consider the present if not the future, there will no doubt always be a place for the arcane props of the magician. Mysterious boxes and tubes, preposterous looking constructions, and whimsical examples of alternate realities can intrigue and entertain those watching.

An object can be made familiar by having a spectator handle it. Most magicians fail to appreciate the value of this maneuver except perhaps giving a spectator cards to shuffle. The spectator isn't given the object for examination but rather he or she holds it momentarily, perhaps to put something in it or take something out, the result being the assumption that it has to be ordinary and unprepared otherwise the magician would allow it to be handled.

Yours Magically

Solomon

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KOINCLUDING OBSERVATIONS by T. Nelson Downs

2010-09-01T00:12:00.001-07:00

UNDER the above heading the Author intends giving magical friends the benefit of his experience, not so much as regards the actual working of tricks, but as to the correct method of presenting same to an audience. He is aware that a great deal has already been written on this all-important subject in the numerous excellent treatises on Sleight of Hand in existence, but he hopes that, at the least, these few remarks will prove interesting to conjurors.

The writer assumes in the first place that the reader will be performing one or more "sleights" or "combinations" described in the foregoing pages. This being so, he author advises the performer not to present the trick in detail as hereinbefore described. He should take the idea of a certain trick as his foundation, so to speak, upon which to build up his illusion. This will not he found at all difficult of accomplishment, but will, on the other hand, probably create in the mind of the artiste a sense of originality hitherto absent.

In conjuring, as in all other professions, originality stands pre-eminent as the root of success, and, unless the aspirant for honours in the magical world possesses a certain amount of absolute originality, the Author fears his chances of even making a respectable livelihood are very remote indeed. When a particular performer introduces a new idea the same is immediately copied and imitated ad lib , but the imitators and copyists never do much, for the simple reason that they are looked upon as not possessing sufficient originality to produce a novel act. Almost without exception all the imitators of "The Miser's Dream" that the Author has witnessed have, in the course of their entertainment, used his original patter, word for word. This can be excused in young conjurors starting up the ladder, but when certain performers, each with something of a reputation, not only perform the identical tricks, but use exactly the same boniment , it certainly does not add to their reputation, but, on the contrary, undoubtedly does it injury.

The Author was present a few weeks since at one of the most popular places of entertainment in London, where a certain "greatest one that ever lived," &c., was "doing" "The Miser's Dream," with some of the additional effects described in this book, and for each particular experiment the performer spoke the exact patter as used by the writer during his extensive Palace Theatre engagement. The Author does not wish to appear egotistical, hut simply mentions the foregoing facts to show the amateur how a reputation is "not" made. Aspiring coin manipulators and conjurors have the writer's best wishes for their success, and should one ever do him the pleasure of calling upon him in any city where he is performing, he will be only too pleased to give him any personal advice in his power. But he impresses upon them the fact that they must invent and originate new ideas. Sit down and think, think, and think again, until an idea occurs to you; then start to work to elaborate your idea, not only into a single trick, but, if possible, into a complete act. Cards, billiard balls, handkerchiefs, cigars, eggs, flags, &c., each are quite capable of being made into a whole act.

Whatever your performance may consist of, endeavour to have as little as possible on the stage in the way of apparatus or preparation. In fact, the Sleight of Hand performer who appears on practically a bare stage stands much more chance of "being talked about" than the one who has an elaborate and even costly "fit up." The latter, of course, may be pleasing to the eye, but it always savours of mechanism. A plain stage with, perhaps, a single tripod guéridon , looks far more difficult for a conjuror to work upon than the "boxed-in" curtain arrangement, now so frequently adopted by performers. Now, having originated a new act, the next thing for the performer to do is to practise and learn the proper manner in which to present it to the public. If the performer is at all "heavy" and too serious, no matter how clever his dexterity is, the audience feel the same, whereas, on the other hand, if the artiste possesses a pleasing manner, fluent speech, and exhibits the appearance of being quite at home, doing nothing in a stiff or awkward manner, the audience likewise are pleased.

Of course, it will be said, "Yes, that's all very well, but enormous practice and public performance are essential to a perfect stage manner." This may, perhaps, be true to a certain extent, but, nevertheless, if the novice sets his mind on presenting an act in a certain manner, and always sticks to that manner, he will find that he will not have much further trouble about stage presence. The conjuring profession is exactly like a business of any other description. It's the one that sells his goods in a proper manner that commands success. A grocer, for instance, may have a splendid stock of goods, but, unless he treats his customers in a proper manner, he fails. So it is with the conjurer. He may possess the greatest possible dexterity, but, unless he can present same in an entertaining and interesting manner to the audience, his success is mediocre.

Many of the leading performers of the present day rely upon old tricks; confining their originality to the method of presenting same. Any readers who may have witnessed the excellent drawing-room entertainment of Dr. Byrd Page will, the Author feels sure, appreciate this fact. This gentleman presents, almost without exception, old tricks, but dressed in such new clothing that they are almost unrecognisable. Mr. David Devant is another celebrated performer who possesses a talent for modernizing and improving old tricks. Some other performers who have long since made their reputation rely simply on the old tricks, and never trouble about anything new. The Author advises the young prestidigitateur to witness the performances of all the conjurers he can, and then not make the usual mistake and copy one artiste's particular style, but endeavour to initiate a style or manner of his own. Horace Golden is one of the most successful American conjurers who has come to the "front" very rapidly in the past few years, and strictly on his merits. Mr. Golden, who is now billed as "The Great Golden," owes his success to his original methods. Aside from his marvellous tricks, nature endowed him with a "funny dialect," which adds greatly to his success. Golden's "bag of funny tricks" never fails to "make good" with all classes of audiences, as he has a peculiar and original style of his own. The writer has always admired Mr. Golden's performance, and predicts for him a great future in the magical world.

Another American conjurer and mystifier, who is now creating a sensation in Europe, is Harry Houdini. Mr. Houdini is styled the "King of Handcuffs," and justly too. Houdini has completely baffled the police authorities all over the world by releasing himself from all kinds of handcuffs, leg shackles, and prison irons. In Dresden, Germany, Houdini was locked securely by the police authorities with over 90 pounds of prison irons, and succeeded in releasing himself from all the locks in less than eight seconds, returning all of the irons, &c., unlocked. Houdini does not use "trick cuffs" and claims he does not use "keys" to unlock the locks. We understand that a certain dealer of magical apparatus in Germany (who by the way seems to he very jealous of the success of American conjurers) undertook to unmask and exposé Houdini during his recent and most successful engagement in Berlin. This would be a very unprofessional thing to do, even if he was capable of doing it, but we are pleased to note that the alleged expose was a failure, and the man who would make a fool of Houdini only succeeded in making a fool of himself -- a just reward. Mr. Houdini's piece de resistance is the familiar "trunk trick," but he deserves great credit for making the exchange so decidedly quick -- the Author has never seen the trick done so well -- another case of not what you do, but how you do it .

Of course, it naturally follows that Houdini has, and will have, imitators, notwithstanding his patents -- but will the imitation be the same? The Author recommends all lovers of magic to read "Mahatma," an exceedingly clever little paper, published monthly, and devoted solely to the interests of magicians, jugglers, and shadowists. It not only records the doings and where abouts of conjurers, but publishes excellent ideas and sleights which may be of great service in the working up of any combination. This paper, which is published in America, but has a great circulation in England and her Colonies, must not be confused with a recent publication issued to imitate and supplement "Mahatma" in Great Britain. A casual glance at both papers will enable the reader to instantly make up his mind as to which he shall subscribe. The Author, in conclusion, would mention that his permanent European address is 4, St. Alban's Place, Regent Street, London, S.W., where be will at all times be pleased to hear from conjurors and coin manipulators, his idea being to become personally, if possible, acquainted with every magician in the world. "MODERN COIN MANIPULATION" is now finished, and the "King of Koins," wand, or rather pen, in hand, makes his bow after presenting his first act as an Author, trusting that this work, which will be followed by an elaborate Treatise on all-round Sleight-of-Hand, embracing new Sleights with Cards, Eggs, Handkerchiefs, Billiard Balls, Cigars, &c., will prove a useful manual to all who are interested in l'Art Magique .

--- From "Modern Coin Manipulation, Embracing Every Sleight And Subtlety Invented And Known" by T. Nelson Downs, "King Of Koins.," London, 1900.

Yours Magically

Solomon

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TERMINOLOGY by Nevil Maskelyne and David Devant

2010-09-01T00:07:00.001-07:00

To say that modern magic is dominated by confusion of ideas would scarcely be an overstatement of the case. As a natural consequence the study of magic is too often conducted upon lines that demand a maximum expenditure of energy in obtaining a minimum of resultant benefit. The student is improperly occupied in a protracted attempt to evolve order out of chaos; endeavouring to straighten out for himself a path which should already have been made straight for him. Instead of being devoted to a definite and straightforward course of study his mind is condemned to wander aimlessly among a multitude of apparently disconnected details, which are subject to no general laws, and are devoid of everything in the nature of system or order.

Indeed, the chaotic state into which the technical side of magic has been allowed to drift leaves the student in much the same plight as that of an untrained boxer who is told to "go in and win." To many people, indeed, it may come as a surprise to learn that any such thing as a theory of magic can possibly exist. The idea that magic is, necessarily, an exact science, capable of systematic treatment, seems lost to view, as a rule. The commonly accepted notion is that the technical side of magic consists in a heterogeneous conglomeration of odds and ends; of isolated facts and dodges which are beyond correlation. This unsatisfactory state affairs, of course, is but an obvious consequence the disorder in which magical science has become involved, throughout its entire constitution. There is, as we propose to show, no reason why magic should be subjected to this exceptional disadvantage. Its technicalities are no more heterogeneous than are those of physical sciences in general. The facts and principles it embodies are no less amenable to order than are analogous details included in other subjects. In short, the technical side of magic is readily capable of being systematised and co-ordinated upon a scientific basis and, accordingly, reduced to the form of a complete and harmonious system, governed by rational theory.

The false conceptions that prevail in reference to magic are, we believe, largely due to the looseness of phraseology which, among other slipshod characteristics, has been fostered by performers and public, alike. In other subjects, no doubt, there often exist matters which are doomed to popular misconception. But, probably, magic stands pre-eminent among subjects which are generally misunderstood. In most subjects, however, the theory has been amply investigated, the essential facts and principles have been clearly demonstrated, and the meanings of technical terms definitely prescribed. In magic, on the contrary, such matters have received but scant attention, with the result that chance and not system has governed its development and progress. Thus, we find the subject interwoven with ill-arranged ideas which, in turn, have given rise to a vagueness of definition, making confusion worse confounded. Take, for example, the word "trick." Apart from magic, everybody knows its meaning. But, when used in connexion with things magical, the word "trick" becomes not only vague as to its definition, but also a most fertile source of misunderstanding and false judgment.

Worst of all, the term is so dear to magical performers that they cherish it, in all its vagueness, as something even more precious and more deeply significant than "that blessed word Mesopotamia." It is made applicable to almost anything and everything relating to magic, apart from either rhyme or reason. The result naturally produced by such folly might readily be foreseen. The public has become educated in the belief that magic consists in the doing of "tricks," and in nothing beyond that (presumably) trivial end. At the same time, as we have already noted on page 6o, there has arisen the habit of associating magical presentations with the appliances or accessories used therein, and of regarding as practically identical all experiments in which a certain accessory or form of procedure is adopted. Now, it cannot be too clearly understood that magic does NOT solely consist in the doing of tricks; nor can it be too often impressed upon the public that the object of a magical performance is not the offering of puzzles for solution.

But, so long as magicians insist upon miscalling their feats by the name of "tricks," so long will the public insist upon regarding magic as being primarily intended to invite speculation upon "how it is done." Professor Hoffmann, the doyen of magical writers, has expressed himself in no uncertain tone concerning the persistent misuse of this unfortunate word "trick." To him, the description of a magical feat or experiment as a "trick" is utterly abhorrent. He objects, as we do, to that misuse of the word. He prefers, as we do, the word "experiment." Clearly, in any magical presentation, the "trick" must be the means whereby a certain end is attained or promoted. It is the cause which produces a certain result, and cannot possibly be both means and end together. Therefore, to describe a magical experiment, feat, or presentation as a "trick," is a "terminological inexactitude" of the first order. It is an offense against good sense and artistic propriety, deserving the fullest condemnation.

We ourselves are at times compelled to use the word in this illegitimate sense, because it has been incorporated in the titles of certain well known experiments. We do so, however, with extreme reluctance, and only under protest. It is obvious that, before one can attempt a rational statement of any kind, all parties concerned must definitely understand the meaning attached to the terms in which that statement is to be made. Otherwise, it is impossible to convey accurate information. Then, at the outset, our treatment of magical theory must embody a few remarks, by way of clearing up some of the misconceptions and slipshod vagaries associated with the terms employed. There is no need to deal categorically with the errors prevalent in this connexion; nor, indeed, to do so much as to enumerate them. It will be sufficient for us to set down the meanings which ought to be attached to the terms we use, and which are accordingly intended to be understood herein. The first and most important definition, of course, is that of the term "Magic" itself. In ancient times, the word implied the setting aside of natural laws, in some manner or other. But, since the ancients had a very limited knowledge of the laws of nature -- or, practically, no accurate knowledge whatever, concerning the forces by which the laws of nature are made manifest -- "magic" was once a term used to denote the cause of any event or achievement beyond the explanation of popular intelligence. In much the same way, modern investigators of so called "psychical" phenomena describe as supernormal any event for the occurrence of which physical science is not yet able to account. Nevertheless, we who live in the Twentieth Century are, or should aware that the laws of nature cannot possibly be contravened. They may be set in mutual opposition, but they cannot otherwise be overcome or defied. The forces of nature, humanly speaking, are incapable of either destruction or suspension. Therefore, at the present day, the term "magic" must have a meaning very different from that assigned to it in bygone centuries.

The only meaning it can now possess must relate to the apparent , not actual defiance of natural laws. Modern magic, therefore, deals exclusively with the creation of mental impressions. We cannot perform real miracles, as everybody is well aware. We can only perform feats which look like miracles, because the means whereby they are performed have been skillfully screened from observation. Then, in order to define the nature of modern magic, we must find some formula that will represent the common foundation of all the apparently miraculous effects we produce. Since those effects are not really, but only apparently, due to miraculous processes, there is no difficulty in arriving at a satisfactory definition of the meaning now applicable to the word "magic." Here it is -- Magic consists in creating, by misdirection of the senses, the mental impression of supernatural agency at work. That, and that only, is what modern magic really is, and that meaning alone is now assignable to the term. The modern magician does not deceive his spectators -- that is to say, the legitimate magician. The modern charlatan, of course, has no more conscience than his predecessors. He will deceive anybody who will give him the chance, and he will try to deceive even those who don't; just to make sure of missing no possible opening for chicanery. He and the legitimate magician, however, are wide as the poles asunder, in aim and procedure. A legitimate magician never deludes his audiences as to the character of his performance. He makes no claim to the possession of powers beyond the scope of physical science. Neither does he, while rejecting the suggestio falsi , substitute in its place the suppressio veri . That method is one frequently adopted by charlatans in magic.

The latter gentry often refrain from committing themselves to any definite statement on the subject of their powers. In effect, they say to their spectators. "We leave you to decide upon the nature of our feats. If you can explain the methods we employ, you will know that what we do is not miraculous. If, on the other hand, you cannot explain our methods you will, of course, know that we have the power to work miracles." Since the majority of people attending public performances cannot explain the simplest devices used in magic, it is scarcely likely that persons of such limited capability will arrive at any satisfactory explanation of processes involving even a moderate degree of complexity. Consequently, the mere reticence of the charlatan suffices to convince many people that "there is something in it." So there is, no doubt; but, usually, not much. Certainly, nothing such as the innocent dupe conceives. The distinguishing characteristic of a legitimate magician is his straightforwardness. He makes no false pretences, either by suggestion, implication, or reticence. This present treatise of course, relates only to legitimate magic; and, therefore, our definition of the term is limited to misdirection of the senses , exclusively. We have nothing to do with fraudulent, or semi-fraudulent deceptions of intelligence, as practised by unscrupulous adventurers. The misdirections of sense which constitute magic as a whole, may be divided into three groups, according to the nature of the processes upon which they are respectively based. Thus, magical processes are, in character, either Manipulative, Mental, or Physical. These groups represent the three technical orders of magic. Each of these orders may be sub-divided into various classes or Types, according to the general nature of the principles they include. Each Class or Type may, again, be sub-divided into minor groups, according to the particular Principles or Methods respectively involved. Each of these latter groups may be further subdivided into specific categories, in accordance with the particular tricks or devices in which the various principles or methods are utilised. Lastly, we have the sub-division of classes into specific groups, determined by the nature of the results attained. It would, of course, be possible to still further classify magical processes, in accordance with the objects used in connexion with them, and other details of staging and procedure, but no useful purpose could be served by so doing.

From the foregoing dissection of magic we arrive at a number of definitions, as follows: -- A magical Process is essentially a means for misdirection of the spectator's senses. It belongs to one of the three Orders of magic -- Manipulative Mental or Physical. The Type of a magical process implies the general character of the principles it embodies. A magical Principle or Method is a basis up which a number of tricks or devices may be founded. A magical Trick or Device is an invention, by means of which a certain principle is utilised for the production of a given result. A magical Effect is the final result due to the use of a certain trick, or tricks in combination. A Feat of magic consists in the successful performance of a magical experiment -- the accomplishment of a magician's intended purpose. A magical Experiment consists in attempting the production of a magical effect -- or, in other words, the attempted accomplishment of a feat of magic. In accordance with these definitions any magical experiment may be traced to its origin or, at any rate, assigned to its proper place in the general scheme. It must not, however, be imagined that a magical experiment is necessarily confined within the limits of one group, class or order. On the contrary, it may embody a number of individual tricks or devices, each of which is referable to its own particular line of origin. This point will become increasingly evident as we proceed. Incidentally, it will serve to demonstrate the utter absurdity of describing a magical experiment as a "trick."

Such experiments not only may, but usually do, include quite a number of tricks, entirely diverse in character. The combination of those tricks for the purpose of producing a certain effect constitutes an invention, which could be protected by law. The production of that particular result by means of that combination of tricks constitutes a magical feat. The presentation of that feat, with a view to producing an intended effect, constitutes a magical experiment. It is, beyond question, an experiment; because its success must depend upon the performer's ability, coupled with a fortuitous absence of adverse circumstances. With this preamble, we may now proceed to the systematic dissection of magical theory, upon comonsense lines. We may hope to show, presently, the foundations upon which modern magic is based, the manner in which the entire superstructure of magical achievement has been raised, the possibilities awaiting development at the hands of magicians, and also the directions in which future developments may be most readily brought about. We do not aim at the description of any and every magical feat ever performed. The existing literature of magic amply provides for the needs of those who seek to know "how it is done." Rather, we wish to aid originality by giving original explanations and suggesting original ideas.

--- "Our Magic; The Art In Magic; The Theory Of Magic; The Practice Of Magic" by Nevil Maskelyne and David Devant. London and New York, 1911. The above excerpt is from Part II, The Theory Of Magic; Chapter I, Terminology. The most popular and famous magician of his day in his native England, David Devant was expelled from the leading magician's club for explaining "tricks" in a book for the general public.

Yours Magically

Solomon

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ADDRESSING AN AUDIENCE by Harry Houdini

2010-08-31T22:13:00.001-07:00

The great trouble with magicians is the fact that they believe when they have bought a certain trick or piece of apparatus, and know the method of procedure, that they are full-fledged mystifiers. The fact really is, it is not the trick itself, neither is it the mere handling of it, but a successful presentation depends on the address in connection with the presentation. It is historically recorded that Demosthenes, having an impediment in his speech, placed pebbles in his mouth and spoke to the rolling waves. During nearly all my lifetime I have had occasion to address large audiences, and a pertinent fact comes to mind. In October, 1900, at the Berlin Winter Garden, which is really a type of railroad station, I was the only one who could be heard all over the house. At the New York Hippodrome, where I performed for two consecutive seasons, my voice carried to all parts of that vast audience. As a matter of fact, I was told that I could be heard out in the lobby. The acoustic properties were wonderful in the Hippodrome, but there is something about a man's personality that is lost when in a huge place; just as the man who is accustomed to speaking in a small circle is lost when he gets on the stage and vice versa. I have no objections to giving magicians the secret of my manner of address and what I regard is the right speaking voice.

Incidentally, once upon a time, my grammar was corrected by a newspaper man. It was on my first trip on the Orpheum Circuit, and strange to say, our beloved Dean, Harry Kellar, had a similar experience. Allan Dale in one of his criticisms corrected him in the same manner. Mr. Kellar's remark was: "When I done this trick," etc. In the criticism, Allan Dale said, "I did, Mr. Kellar, I did, Mr. Kellar, I did, Mr. Kellar." Kellar informed me that he took the hint and went under training. I do not believe that Allan Dale knows to this day how grateful Kellar was for the criticism. When an artist, even a magician, is corrected by a critic, he should not be dismayed nor look upon it as wasted. He should consider it a friendly favor and look upon it the same as I have always looked upon criticism. Constructive criticism is wonder fully helpful. Imagine having a great big newspaper man watch the performance and then write a criticism free of charge. Why, it is a wonderfully beneficial thing as I look at it.

If you were to engage a critic to correct your performance he would charge hundreds of dollars; so, instead of letting the criticism go to waste, or becoming antagonistic, the newspaperman's correction of your performance should be gratefully accepted. When I had an engagement at an extensive place where I was afraid my voice would not carry, I would actually go in training for that place. I would run around the block in the morning at a dog trot and get my lungs in good condition, for it is a fact that in my work I require wonderful lungs to use in my physical manifestations before an audience. I would also take long walks, away from habitation and address an imaginary audience. I remember in Moscow, Russia, 1903, I went to the race track and delivered my speech to my imaginary audience with all the gestures, and in the course of my remarks I said, "I defy the police departments of the world to hold me. I challenge any police official to handcuff me." And strange as it may appear, one of the spy detectives, or secret policemen, overheard me. In about twenty minutes, as I was roaming around the race track, I was surrounded by policemen, thinking that I was a mad man, and when I gave them an explanation they just roared with laughter. Thereupon, I used them as my audience and they made corrections regarding my speech, for which I was thankful. In 1900, on my first trip to England, I had the good fortune to meet quite a number of the legitimate stars.

Among others I met Herman Vezin, the understudy of Sir Henry Irving. I was, at that time, called "The Syllable Accenting American," because I would spell my words, figuratively, that they should be carried to the gallery. I never spoke to the first row. My method of addressing an audience, as a result of experience, was as follows: I would walk down to the foot lights, actually put one foot over the electric globes as if I were going to spring among the people, and then hurl my voice, saying "Ladies and gentlemen." I was told by a number of men that in the Boston Polyclinic and various other schools they would illustrate my method, and then the class would go to Keith's Theatre to hear my enunciation and manner of delivery.

When you can make the men in the gallery hear each syllable, the audience in front, or downstairs, are also most effectually served. When you introduce an experiment, apply yourself seriously. Don't think because you perform a trick well, or the apparatus is detection-proof from the viewpoint of an ordinary audience, that you have conquered the world of mystery, and that you reign supreme. Work with determination that you intend to make them what you say. Say it as if you mean it and believe it yourself. If you believe your own claim to miracle doing and are sincere in your work, you are bound to succeed. The reasons magicians do not forge to the front more than they do now, is because they are content themselves with a mere doing, and imagine they have the act complete; that all they have to do is lay the apparatus on the table and go from one trick to the other. The experiment and apparatus are both of secondary consideration. Your determination to improve the seriousness of your endeavors means success, and if you are a natural comedian (I do not mean a buffoon, or something which does not become your personality) you may easily inject a tinge of humor in your work. But do not strain that point; it should come naturally and with ease, or be left alone. Herrmann's method with an audience was: As soon as he appeared to their gaze, he bowed and smiled all the way to the footlights, as if he were tickled to death to have the honor of appearing before them, and the effect on his audience was salutatory and he won their sympathy forthwith. Dean Kellar's method was to walk in just the same as he would into a house party, welcoming all. He knew he was presenting a line of feats that the majority might have known, but he handled each number beautifully and he knew that the audience loved to see him do it. Therefore, everything he presented inspired the audience to a feeling of kindliness and likeableness to him in appreciation of his work. If you want to be a success, make up your mind that your address to the audience will be the most important item of your performance.

--- Houdini wrote this advice for the benefit of his fellow magicians in fall of 1922.

Yours Magically

Solomon

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GENERAL PRINCIPLES by Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin

2010-08-31T22:08:00.001-07:00

1. CONJURING makes too heavy a demand upon the faculties of the spectators to admit of being unduly prolonged. It is a well-known fact that attention too long sustained often degenerates into weariness. Comte, an authority of the highest weight upon the subject of public exhibitions, was of this opinion, as is sufficiently proved by the invariable title of his own entertainment - "Two hours of magic;" two hours being the precise duration of his performance.

2. The most elementary rule of a conjuring entertainment is to arrange the programme after the manner of the feats exhibited in bygone days on the stage of Nicolet - de plus fort en plus fort - i.e., always to make each trick more surprising than the last.

3. Nothing is so catching as good spirits; the conjuror therefore should do his utmost to meet the public with a hearty, genial manner, taking care, however, to keep rigidly within the bounds of propriety and good taste.

4. Some artists commit, when performing, a fault which cannot be too carefully avoided; they lay aside their animated and genial expression the moment the trick is over, as if they were mere smiling machines, set in motion and stopped at the touch of a spring.

5. However skillful the performer may be, and however complete his preparations for a given trick, it is still possible that some unforeseen accident may cause a failure. The only way to get out of such a difficulty is to finish the trick in some other manner. But to be able to do this, the performer must have strictly complied with this important rule: never announce beforehand the nature of the effect which you intend to produce.

6. However awkward the position in which you may be placed by a breakdown, never for one moment dream of admitting yourself beaten; on the contrary, make up for the failure by coolness, animation, and "dash." Invent expedients, display redoubled dexterity, and the spectators, misled by your self-possession, will probably imagine that the trick was intended to end as it has done.

7. Do not, under any circumstances whatever, ask the indulgence of the public. The spectators may fairly say that they have paid their money to find you skillful, up to your work, in good health and spirits; that they expect, in these particulars, their fair weight and measure, and that you have no right to put them off with complaints.

8. Although all one says during the course of a performance is - not to mince the matter - a tissue of falsehoods, the performer must sufficiently enter into the part he plays, to himself believe in the reality of his fictitious statements. This belief on his own part will infallibly carry a like conviction to the minds of the spectators.

9. Nothing should be neglected which may assist in misleading the minds of the spectators: ergo, when you perform any trick, endeavor to induce the audience to attribute the effect produced to any cause rather than the real one; thus, a feat of dexterity should be presented as resting on some mechanical or scientific principle; and again, a trick really depending on a scientific principle should be offered as a result of sleight-of-hand.

10. Many conjurors make a practice, in the course of their performances, of indicating such and such expedients of the art, and of boasting that they themselves do not employ the method in question. "You observe," they will remark, "that I don't make the pass-that I don't change the card," &c.; and yet, a moment later, they use in some other trick the expedient they have just revealed. It follows, as a natural result, that the spectator, being thus made acquainted with artifices of which he would otherwise have known nothing, is put on his guard, and is no longer open to deception.

11. It is not unusual to see conjurors affect a pretended clumsiness which they call a "feint." These hoaxes played on the public are in very bad taste. What should we think of an actor who pretended to forget his part, or of a singer who for a moment affected to sing out of tune in order to gain greater applause afterwards? I do not here refer to the "feints" employed in conjuring to imitate some act which is designed to mislead the mind or the attention of the spectator. The feint, in this latter case, being executed with extreme dexterity, has no existence for the spectator, but passes in his mind for a genuine act. An artifice of this kind is one of the most effective aids in the performance of a conjuring trick. We shall recur at proper time and place to this subject.

12. Some conjurors use an excessive amount of gesture in order to cover their manipulations. This is wrong. Genuine conjuring demands perfect simplicity of execution. The more simple and natural the movements of the performer, the less likely is the spectator to detect the trick. It is true that in this case a very much higher degree of dexterity is required than in the former.

13. I cannot suppose that any conjuror would for one moment dream of employing confederates among the audience. This sort of joint hoax has now gone quite out of fashion. A trick performed on this principle is out of the pale of conjuring altogether; it is at best what schoolboys would describe as a "good sell."

14. As a matter of course, a conjuror should speak with perfect grammatical correctness. He should, moreover, avoid coarse "chaff," personal observations, and practical jokes, and should in like manner eschew pedantic and affected language, Latin quotations, and especially puns. The only wit for which the public gives a conjuror any credit, is the wit of his dexterity. In the words of one of our chroniclers, referring to an artist who was extremely chary of his speech, but very skillful as a performer :-- "How many people would be glad To have the wit his fingers had !" "Combien de gens voudraient parfois Avoir tout l'esprit de ses doigts."

15. It will be hardly necessary, I imagine, to dilate upon the absurdity of wearing the long robe of a magician. Let us leave tinsel and high-crowned hats to mountebanks; the ordinary dress of a gentleman is the only costume appropriate to a high-class conjuror. The most probable result of assuming the conventional garb of a wizard will be to make the wearer an object of derision.

--- "Les Secrets de la Prestidigitation et de la Magie" by Robert-Houdin, 1868. From the English translation by Professor Hoffmann (London, George Routledge And Sons, 1878)

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

THE TROUBLE WITH MAGICIANS

2010-08-31T22:04:00.001-07:00

Magicians consider magic as a performing art with some surprising conclusions and suggestions. The next couple of essays by Robert-Houdin, Houdini, Maskelyne and Devant, T. Nelson Downs will attempt to give insights into this elusive art form.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Magician Tricks - Learn Magic Tricks Using Items From Home - Part Four

2010-08-30T03:19:00.001-07:00

Magic tricks are sometimes mistakenly assumed to be supernatural events caused by spiritual forces, simply because they look so real. No matter how incredible they look, magic tricks are not created by any supernatural means whatsoever but through some clever logical methods. This series of articles presents some magic tricks you can easily learn and perform using readily available items from your home. The science, cause and effect, of each trick is explained.

NonElastic Collision

Can you believe you can use all your strength to ram a tightly stretched piece of tissue paper with a broomstick and still not tear the paper. No one will believe you because this should be impossible.

Your Supplies

Gather together
a) tissue paper
b) a cardboard tube from a roll of paper towels
c) a rubber band
d) salt
e) the handle of a broom

Method

Separate the two plies of tissue in front of your audience. Be sure to display them so everyone sees how thin and delicate they are.

Stretch a single ply over the end of the cardboard tube and secure it with the rubber band. Place the cardboard apparatus on a solid surface. Pour in salt to a depth of 4 - 5 inches.

Announce that you will ram the broomstick down the tube without breaking the tissue. Then do so with all your strength. Ham it up to make the trick more entertaining. Invite your friends to try. No one will be strong enough.

Points to Note

Practise this before you perform before your friends. Some tissues are stronger than others. You may find that you'll have to use both plies if the tissue is too delicate. Before you use both plies try adding more salt. This trick is more impressive if you demonstrate the delicacy of the tissue by separating the two plies of tissue right in front of their eyes.

Explanation of What's Really Happening

In a billiard game, when a cue ball collides with a ball at rest the collision transfers motion. After the impact, the ball that was at rest, will move away reaching nearly the speed that the cue ball had on impact. This is known as an elastic collision because no motion is lost.

Not all collisions are elastic and transfer motion. Drop a wad of silly putty on the floor and it will not bounce or move, instead the energy of the motion will change the shape of the putty.

The Reason This Trick Works

The tissue paper is protected by salt crystals, a material that absorbs the total force of the collision. It works because there are a great many tiny air spaces between the salt crystals. On impact, the salt grains are packed closer together. This absorbs the force of the collision, so there is no force to tear the delicate tissue paper.

Illustrations like this capture all the wonder and excitement of the world of magic. This is the starting point for all great magicians, learning how and why tricks work. You are learning some of the closely kept secrets of the wonderful world of magic. Have you asked your mom to sew you a cape yet?

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Magician Tricks - Learn Magic Tricks Using Items From Home - Part Three

2010-08-30T03:17:00.001-07:00

In this series, of easy to learn and perform magician tricks, I am featuring tricks that can be accomplished using readily available supplies. Each mysterious and entertaining trick is really an experiment in physics, chemistry or perception. Learn these amazing tricks and learn some science along the way. You really can't lose if you put your mind to it. Once you have learnt these tricks and understand the principles behind them, with a little imagination, you will be able to create your very own tricks to astonish and wow all of your friends.

Matter Through Matter: A Motion Illusion

You will need a) a large safety pin b) a 2 1/2 inch stick of wood or plastic. A wooden match is perfect if you cut off the head.

Procedure

Push the pin through the exact center of the stick, than move the stick to the center of the shaft of the pin. Enlarge the hole a little by wiggling the stick around so that it moves freely but will still hold its position when you stop moving it.

Create the Illusion

Hold the head of the pin in one hand.

Turn the stick so the top is behind the top shaft of the pin, as the pin faces the audience. The stick is rotating on the bottom shaft of the pin.

Bring your forefinger of your other hand down hard on the bottom end of the stick, applying the pressure towards your body, as you stand so your audience can see the trick. The top end will appear to move forward, through the top shaft of the pin.

To repeat the illusion, reset the stick to the original position where the top of the stick is behind the top shaft of the pin.

Explanation of What's Really Happening

The stick really moves forward and bounces off of the top shaft of the pin. It is the bottom end of the stick that winds up in front of the top shaft of the pin but it appears as though the top of the stick has moved through the shaft of the pin.

The Reason this Illusion Works

1. The human eye cannot follow an object that is moving extremely fast. The motion of the stick is too quick to see.

2. When the human eye receives slightly different images of an object in a fraction of a second, there is an illusion of motion. The viewer sees two images, one behind and one in front of the shaft of the pin. Our brain then puts the two images together to make it appear that there is a sequence of motion.

3. The viewers have experience with the hand movements that set the stick in motion. They believe that the downward motion of your finger should cause the top of the stick to move forward. They do not realize that the downward motion can produce a bounce, moving the bottom upward. Since the two ends of the stick are the same, the illusion works.

Does this trick inspire you to try some other matter through matter illusion tricks? Does this help in understanding the illusion of people walking through a brick wall? Well, maybe that's going too far too fast, for now just realize that there are many ways of creating illusions. What you think you saw did not really happen. The way your brain interprets what it saw can be very misleading. These are the tricks of the magician's trade and even when you are well aware of these facts and the principles behind them, it still does not alter the joy we feel when being thus entertained.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Magician Tricks - Learn Magic Tricks Using Items From Home - Part Two

2010-08-30T03:15:00.001-07:00

This is a Magic Trick I found in one of my many books on magic. It requires no props only a piece of paper with a few letters written on it. The trick itself demonstrates the precision of mathematics but you can use it to impress your friends with your amazing mind reading skills. Remember to perform this mind reading trick with an actors stage presence. Use your most mysterious sounding voice and have a blast performing it.

My name is Magic - This is the name of the trick.

Ask your audience to think of a number any number between three and twenty.

Give them the following instructions.

Ask them to start counting along the letters of the name, written below.

D R A K E
- - - S - J
- - - E N O

Start from the letter D and then go around in a square, counting one letter at a time. Continue counting around just the darker square of letters until you reach your chosen number.

Now starting on exactly the same letter you ended on counting it as number one start counting your chosen number counter-clockwise, just count around the darkened square ignoring the first two lighter letters D and R.

Stop when you have reached the number you chose in your mind and let the mind reader know you are done.

Now you, the magician mind reader, with your back to your audience and using your most mysterious voice say "Although I cannot see you I think you have ended on the letter E".

Amazing isn't it!

As you work your way through more magic tricks that you are adding to your repertoire begin to focus on your presentation. Remember every magic act is a theatrical performance. Magic is classified as Arts and Entertainment and the sub-classification is Performing Arts.

This might be a good time to introduce you to the term patter. All successful performing magicians make use of patter. Patter is the story line, jokes, or other talking that accompanies the performance of a trick. Fred Kaps (1926-1980) regarded by many to be the greatest magician in the world, raised the bar when it comes to the use of the patter that accompanied his acts. He performed magic with such charm and personality that everything he did seemed real. After his success on television audiences expected more charm and charisma, as well as technical perfection from other magicians.

So now you have an idea of where to begin with learning easy to perform magic tricks. These tricks presented in the series Magician Tricks - Magic Tricks Using Items From Home are all easy to learn magic tricks and also easy to perform. You can be the worlds greatest magician. In part one of this series we covered some tricks that demonstrated the laws of force and friction. In this second article we showed you a trick that relies on mathematics. There are still many other magic tricks to introduce you to, each surprising stunt is really an experiment in physics, chemistry or perception. So put on your magicians cape and start practising.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Magician Tricks - Learn Magic Tricks Using Items From Home - Part One

2010-08-30T03:14:00.001-07:00

Astonish your family and friends with these easy to learn magic tricks that can be done using ordinary household items. This is a great place to begin if your not sure magic is for you. Try some magic acts before you invest any money into your hobby. Each magic trick will demonstrate a scientific principle and I will explain how and why it works. If you enjoy performing these tricks for your friends and family or merely for your own pleasure, these simple and easy to setup tricks could get you hooked for life. Everyone needs a hobby to distract and entertain.

Magic Trick - 1

You will need a) A strip of paper 1.5 inches wide and 3 inches long, b) A catsup bottle with a cap c) stackable objects such as checkers, poker chips, or quarters.

Place the strip of paper on top of the capped bottle so that the pulling end is longer than the other side. Stack the objects on top of the paper, making a great show of how easy it is to knock them off. Practise how many you can add and still pull off the trick. The higher the stack of objects the better the show. Challenge someone in your audience to remove the paper without toppling the stack of objects. Let several people try before you take your turn.

You the true believer in natural law will pull off the job. To remove the strip, moisten your index finger, so it sticks to the paper providing a better grip. Grasp the longer end of the paper, between your moist index finger and thumb, and bring your hand down toward the tabletop quickly. The trick is to move the strip out from under the objects as fast as possible. If you don't do this quickly you also will fail.

Magic Trick - 2

You will need a) a glass 2/3 full of water b) a playing card c) a ring of aluminum foil d) an uncooked egg. Fill the glass two thirds full of water and cover it with a playing card. Balance the egg, larger end down, in the ring of aluminum foil on the card. Place your middle finger against your thumb, then flick the card out from under the egg. The sharp blow makes the card fly off. The egg falls into the water unbroken. Break the egg later to prove it was not hard-boiled.

Magic Trick - 3

You will need 2) a smooth table surface b) 10 black checkers c) 2 red checkers. On the smooth surface stack one black checker followed by the red one. Place the remaining black checkers on top of the red one. Stand the other red checker on its edge and shoot it at the stack by pressing on its top and then letting your finger slide down around its edge. The checker should scoot out from under your finger with force. With practice, you can make a direct hit so that the curved side if the moving checker delivers a blow to the red checker in the pile. The red checker will be knocked from the pile without toppling the black ones.

Moving bodies will remain in motion and resting bodies will remain at rest unless an outside force acts upon them. Friction is the force that makes these tricks work. The friction between the objects and the paper they rest on is strong enough to cause the objects to fall when the paper moves. Eliminate this friction and there is no force acting directly on the stacked objects, so they won't move. In the first trick you reduce the friction by moving the paper very quickly. The other two tricks also work on reduced friction. The card in magic trick number 2 and the checker in magic trick number 3 are moved so quickly that the other objects merely follow the laws of gravity and behave as though no force has acted on them at all.

Master these easy to learn magic tricks and your off to a good start. Every trick and illusion demonstrates a scientific principle and the better you understand exactly what is happening and why, the better a performing magician you will become. I will continue to publish more easy to learn magic tricks so check back often to learn the next set of tricks that you can add to your repertoire.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Five Ways to Make Money From Your Mentalism and Magic Skills

2010-08-30T03:11:00.001-07:00

If you have the skills then you can earn a full time living from your mentalism and magic. Let me say from the outset that what I am talking about in this article are magic and mentalism tricks for entertainment. I am not talking about contacting people in the afterlife or casting spells for fun and profit.

What do I mean by mentalism and magic? Very simply, magic uses sleight of hand whereas mentalism uses sleight of mind. A mentalist may ask someone to think of a number then (pretend to) read their mind and tell them that number. A magician may make an object disappear and then magically reappear somewhere else. You can specialize in magic or mentalism and still earn a good living but you will maximize your earning potential if you can do both.

1. Working the tables at weddings and in restaurants

This is a common, and for some, most reliable way to make money in magic. Traditionally, mentalists do not do as well as magicians in this environment. The reason for this is that at weddings and in restaurants there is usually plenty of alcohol flowing and this impairs the audiences ability to follow complex magic tricks.

The earning potential is reasonable but the work hours can be long. You should have a five minute routine that begins with a quick and impressive opener that grabs attention. Be prepared for rejection and heckling. None of your audience have actually chosen to see a magician (or mentalist) but have been chosen by you approaching their table. Not everyone likes magic and some may see you as a threat, stealing attention away from them.

2. Working on cruise ships and in holiday resorts

Here you can find regular work albeit seasonal work. If you want to go down this route you must be prepared to find other avenues of income during the off-season. To work in this area you need to have a full stage act. You can choose either magic or mentalism. Audiences can be tough and you will be expected to please the crowd if you want to continue working.

3. Creating and publishing your own magic and mentalism books and DVDs

If working in front of a live audience is not for you, you can sell your ideas to other magicians. Typically this means creating books and DVDs that teach others how to perform the tricks and routines you have created. The earning potential varies from a few dollars per ebook to several hundred dollars. How much you earn will depend on how many copies of your product you manage to sell. There is a great deal of competition in this area and it can be difficult for a newcomer to break into the market.

4. Corporate magic and mentalism

Mentalists in particular can earn large incomes working in the corporate environment. For example, businesses exhibiting in large conventions spend thousands of dollars attempting to lure people over to their stands. Skilled mentalists are typically experts in presentation and audience control, a clever reworking of tricks can draw in the crowds. If you can work a message into your act there will always be businesses prepared to pay you for delivering that message.

5. Organizing your own stage show

This is the riskiest method of trying to earn an income from magic and mentalism but even if you do not make a big profit you can go on to earn one. Very simply, organizing a stage show involves booking a venue and selling tickets. If you can sell enough tickets to cover the cost of putting on the show and have money left over then you have made a profit. It is difficult to make large and regular profits this way. If things go wrong you may well end up losing money. Only the big names can make any real money. However, putting on a stage show is a good way of getting yourself known. If you can attract an agent or use the publicity to get a job somewhere else then it is worth the effort.

If you want to start earning money from your magic and mentalism skills then you need to act now. Putting things off any longer is not going to make you any money from your art.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

The Top Three Tips To Performing Magic!

2010-08-30T02:59:00.001-07:00

Magic has been around for as long as one can remember. Magic is something that can take people from reality to fantasy. I have been interested in magic since I was little. I’ll never forget the day when I actually thought that my very own ear could produce real money! I was amazed at how my father could just reach out to my ear and pull out a money at will. This was unbelievable in my eyes! What was more unbelievable was that my father actually let me keep the money that he pulled from my ear. I would run down to the local candy store and get my favourite sugar coated candy and would be on cloud nine for the rest of the day. Funny thing was, is when I tried to reach into my ear, there was no money coming out. How was it that my father could do such a thing and I couldn’t? Well that is when I needed to find out how this was done and was introduced to the wonderful world of magic!

Over the years I have learned many magic tricks. From getting my first magic trick set, you know, the 50 magic tricks in one box set, classic stuff. They still sell the same magic tricks in that one box that I learned 25 odd years ago. Nicer packaging of course and just slightly more expensive, but still a great introduction to magic. The one thing that is not taught in these magic trick sets is the actual art of performing the actual magic trick. We can all follow the instructions on how to do to the magic trick, but no one really tells us what to say or how to act before, during, and after the magic trick. I have learned over the years through experience and from watching the masters of magic first hand, on exactly what it takes to create the moment of astonishment and disbelief. I present to you, The Top 3 Tips to Performing Magic! These will guarantee great reactions and memorable moments when performing your future magic tricks.

Patter – This is the most important piece of your routine when doing magic tricks. You can take an ordinary magic trick and turn it into a whole theatrical event if you can come up with the right dialogue to assist your magic trick. Now this is hard to teach but there are some common rules you should follow. One is to always look into your spectators’ eye. Make sure you have their attention and they are listening to your every word. Second is humor. Humor is what gets people in a relaxed state and sets them up to be caught off guard as to what you are about to perform.

After Effect – Once you have performed your magic trick and your spectator is freaking out as to what they have just witnessed, do not say nothing to them. Just stay quiet for a minute and just stare at them. I do this all the time and it drives people nuts! They will just flip out, wanting to know what just happened but you are not saying a word. You just let them talk and talk and they will build up what just happened even more just by themselves. Try it, it works, you’ll see what I mean.

Confidence – You have to go in knowing that you are going to pull off one of the biggest magic tricks ever. You can’t be going in nervous or weak, it will show and take away from the trick as the spectator will suspect something right from the beginning. Practice, practice, practice until you can do it blind folded. You need to come across as you truly are magical and have no doubt that in your mind that you can show someone something truly amazing. Your spectators will feed off this energy and will give you more respect for it.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

David Blaine - Bringing People Together

2010-08-30T02:56:00.001-07:00

David Blaine is one of a kind. He is a mysterious man that puts his mind and body through extreme conditions. His latest stunt that was televised live on national TV, called “Drowned Alive”, drew thousands of people together to witness his attempt to hold his breath under water for 9 minutes.

David Blaine had become famous initially for his natural ability to shock people with his slight of hand card tricks, and also his mind blowing magic tricks that would send people screaming down the streets not wanting to believe what they just had witnessed. But now, Blaine has been becoming more of a man that will test the limits of his body. There is no smoke and mirrors. There are no cards involved. It is just Blaine himself, his body and his spirit performing some of the most interesting attempts of mind over matter.

His latest attempt was to live underwater for a week and then attempt to hold his breath for 9 minutes to break the world record of 8 minutes and 58 seconds. But of course he had to be chained up under water also to make it more challenging for him. Well in the end, Blaine failed at achieving the world record as he fell short of the record by just under 2 minutes. Still, very impressive. But did Blaine really fail?

As David Blaine spoke after being rescued my divers to pull him out of the water, he was “humbled” as to all the support he had received from people all around the world. What David Blaine attempted to do was break a world record, but what really happened was to show how people come together and get behind something.

If you look back at all his other attempts of putting his body under great stress, there is one common theme that occurs. It’s the gathering of people. David Blaine realized what he was doing was also bringing people of all walks of life together all rooting and cheering together. Everybody’s differences and problems were set aside. Whether he fails to break a world record, or manages not to endure his latest attempt of stress on his body, it’s about the magic that he brings to the people and the power he can demonstrate to other people that if you really want to achieve something in life, you can. Just use your mind and take action.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Pick A Card – Any Card..

2010-08-30T02:54:00.001-07:00

Have you ever noticed that if you give someone a deck of cards and ask them to do a card trick, the first thing they will do is spread out the cards and say “Pick a card, any card.”? Why is that? Is this the only magic that can be done with a pack of cards? Think about it. Think about all the card tricks you know and what is involved in those tricks. One thing that is common is that you always have someone pick a card, any card. This truly is the basis of all card tricks.

Now, don’t me wrong, there are other card tricks that do not involve having someone pick a card. For example, you have the famous Two Card Monte, or any card trick that involves producing aces in some magical way. But when you get right down to doing card tricks, you can pretty much count on asking someone to pick a card.

It is what is done with that selected card is what makes the card trick unique from other pick a card tricks. There are so many ways to reveal the chosen card, some very simple, some so out of this world, it leaves the spectator talking about it for days. This is where you can make it or break it. If you are doing a card trick and have the spectator select a card, you better be prepared to reveal their selection in the most amazing way you can think of as people now a days are so adapted to this trick that they will some how think you marked the card as you pull it from the deck and think big deal. You need to step it up a notch, something that is totally not expected.

Some of the most common ways are to produce the card from a sealed envelope, or have the card magically appear on your arm by rubbing ashes on it. These are all great effect and leave the spectator a little baffled. This is what you want. Other ways to reveal the selected card is to have is placed somewhere on or in the spectator’s belongings, even way more powerful.

So the next time you are handed a deck of cards and asked to do a card trick, be prepared to step up and ask them to pick a card, any card, and reveal that card in a way that will blow people’s minds away!

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Learning Magic

2010-08-30T02:51:00.001-07:00

Learning a magic trick does not have to be difficult. Although you typically see some of the finest magicians and illusionist performing incredible feats, you too can impress family and friends with basic tricks. You might not expect to perform on the same level as David Blaine or David Copperfield but with commitment and the right resources, you can do some amazing things. The great thing about magic is that even some of the simple tricks are fascinating and often difficult to figure out to the person watching.

If you are interested in learning a magic trick, you first need to understand the basic rules. Remember, part of any magic trick is the way in which it is performed, meaning keeping mystery alive. However, if you do not capture the respect of the people by taking time to learn the trick but also practice the trick until you have it down to a fine art, part of the effect and integrity are lost.

For starters, even if the magic trick is simple, never tell anyone how you did it. Keeping your trick a secret is what makes it so exciting. Once you get your magic trick perfect, people will ask how you did it. At this point, you need to be polite but firm, stating something as “Sorry, I never give out my secrets.” Usually, people will back off or rib you a little but on occasion, you might have someone that pushes the issue. If this happens, simply remind yourself that keeping the magic trick secret is part of the game.

Another important rule associated with magic is to perform only when conditions are optimal. In other words, if you were to go to a party and someone were to mention that you do magic, choose only the tricks that you know you can do spontaneously. Although it might be tempting to start doing trick after trick, becoming bolder with each, know your limits. This way, you can impress people with just one or two magic tricks rather than bomb by a failed attempt at the third or fourth trick.

The key, even with family and friends, is to leave people wanting to see more. As with anything, be humble, allowing the magic trick to speak for you rather than brag about how great you are, only to make a major mistake. If you were interested in building a career with magic, knowing when to stop and when to keep going is a fine line that needs to be learned. As stated, it would be far better to know one magic trick to perfection than to know 20 so-so. In time, you can expand on this one magic trick, learning a second, and a third, also perfecting them.

To become good with any magic, even the basics, you need to dedicate time to practice. Most magic tricks use sleight of hand, movements so precise and quick that the eye does not see them. The result to the audience is having the belief that some amazing thing just happened. However, to reach this point, even if you have just one magic trick, you will need to spend months honing your skill. To be successful with any magic trick, never compromise your standards.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Image Is Everything

2010-08-30T02:48:00.001-07:00

So you have an awesome magic trick you want to perform on somebody. You’ve practiced it thousands of times, perfected it in front of the mirror and now are ready to take your act to the streets...ok maybe not the streets but to one of your friends or family members. But wait....what are you going to wear? You say “What?, who cares what I am wearing?”.

Let me tell you something, image and presentation is everything, it is like giving your audience the total package. What is the first thing people see? It’s you of course, this is your first chance to make that great first impression on someone before even doing your magic trick. You may think, I can wear anything to do my magic trick and it will still wow them and you know what, you are probably right, that is if you perform a great magic trick. But you can take that to a whole other level, and that is with your image. It’s like shopping for a car, you first look at the look of the car, the one that looks better is the one you will check out, even though the uglier car may have the same sport suspension and high powered engine underneath its covers, but you see what I mean.

If you are dressed in just your regular jeans and T-Shirt and performing tricks, yes you will still probably get great reactions, but if you stepped up your dress code a bit, believe me, you will leave even a more lasting impression to your audience. Think about it for a minute....think of all the great magicians out there from David Blaine, David Copperfield, Lance Burton, and the list goes on way beyond the people I mention here, you have an image in your head when I mention these people to you, right? David Blaine, he wears nothing too fancy but he is usually in a nice black collared shirt and black pants, that gives him that mysterious look....David Copperfield, always dressed up to the T for his shows. Now I am not saying go out and wear a tux or your best suede suit to perform, but be aware of what you are are wearing, it can be the difference from a good performance to a great performance.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

If You Want to Pick Up Girls With Magic Tricks You Need to Know Two Simple Rules..

2010-08-30T02:42:00.001-07:00

Using magic tricks to pick up girls can be a very powerful tactic when done correctly. But it can also be dangerous if you don't know how to do it. A lot of guys won't use magic tricks because they think they'll look stupid. They can't imagine walking up to a hot girl at a bar and saying "Wanna see a magic trick." Who can blame them.

Using magic tricks as an opener or a pick up line is a very risky strategy. First impressions are everything, and if you start out as a magician and that's all she knows about you...the rest of the interaction you'll be trying to convince her that there's more to you. Plus, you've fired the big guns way too early.

Magic can be really powerful when the girl least expects it, with little set up...and when you've already established rapport. Unless you have amazing skills and an even MORE amazing way to follow up. A true Pick-Up Magic Artist would wait 'til later in the interaction to open.

Ideally, the best time to introduce magic in your game is where you would normally tell a story to the girl to create some sort of connection (real or canned)? That's a great place to interject a magic effect spontaneously. But you don't want her to think you came out to the bar to do magic for her and impress all the girls, because you'll be doing the exact opposite if that's what she thinks.

TWO EXCEPTIONS:

The Proximity Open:

This is where you are doing a casual but visual effect (like levitating an object or using flash paper) in a girls line-of-sight. Perhaps you're doing an effect for a friend and it's close enough to get noticed. It's important to be low key and casual here...she'll be much more likely to come over and open you.

Conversely...your wingman could pull her in and say, "Watch, you gotta see this!" **If he does this...make sure you become "The Reluctant Magician." Play it off, laugh and tell them that your friend is impressed very easily. I'll say, "Ok watch, my grandpa just taught me this..." They'll think you're about to pull a coin out from behind their ear. When you float a bill or make five $1 bills turn into five $100 bills in front of their eyes...you may even get a scream!

Occasionally I have taken the opportunity to open a group of girls with a magic trick when the girl I'm opening is NOT the target of my affection. She's the friend, the girlgoyle, the grenade, the obstacle etc. I like to find her when she's not directly "with" her friend, but standing near her or wait until the hot girl has left temporarily-then open the one you're not interested in.

The Theory here:

I'm entertaining her friends, not her. I don't care if I impress or attract her friend if the trick doesn't work out. When it DOES WORK, and then I befriend her friends, she will undoubtedly pull her hot friend over to meet me so I can do the trick for her. If this happens...I ALWAYS REFUSE! Do not be a "Dancing Monkey." I just got an intro to the hot target without using magic directly. Yet b/c I won't show her, now there's something "mysterious" about me AND I'm not complying with her demands like 99% of average frustrated chumps will. (I'll pull out a trick later in the night after I've been engaging my target for a while...but only when she doesn't expect it at all!)

Summary:

Don't open girls with magic tricks unless they fall into these two categories...or at least don't open the girl you're "interested in" with tricks. Insert them into your set at certain unexpected times. If you absolutely must open...either do a Proximity Open, have your friend pull a girl in and be "The Reluctant Magician" or open the girl in the group that you won't lose sleep over if she doesn't give you her number.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

How to Deal With A Heckler

2010-08-30T02:39:00.001-07:00

There is usually one in every crowd that just has to be the spoiler in exposing your magic trick. You know, the guy, and I say guy, not girl, for a reason, as in all my experiences, I have yet to have a girl behave in what I am about to describe.

So there you are, about to demonstrate this unbelievable magic trick to this one person or maybe even to a crowd of anxious onlookers. You start doing your patter talk, maybe explaining there are mysterious powers all around us, and you are about to demonstrate these powers to them by say for example, doing the Floating Bill routine. So you ask somebody to lend you a dollar bill so you can prove to your now eager audience, doubtful, but eager audience in what you mean.

So you set the stage and the mood for the magic trick that you are about to perform, you are all set, you got everybody in the palm of your hands, well, except for this one yahoo, yes I call them yahoo’s, just has a nice ring to it. I have other names also, but let’s keep this “G” rated.

Ok, you’ve got the dollar bill, everything is set...and there you go...the dollar bill is slowly rising from your hand, everybody’s eyes just got a little bigger as they are now beginning to believe in the mysterious powers you spoke of earlier. You are now the star of the show, the dollar bill is now moving on your command, up and down, everybody is in disbelief, wow, this is awesome....and then...bam, here comes yahoo, goes and gives the dollar bill a swat with his hand trying to expose the secret, trying to steal the show, be the spoiler, just to prove that there is no such thing in magic! What do you do? Well, you grab him by the head....oh, wait a minute, “G” rated, yes, what you do is very important at this point to keep your reputation.

Best thing to do....is laugh, no matter how embarrassed or exposed you may feel that the secret maybe out of the bag, you play along as if nothing happened. You say “How can I do that?”. Just do it. Explain to them oh, it seems like some devilish powers have come, and point to the yahoo, it seems someone doesn’t want to witness this amazing feat of magic, and apologize to everyone, putting the onus on the yahoo. Believe me, everyone will be disappointed and upset at this yahoo for spoiling the show.

And then...you walk away...yep, walk away..you do not want to try and perform any other magic tricks with the yahoo in your presence as you will not feel comfortable with your routines as you know the yahoo will try and tell everybody he knows how you did this or did that just to take the spotlight away from you. This is the best thing you can do and believe me, people that were there will come to you to want to see your magic tricks and these are the people you want! The people that want to believe in magic!

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Conquering Stage Fright

2010-08-30T02:36:00.001-07:00

We’ve all been there. Our hands are sweaty, your heart is racing and your hands are shaking like a leaf. Yes, I am talking about trying to pull off your first magic trick that you just learned. You are excited to show your friends and family your amazing trick but then when the time comes, boom!!! its like you are standing on stage in your underwear and everyone is laughing at you! Even though you have practiced the trick a hundred times or more and in front of the mirror, it’s never the same when you are about to do it to real people.

Well, have no fear, as this, you’ll be glad to hear it can be conquered and you will pull of your trick like the pros!! You see, it is natural for our body to tense up when the spotlight is on you, now not everybody is the same, some people are just naturally gifted to have that knack of performing for people, they love the spotlight, then there are the people that have to work at it to get comfortable.

So, what do we do about this nervousness?

Here are some quick tips for you:

When performing any kind of magic, be it card magic or a certain illusion...the best way to get your audience’s attention so they are not focusing on what you are sometimes trying to cover up, is to use your hands as they will always follow your hands when you talk.

The other thing is to always look into their eyes, this makes them focus on you also. Last but not least, in your routine, ask your audience questions, this gets them even more distracted and not so focused on trying to find the secret to your magic trick!!

If you do all the above, you will also notice that you will loosen up in the process knowing that your audience is in your control!!! No more sweaty hands, shakiness, or standing in your underwear feeling.

You just have to learn some “patter”, as in small talk, learn some jokes, some one liners, this will take your magic performance to the next level.

Practice these tips and you will have no problem with your future performances.

Yours Magically,

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Magic Tricks And Kids

2010-08-30T02:32:00.001-07:00

Performing magic tricks for people is always fun. I can honestly say I will never get bored or tired of doing magic tricks for people as long as I live. There is something about getting that reaction of disbelief from people. Having that satisfaction just for a moment that what your spectators just witnessed you do, may have indeed been real magic. To be able to put doubt in their head, even though they know it really is just a “trick”, they somehow start to question themselves that maybe, just maybe, you truly are magical. Just to watch someone’s eyes, the laughter, and even the odd screams, it is something I will always cherish and continue to appreciate when I perform magic tricks. But there is something a little more special when doing magic tricks for specific people. The people that I am referring to are kids.The Imagination of Kids

Magic tricks and kids is quite a combination. Kids seem to have a very different perception of the world than adults. What goes on in their little minds, I don’t think we will ever understand or grasp but it is pure entertainment and just plain innocent fun. For instance, when I performed a very famous coin trick for a little boy, the boy was maybe 6 years old, his expression and the words that came out of his mouth were priceless. I made the coin disappear in front of his eyes and did the classic move of pulling the coin out from his ear. Well, this boy’s mouth went as wide as the moon, I mean I could of just put my hand in his mouth and easily removed his tonsils for him, hopefully he won’t need that done down the road, but it’s those type of reactions that I love. Then, the words that end up coming out that mouth are even more priceless. Something that you can never prepare yourself for, and I quote, “Wow, can you pull more money out of my ear so I can buy a new bike!”. Well, it’s instances like these that really make my day.Magic in their Eyes

Kids alone, just being themselves, bring their own type of magic to us. One place that comes to my mind is Disney World. When kids see or hear about Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck, their eyes light up, a smile comes to their face, just a magical glow all around. I get this same look when I pull a rabbit from a hat, or make a worm crawl out of my pocket and onto my arm. It’s really not hard to make kids laugh and be astonished at what you do. You know they are not out there to try and figure out how you did that or try and spoil your magic trick, they are there to be entertained, they are there for the magic.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Introduction To Mentalism

2010-08-30T02:30:00.001-07:00

Mentalism is a type of performance art which has increased in popularity during the last few years in part to more modern mentalists such as Criss Angel and David Blaine. This type of mental magic deals with using the principles of stage magic to present the illusion of hypnosis, mind reading, ESP, pre-cognition, clairvoyance and mind control.

Most of the mentalists acts can be traced directly to acts of supernatural powers that were undertaken by mediums, psychics and spiritualists during the 19th Century. The actually history of Mentalism however goes back even further. Girolamo Scotto a sleight-of-hand magician in the 1500’s was the earliest record of a mentalism act.

There are many different ways in wich mentalism as an act can be portrayed. Performers such as Uri Geller, and James Van Praagh, claim to actually possess supernatural powers such as telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, or telekinesis. There still remain some people who firmly believe that Geller and similar practitioners are actually demonstrating supernatural powers, but always there are scientists and skeptics who are ready to disprove such claims.

Many contemporary mentalists, such as Richard Osterlind and Derren Brown attribute their results to skills that are far from supernatural: rather the proficiency to read body language and to manipulate the subject subliminally through psychological suggestion.

Mentalists generally don’t combine “standard” magic tricks with their mental Acts. Doing so associates mentalism a little too closely with the theatrical trickery used mostly by stage magicians. Many mentalists claim that they aren’t magicians at all, arguing that it is a completely different art form altogether.

On the other hand, magicians such as David Copperfield, David Blaine and Criss Angel characteristically combine aspects of mentalism with their magical illusions. For example, a mind-reading stunt would also involve the magical teleportation of two different objects. Such fusion, is being referred to nowadays as ‘mental magic’.

Mentalism and mental magic often require performers to exude an authoritative, commanding and charismatic stage presence and sleight of hand.

But for those who are interested in the more mysterious and supernatural origins of mentalism,

there are two tests still in general use today which can determine if you posses the abilities of a mentalist or not. They are the book test and the living-and-dead test. In the former, a book is chosen at random by an a member of the audience and opened at a random page. The examiner would then concentrate on a word, sentence or paragraph of his or her choice. If the mentalist can read his thoughts, apparently using only “mental powers”, then he passes the “test.” In the living-and-dead test, the name of a deceased person is mixed in with the names of people still alive, all written on identical slips of paper. Apparently using mental powers alone, the mentalist must separate the living from the dead.

The mentalists we see these days are a far cry from their fore-fathers. Gracing the covers of magazines and tabloid columns and every t.v screen around. Most notably in the lime light are Criss Angel and David Blaine. But many are following in their foot steps and taking mentalism or mental magic to new heights. But nonetheless they continue to take our breaths away with their impossible to comprehend, visually confusing and awe inspiring mental magic. One thing for sure is, mentalism is here to stay.

Types Of Mentalism

Mentalism is an art that consists of 5 major categories. To become a mentalist one doesn’t need to master these abilities, although in the day they were regarded as very real. Mentalism nowadays is linked to stage magic and mental magic and is regarded as a performing art rather than superhuman feats. Although there are people people who claim that they posses these abilities, most of them are usually panned by critics who always come up with ways to disprove their so called powers. But nonetheless here are the 5 major branches of Mentalism.

Telepathy

The definition of telepathy or mind reading as it is generally called is the transfer of information on thoughts between individuals by means other than the 5 classical senses. A person who is able to make use of telepathy is said to posses the ability to read the minds of others. Telepathy, along with psychokinesis forms the main branches of para-psychological research.

There are four accepted types of telepathy. Latent Telepathy, Precognitive Telepathy, Emotive Telepathy and Superconscious Telepathy,

Psychokinesis

Translated directly it means “movement from the mind”. Many cases of psychokinesis have been reported but never have been proven. There like the other forms of mentalism it has been disproved time and time again. One famous case of psychokinesis was of a man named Uri Geller. who used to bend metal spoons through the power of his mind. He amazed TV audiences with his feats, and participated in experiments into telekinesis.

Extra-Sensory Perception

This is another branch of para-psychological, better known as ESP. Its defined as the apparent ability to acquire information by paranormal means independent of any known physical senses or deduction from previous experience. This idea of extra-sensory perception has been there since ancient civilizations. In most of the ancient cultures of the world this ability was regarded as ’second sight’ a direct line to the many different deities and gods.

Precognition

This is a very popular ability, most often possessed by characters of tv shows. People who claim to posses this ability have the power to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through means other than the known human senses. Like all the other types of para-psychological abilities precognition has still not been proven. Skeptics contend that the human memory naturally has a tendency to remember coincidences more often than other non-coincidences and thus individuals tend to remember more frequently when they were correct about a future event and forget the instances when they were wrong.

Clairvoyance

The apparent ability to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through means other than the known human senses, a form of extra-sensory perception. A person said to have the ability of clairvoyance is referred to as a clairvoyant. Clairvoyance like telepathy can also be broken down into sub categories, which are Clairsentience, which is to do with touching and feeling, Clairaudience which has to do with hearing, Clairalience which has to do with tasting, Claircognizance which has to do with knowibng and finally Clairgustance which has to do with tasting.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Card Tricks For Kids?

2010-08-30T02:25:00.001-07:00

Dispelling An Old Kids Show Myth

It seems to come up in every thing I've read about performing for children. 'You can't do card ticks for kids.' Each source gives at least one of the following two reasons to justify this thinking.

Cards Aren't Familiar

While I certainly agree that you should use props and concepts that are familiar to your audience, I disagree that kids aren't familiar with cards. They've all seen them. Most have played with them (even it was just 'Slap Jack') or seen adults play with them. Many of them have even seen card tricks. I know this because they tell me their brother does this trick whenever I pull out the cards. It usually isn't the same trick. Whenever I introduce the deck of cards, I ask if anyone knows how to play cards, and the answer is usually 'Yes.' Just to be certain they understand the nature of playing cards, how they are all different, the different suits and values and the difficulty of determining one card out of 52, I go over the basics of the deck with them. This is sufficient to set up the magical nature of the coming effect. I have seen suggestions on using alphabet or picture cards instead of playing cards. This isn't necessary and limits things you may want to try. While these may be useful for some effects, they shouldn't preclude the use of actual cards.

Kids Don't 'Get' Card Tricks

I guess this could be true, depending on the nature of the trick. Just like with humor, subtlety is lost on children. The Ambitious Card is lost on young audiences, as are any spelling tricks ... but, if they shoot a deck of cards with their finger and their selected card jumps out of the deck and has hole in it, well that's magic: very visual and completely unexpected. Everything a good magic trick needs. Any effect where the magic is obvious plays well to kids including color changes, torn and restored, size changes and good old vanishes. All are very viable for this audience. Vanishing a fan of cards or pushing a deck through the closed box play big and take up no room at all. Sleight of hand isn't necessary for this target audience, just think magically. If it looks like magic, they'll love it.TricksThere are numerous card effects that would be appropriate for young audiences, but they may not be obvious, or seem less than magical. What follows is a selection of card routines that I use when performing for kids, they are all audience tested hits. Don't discount them as too simple until you've seen the audiences reaction. These tricks use card forces, so after the actual tricks, you'll find a couple of card forces that work well for kids. Some of these are published effects, and I'll point you to the original source of the material for the method (since it isn't mine to reveal,) and original effects or variations will be explained.

Revelation Tricks

As long as your audience knows that locating their randomly selected card is difficult, they will be more than willing to believe in the magic of it. However, I like to make sure that the magic is obvious. One of the best effects for this is:

The Bigger Card Trick (Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic)

Effect:

The magician claims that he can locate a spectators selected card simply by feel, placing the deck in a paper bag. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts, the spectator informs the magician that their card is bigger. The magician then reaches in a produces a jumbo card that matches their selection. This trick goes over like gangbusters. It has magic and humor, and adults in the audience are just as surprised by it as the kids. Work this into one of your shows.

The Birthday Card

This is original to the best of my knowledge and great for birthday parties.

Effect:

After failing to find a spectator's (birthday child's) selected card, the magician produces a birthday card. Inside the spectator is surprised to find their selection printed on the card.

Handling:

All this involves is a card force, a computer printed birthday card and some acting on the magician's part. I use the same handling as in the 'Bigger Card Trick,' though producing the card any way you want will work. The birthday child gets a special souvenir and everyone is entertained. A win-win situation. I use the age force for this effect, and the printed card's value is always the same as the child's age (Hearts for girls, Spades for boys.)

Carbon Copy Silk

This is my handling of a color changing silk effect with card silks. While I've never seen this done, I'm sure I didn't think of it first.

Effect:

A spectator selects a card, then presses it's face against the magician's hand while he looks away. The card is placed back in the deck, and a special Carbon Silk is produced (magically or otherwise). The magician runs this silk though his hand a couple of times, and when it emerges the last time, the card's face is printed on the silk!

Handling:

I use the color changing silk handling right out of Now You See It ... using card silks instead of simple colored silks. Any method you want to use to handle the switch is fine, though the dye tube makes for very visual handling in this effect. Obviously the card is forced, depending on the value of the card in your card silk set. Most of us have these silks and nothing to do with them anyway.

Torn & Restored Genre Of Tricks

There are many resources available to explain the torn and restored handling, but the important part is giving them a piece of the card to use to prove the card is the same one they tore. Any method you want to use to switch the corner will work. It's just a matter of what you are comfortable with.

Torn Card to Impossible Location

There are numerous sources for this type of effect.

Effect:

A selected card is torn into pieces, and magically restored inside a silk, but only partially. The card is blank, with a message telling the reader to look in a specified location for the selected card.

Method:

Switching the torn card for the blank is the real dirty work in this trick. I use the ‘Gypsy Switch’ explained very well in the 'Klutz Book of Magic' among many other sources though a change bag or chick pan would work just as well. The other part of the 'magic' is the prep work. I use a lemon as the location for the restored card, though a book on the shelf or the 'TV Guide' would work just as well. If you can get an adult conspirator to help you out, all the better. If the card is found in a piece of fruit in their refrigerator, the magic will be mind blowing - this is often my 'big effect' for a party show. It plays great, and is sinfully easy to do.

Sun Trick

This is another of my ideas for the card silk set, and it updates and legitimizes a classic effect.

Effect:

A selected playing card is torn to pieces, wrapped in a silk and placed in a paper bag. After shaking the bag and making a magical pass, the magician discovers the card is restored, but blank. The card's face is now printed on the silk. Realizing that he shouldn't have shaken the bag, the magician replaces the card and silk, and holding the bag very still, makes another magical pass. This time the silk is back to normal, and the card is restored. The bag is torn open to prove that it is empty.

Method:

This uses a double walled bag and a card silk set with an extra blank silk. As the props that will be transformed are placed in the bag, they are put in the hidden compartment. The interior of the bag contains (in the order they are removed) the the blank card and card faced silk, and the duplicate card and blank silk. Pull these out in the proper order then return them to the hidden part of the bag. When you're done, tear the front of the bag open, revealing it to be 'empty'. Note: When you introduce the bag, have it folded flat. This will imply that there is nothing else in there when you begin. Again, while these tricks seem simple, they play very big to younger audiences, as well as those of any age who just like magic. There are numerous other card effects in books and commercially available that would work for kid shows. Just flex your imagination.

Forcing The Card

While everyone knows at least a half dozen card forces, I only use three, depending on how the mood strikes me. Any will do, but these that I've included will be more visual in a platform or parlor setting. All of these forces require the force card to be on the top of the deck. I always start with it on the bottom, and overhand shuffle it to the top. It just looks fair.

The Double-Cut Force

In this force the spectator cuts the deck of cards, turning the selected packet over on the deck. They then repeat this process, cutting deeper than before. After the second cut, the face up cards are removed, and the first face down card is taken. This, of course, is the original top card.

The Blind Fold Force

The deck is placed under a silk, and the spectator cuts the cards through the silk, taking the card they cut to. Actually as the silk is lowered onto the deck, the magician turns over the deck. Once the deck is cut, the magician turns the deck back over, offering the card cut to. Again, the original top card.

The Age Force

The magician has the spectator count a number of cards off the top equal to their age, first demonstrating this, then placing the cards back on the deck. By putting the cards back in this new order, the top card has become the selected number down in the deck. This a good force to use on the birthday child in conjunction with the 'Birthday Card' trick above.

Things To Keep In Mind

There are a couple of things that should be taken into consideration when doing card tricks for children, to ensure things go smoothly.

Make Sure Someone Remembers The Card

This is applicable to adults as well, but paramount for kids. To ensure that the value of the card is remembered, have the child show it to everyone (except you) and have them all remember it. This way at least the majority of them will know the selected card when it is seen again.

Don't Use Face Cards

While certainly colorful, their values may be confusing to younger kids. While an eight is obviously not a nine, there is no apparent difference between a Jack and a King.

Closing Thoughts

There are several commercial effects available that would be more than suitable for children, depending on their age. If an audience is old enough to divide, use the old 3-1/2 of Clubs trick. Anything that seems to be really out of the ordinary in effect is good. Use jumbo cards where you can. Cards pack light compared to most marketed kid show magic and they play very big. You might be surprised just how big.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

How To Create The Perfect Birthday Party Magic Show

2010-08-30T02:12:00.001-07:00

It’s no secret that children’s birthday parties are a great way to make money with your magic. But if you think that being a kid show magician is somehow easier than entertaining adults, think again. Children’s audiences are extremely demanding. In this article, I will show you how to put together a birthday party show that will amaze and delight children and put money in your pocket.

The first thing to know about performing at children’s birthday parties is that there is no such thing as “ideal conditions.” Often times your audience will be all around you making tricks that are angle-proof essential. Much of the time the children will be seated on the floor in front of making tricks done on a tabletop difficult to see. Next, realize that most card tricks and mentalism effects won’t play well for young children. Instead select tricks that are visual with simple plot lines.

The ideal length of a children’s magic show is determined by the size of the party and the ages of the children. Older children have longer attention spans than little ones. The general rule is the younger and larger the group, the shorter the show.

Opening Tricks.

Get straight to the magic. I like to open with a visual production or vanish that doesn’t take a long time to perform. The sooner you can amaze your audience the better. Produce a silk and transform it into a cane. It’s pretty, fast and instant magic.

Sucker Tricks.

Many times a beginning magician will be challenged by kids who want to explain how the tricks are done. It’s handy to have a “sucker routine” that leads kids to believe they know the secret to the trick when in fact they are completely wrong. The theory here is that once children realize that screaming out the secret to a trick can make them look foolish and wrong they will be less inclined to do it again. Just be careful not to make your audience feel stupid. The very best children’s magicians will act surprised when the sucker trick turns out differently than expected instead of acting superior. The Run Rabbit Run genre of Kid’s Tricks is a classic sucker theme that is easy to do, amazing to watch and angle proof.

Audience Participation.

Try to involve as many children in your show as volunteers as possible. The parents who are hiring you are more interested in watching their kids "on stage" than watching you, so make the birthday child the star of your show. Choose fun tricks that are age appropriate.

Visual Magic.

More magic, less talk. Plan your routine with tricks that require little patter in between slower paced tricks. Kids get very impatient if they have to wait five minutes before the magic happens. This isn’t to say every trick has to be done in rapid succession, one right after the other. You do want to have routines that allow you to bond with the audience on a personal level and let them get to know you. Just be sure to mix fast tempo tricks with slower paced effects.

Your Finale.

I like to end a birthday party show with a bunny rabbit production. Finding a practical way to do it can be challenging. Most birthday party magicians don’t work with an assistant who can load the rabbit into a prop moments before the trick. That means your bunny will need to be safe and comfortable inside your production box until the end of your show.

Getting Started.

Put together a 30 minute magic show with about 10 different tricks. Practice setting your show up as if you just walked into a crowded living room full of children. Figure out how to get your props in place quickly under the scrutiny of curious kids. Offer to do your show for friends and family birthday parties for free until you have it down perfectly. Another great way to break in the act is to work some of your kid show tricks into a street magic performance. The more times you perform the better you’ll get.

Performing magic for children is a great way to have fun and make money with magic. It will lead you to all sorts of other performing opportunities.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

The Magic In A Card Trick

2010-08-30T02:09:00.001-07:00

There is more to magic than the mere puzzling of an audience. Certainly, they will marvel, wonder at what they have just seen, and try to guess how everything has happened. However, a skilled magician will never let the spectators find clues to his magic. With a well-prepared choreography and a lot of practice prior to the actual presentation, conjurors hold the essential part to working their magic trick on their audience. Present-day illusionists – almost all of them or at least those claiming to possess the skill – choose to start their “magic shows” with a pre-established card trick. The key is in the visual impact upon the spectators, as well as in the effortlessness the magician seems to invest in the whole process. Nothing is more bewildering to an audience than the apparent ease with which a conjuror seems to perform such a magic trick.

Frequently, people find that a well-performed card trick is particularly agreeable precisely because they cannot tell with accuracy how the performer tricked them into seeing what he wanted them to see. Magicians, beware! Most often, you will deal with intelligent audiences who will do their best to put their finger on the specifically deceiving moves that must have accompanied your magic. This is how most of them think, unless you are dealing with children whom we all know to stay always prepared for newer and newer magic to amaze them. However, do not underestimate a child’s manner of perceiving things. You may find, more often than not, surprising (to you) reactions to your magic trick moves, coming from children.

Generally, audiences display a preference for tricks performed with cards, because many of them create the opportunity of getting close to the magician and to the cards. Although you can approach a card trick in stage magic circumstances, it is nonetheless one of the tricks that remain the strong point of close-up magic. If performed by a “seasoned” magician, a sleight of hand looks like just another regular move. With an exercised sleight of hand, tricks with cards turn into some of the easiest magic tasks you have ever completed. Practically, two sides are essential to the efficient performance of such tricks. First, you need the legerdemain (the sleight of hand) practiced attitude and then you need the aptitude to get away with it, unobserved by the spectators’ eyes.

The legerdemain part obtains its best use if you have patience to learn it until it becomes into just another normal move of your body – this is how you have to perceive it and this is how your audiences should perceive it. Whether it is close-up magic circumstances that you will approach or whether you will act in stage magic conditions, their eyes will watch your every move. This is why it is important to provide your moves – particularly the sleights of hand – with a natural, apparently inartificial appearance, so that they will suppose all the time that there could be no trick in such normal moves. To what concerns the ability to make them believe what they see, this is, in fact, your ability to control them. By making your moves seem as natural as possible, you are redirecting their attention to less important aspects in your performance, i.e. the aspects you can control with the utmost ease.

Generally, when you are performing a card trick, you should do your best to make sure your audiences are not permanently watching your hands. In fact, this is the secret with any magic trick: you need to learn how to misdirect. You can do that in more ways. One of them is to get your spectators to like you and, thus, to want to enter your game with the curiosity and amusement of children – in the case where you are not already in front of such a young audience. Try to introduce your card trick – or any other trick, for that matter – with a joke or a question. This part of the show also requires a lot of practice, because your words must appear as natural and as amusing as possible.

Then you should remember that, when a technique such as the legerdemain is necessary, eye contact is essential for the control of your watchers. Generally, they tend to look where you look, and if you watch your hand moves, they will watch them. If you can look into their eyes and add a little joke while you are operating the “magic” sleight of hand, you may be sure you have attained your goal. In any case, do not panic if they seem too willing to watch your hands. Keep trying to make eye contact. It is impossible for them to stay all the time with their eyes fixed on your hands. Our manners and education always push us into offering feedback with a look to someone who is watching us in a direct manner. Therefore, do not worry that your magic trick will fall to pieces. Every now and then, they will look into your eyes, in their turn, and then, if you have practiced your sleights of hand sufficiently, you will be able to work your magic.

Finally, keep in mind that no magic trick will work if you do not create an agreeable, inviting atmosphere. In close-up magic, inviting your audience to be a part of the “spell” is what they expect and what they enjoy most. You should include in your program card tricks that actually involve the spectators. Ask for volunteers. You will see that many of them are willing to become an active part of your show. If you have prepared it well, things will work smooth and you will provide your audiences with an enchanting touch to their day.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

David Copperfield Vs. Ordinary Joe

2010-08-30T02:06:00.001-07:00

The magic that you see magicians performing today is really truly amazing. It seems like every year the bar is being raised to put the challenge on the rest of the magic community to come up with the next “big thing”. Magic shows are getting bigger; they’re getting more elaborate; they’re getting extreme. But is bigger always better?

Think about it. What would you rather see, David Copperfield on stage performing one of his unbelievable illusions with all the lights, pretty assistants, and fire and smoke or some ordinary Joe walking up to you on the street and asking you to pick a card, any card?

What’s your first reaction? Of course, who wouldn’t want to go see David Copperfield? He is the man, well known for all of his mind blowing magic tricks that he has performed on stage and seen by millions on TV. Hey, if I was asked this question, I’d be the first to admit, I would choose David Copperfield in a heartbeat.

But let’s take a step back and think about this question, David Copperfield or Ordinary Joe. You’ve got the glamour versus the struggling street performer. Why would we choose Copperfield over Ordinary Joe? Is it because we know what Mr. Copperfield can do and we know whatever he does is over the top and we will enjoy it? Most likely, but what about Ordinary Joe? Why not give him a chance?

If you really think about it, do you know what this Ordinary Joe can do? Nope. So maybe it may be more exciting to see what he can do over Copperfield. Just maybe this Ordinary Joe has something that you and the rest of the world have never seen before. He may even have the next “big thing” in magic.

Maybe Ordinary Joe isn’t so ordinary after all. Now that I have put this perspective into your mind, I’ll ask the question again, Copperfield or Ordinary Joe? It’s still a tough sell, isn’t it? We are still drawn to the glamour and lights of Copperfield because we know what he can do, he is a proven entertainer.

You may be asking yourself, so what is the point in all of this? My point is that David Copperfield used to be that Ordinary Joe and now look at him. He is far from ordinary. So next time, take the time to give that Ordinary Joe a chance to show you the magic he can do because he could be showing you the next “big thing”. In the end, magic being performed by some one on the street or on some big stage, it is still magic and that’s what counts.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Magic And The Movies

2010-08-30T02:04:00.001-07:00

Most magicians, if not all, are fiercely opposed to divulging their secrets. 'A good magician never reveals the secret,' we're told. And rightly so. After all, once the secret of a magic trick is exposed, the trick is no longer a trick, right? Wrong! We still go to the movies even though we know the main character isn't really shot ... even though we know the super hero really can't fly ... even though we know the hideous monster is really just makeup and costume (or for today's generation, computer enhanced.) So why doesn't the knowledge of the secrets of movie magic hurt the experience of watching movies? It's simply because movies don't rely solely on the special effects (or tricks.) Movies encompass 'the whole package' ranging from music to script to acting to scenic design and everything in between. If the movie consisted of only special effects, it would become dull within 10 minutes ... and some movies are just that. Think back at the last few big blockbuster computer enhanced summer movies ... 'Deep Impact', 'Lost in Space', 'Starship Troopers'.

Now quick, tell me what the story was about. I, for one, can't remember much about the story ... too many special effects going on. Too much magic with very little substance makes for something totally forgettable. Ahhh, but add a storyline, add some appropriate music, add a logical reason to do the special effects, and now you've got something people can take home with them ... something they'll remember long after the trick fades from their memory. I always liked the 'Red Ash' effect.

A long, rectangular piece of red paper is burned, the ashes float upwards and when the ashes are gathered together, the rectangular piece of red paper is restored. A very nice effect, but something was missing for me when I performed it. There wasn't as much response as I would have liked. So I thought about it, and played around with it, and thought some more, and finally redid the whole effect.

Here's my revamped Red Ash effect: I changed the shape of the rectangular piece into the shape of a heart. Now it's something the audience can relate to. I added touching music, specifically 'My Funny Valentine' as sung by Elvis Costello who adds feeling and emotion to his singing. I added a few tears of the paper heart before burning it which now adds a storyline (looks of sadness combined with a tearing of 'my' heart greatly enhances the atmosphere of the effect.) And last, I changed the method to suit my character, dress, and surroundings.

Now when I perform my revamped version of Red Ash, I get ooohs and ahhhs like I never did before. With just a little change and thought, a cute, meaningless effect is transformed into a signature piece of mine that people have remembered long after the 'how' is figured out. You can do the same for all your existing effects. Think of how your routines can be enhanced with proper music, logical storyline, a change of props to be more in keeping with the times, etc. Now you're starting to think like the director of a movie thinks, and not like a person that just does tricks.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

The Evolution Of Magic

2010-08-30T02:01:00.001-07:00

As with any art or entertainment form, the image of magic evolves over time. The image of magic of today is very different from the magic of even just 10 years ago. If you are still producing silks from a change bag, making a rabbit appear or performing in a tuxedo, you are behind about 20 years… at least

The image of magic worldwide has always been evolving. Every two decades or so, there is a dynamic shift in the presentation of magic. The look of magic is usually set by the top/ most influential magicians of that particular time. Robert Houdin, Channing Pollack, Doug Henning, David Copperfield and more recently David Blaine have all been responsible for creating the image of magic of their time.

Magic evolution is also fueled by the changes in how magic is learnt.

Once a super covert elite art, magic knowledge is now available to anyone who looks hard enough. Forums like The Magic Café allow you to increase your magic knowledge within days of ploughing through page after page of information. Today’s access to magic secrets and apparatus is just as easy. You can buy practically anything magic related on-line from a $5 thumbtip to a $5000 illusion.

Originally, the art was only passed on from mentor to student. Then, came books that spawned a new generation of magicians. The ‘DVD generation’ has been largely responsible for the current look of magic performance simply because it communicates presentation styles much more effectively than books do. However, DVDs leave little room for interpretation for developing one’s own style, especially for new magicians. But, this does not diminish the impact of DVD learning on the evolution of the image of magic.

In Singapore, magic has also progressed and evolved, especially in the last 50 years. We can count ourselves lucky to have benefited greatly from multi-cross-culture influence. This has resulted in a fantastic all-round exposure of magic for local magicians who seek out the knowledge and information.

Due to our historic background, we have strong British influence as evidenced by the performance content, style and literature owned by many of the senior local magicians. We also have obvious Asian influences simply because we are in Asia. Mass media and the overall US cultural imperialism have ensured that we are heavily influenced by the American style of presentation.

As the leader in global pop culture for the past three to four decades, the US has also crafted the public’s perception of magic in Singapore. This is slowly changing with the growing popularity and standard of magic in Singapore and Asia in general. Several up & coming local magicians here have a very strong North Asian influence (Japanese/ Korean) that is evident in their music, style, content and type of act. Locally produced magic showcased on mass media in Singapore has also introduced heart-landers to quality magic talent here. This will no doubt continue in the years to come.

If your magic is not in line with the modern audience’s expectations of the image of magic, you need to explore what can be done. This is especially so if you intend to be a performing magician, regardless of whether you are an amateur or professional. If you are showcasing magic to an audience, you are a reflection of the image of magic.

I am in no way encouraging and even suggesting that you should be a clone of David Blaine, Criss Angel or whoever that may be the flavour of the time. Jumping on the fad bandwagon will just make you look like a carbon copy and part of the indistinguishable ‘me-too’ crowd.

What you need to do is identify and pick elements that reflect the current evolved image of magic and infuse it into your style/ act. This could include dressing, hairstyle, choice of props, music, script, structure of magic and choice of material just to name a few. Just make sure you do not look exactly like another more established magician.

As important as it is to be on the cutting edge, it is essential not to disregard or overlook history. Entertainment, like business, is cyclical. The next evolution in the image of magic might just be a rehash of something from 100 years ago. Reading up and learning about past works, magicians and the background of magic creations also ensure you do not reinvent the wheel when creating your own magic performance. Knowledge is power. The best magicians in the world are also some of the most informed magic students in the community.

While the image of magic has evolved, the fundamentals have not changed... much. Naturally, there have been improvements and refinements in techniques, methods and fabrication of apparatus, but if you compare the magic art to the advancement in technology or medicine, magic has not really evolved much in this area. This is not necessarily bad. It is testament to the strength and timelessness of the fundamentals. If fact, it is not a far stretch to say that 90% of the ‘new’ things on the market can find its roots in Tarbell’s 8 Volume series.

(On a side note, the biggest advancements in magic really have been in the area of illusion design due to the vast improvements in raw materials, design and fabrication processes.)

If you look at other crafts, you will see a similar pattern. There is a distinct evolution in the image of the art but the basics remain largely unchanged. Music artists use the same music notes, chords and progressions to create the latest music, melodies and sounds. Filmmakers use the same basic filming techniques, principles of camerawork and editing techniques to create original movies in multiple genres. Chefs use the same basic ingredients, equipment and base foods to create new exciting and delectable dishes.

David Blaine did not make a name for himself in his first two magic specials with brand new technological magic effects. He performed excellent versions of classic standards that required solid technique, audience control and psychology. He did, however, bring a fresh edgy, gritty and urban style of Close-up Magic (that magicians had been performing for decades) to the mass audience. Thus, sparking the global popularity of a fictitious new genre labeled as ‘Street Magic’. Love it or hate it, ‘Street Magic’ is the public perceived evolution of Close-up Magic. Fighting it is futile.

So, the point to heed is this: The learning of magic must begin with fundamentals:

Technique

Psychology

Knowledge of Magic Apparatus, History, Methods, Magic Styles & Presentations

Master these fundamental tools and you will be on your way to be part of the next evolution of magic in Singapore.

In Summary:

The image of Magic has evolved and is continually evolving.

The image of YOUR Magic has to be reflective of the evolution.

However, one must not and cannot ignore history. Learn from the past.

While the image of Magic has evolved, the magic fundamentals of technique, psychology and methodologies have not changed

Master these fundamentals and you will be part of the next magic evolution

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

The Magic Of Books..

2010-08-30T01:58:00.001-07:00

There's a quote I remember from elementary school that says, 'You can go anywhere in the world with your imagination and a book.' I wish I could remember who originated it and who introduced me to it. I'd like to thank them both because I've had a love affair with books ever since. All kinds ... novels, how-to's, biographies. All genres ... science fiction, tear jerkers, comedies. There are so many good books out there that I must admit I'm behind in my reading. The books I'm currently reading have been touted as classics for many years. I'm just getting to them now. That's fine, because like good food, they can be ingested any time and still be tasty.

Recently, I finished reading 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep' by Philip K. Dick. A fabulous science fiction story of the bleak future. After finishing it, I immediately rushed to my local mom-and-pop video store and rented the movie version (movie title changed to 'Blade Runner'.) I was elated with the set design and look of the movie, but it seemed to lack the depth and many layers that the book had. After reading Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,' I was thrilled with its underlying message of man's dark side, his unconscious ability to perform the most horrific acts and then revert back to his so-called civilized self. (Was this symbolic of chemical dependence, or a throwback to our early beginnings as cave dwellers? The great thing about books is that each reader has his own interpretation, whereas with movies it's the directors vision.)

Upon rushing home from the very same mom-and-pop video store (they love me there, as does my local mom-and-pop bookstore ... always support the little guy!) with Hyde in hand, I was only slightly disappointed that the scenes didn't hold up as well as the pictures I already had in my head from Stevenson's words. It seems that a movie a director makes is only a synopsis of the book an author writes. As I've already suggested, a movie is the director's interpretation of the author's written word. Like Frank Sinatra performing someone else's song, it was his interpretation of the lyrics. He molded someone else's words to suit his style and personality ... and what a job he did! When Sinatra sang your song, it became his song! It seems that magic books are, or should be, the same way ... just a synopsis of the author's magic effects. Just a smidgen of something you take and make your own.

After all, how can a magic student copy exactly an effect that was created for the originator. My contention has always been this: There are no bad tricks, the originators can perform them flawlessly. Why? Because it was created by them, for them. Maybe the size of their bodies, or the shape of their hands, or the little idiosyncrasies of the creator were the inspiration for why an effect's method was used that way. Of all the magic books I've ever read, there haven't been many routines that I've performed as written. What usually happens is, between the time I read the effect, practice it, and get a grasp of the concept, I either change it to fit my personal style, or find an easier way to execute it for me (as opposed to the creator.) Most of the time I enjoy just reading the effects and not the methods. If I like the effect, I'll come up with my own method that fits me better than the originator's method that fit him. Off the rack magic, or tailor fit? It is you who are performing. Let your personality shine. Some moves (or script) that are easy for some finger flingers (or chatter boxes) might be hard to grasp or perform for others. You might find a totally different and/or easier way to perform a certain effect. Do not hesitate to switch, change, or expand any move in any book to suit your personality.

Your goal is to sell yourself, not some other magician whose personality and style might be totally wrong for you. The purpose for all this, is to get you to use your own personality and imagination to feel comfortable when performing magic. This is a realistic goal to strive for.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

Where Are The Real Miracles?

2010-08-30T01:48:00.001-07:00

How could I have gotten this way? I sit here amongst my magic books, playing cards and half dollars feeling nothing. What have I accomplished in all these years? Where have I gone, what good have I done? Hell, the Beatles traveled the world while still in their teens. I'm just barely eking out a living performing magic shows for know-it-all people who would rather see me fried alive than be entertained with the Chinese Rings. How did this become so mundane?

I do my shows, get paid, and walk out the door feeling nothing but disappointment. The years of constant study, of practiced misdirection, all fly out the window at a party for a 13 year old where the celebration cake is a holy tome smashed to pieces and thrown about by these spoiled brats. If they would only let their disbeliefs be put on hold for just a few minutes, if they could put their egos to rest for just a second, they might witness something the likes of which they may never have seen before.

But no, that would be hoping for the impossible, nay a miracle. And real miracle don't seem to be prevalent anymore. They certainly can't be found at affairs like these, with their circus like atmosphere, drunken slobs, and people who judge you by the amount of money you paid for your suit. Yeah, why even bother?

I study the psychology of deception, apply it to all the routines I do, and all I get in return is people reminiscing about the magician they once saw who pulled out a lady's bra, or the magician who put a little red ball in his wife's hand only to find her holding a replica of ... this is pitiful, what's the use? What happened to the art? What happened to mystery and wonder? Where are the real miracles?

I find myself at a park one spring afternoon, standing in front of a bed of flowers with my usual 'life is so unfair' attitude, when along strolls Melissa. She mentions that the flowers are beautiful, and I mumble something about them being just flowers. She mentions all the beautiful colors, and I say something about there only being a few differently colored ones. She comes back immediately with every color she sees which, at total count, comes to eight. My eyes look up from the ground from which they had been most of my life, and notice much more than the three or four colors that I saw at first. How could this have been? Was this nature's misdirection?

I saw four, but had to have it pointed out that there were indeed eight. I was looking but I wasn't really seeing. Then Melissa pointed out to me a most unbelievable sight. A spider spinning its web on the side of the garden. We both watched in awe of this amazing event. How could the spider know how to spin this masterpiece?

We noticed how it plucked the web like a classical violinist, how it moved in a clockwise direction, how it needed no plans or blueprints to accomplish this feat. We thought this was all the amazement for two people to have in one day, until a butterfly landed on a flower to feed. How it managed to receive nourishment from a single flower was a sight to behold, how it slowly moved it wings back and forth, almost in ecstasy.

What a moment we both shared! Maybe these are the true miracles. We get so caught up in the trivial, routine matters of the day, that we fail to see nature's own magic show every minute of every day. A spider hanging from the perfect invisible thread, a caterpillar going through a metamorphosis like no other magician can, a bird floating easily in the wind as if suspended, with no means of support whatsoever. These are the real miracles! And they happen every day and every night, free of charge. How could I have missed them for so long? And how thankful I am to this beautiful person named Melissa for helping me see it. And she, being only six years old.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

The Miseries Of Magic

2010-08-30T01:44:00.001-07:00

'I don't know everything.' That's what I've been told and I believe it. I don't know everything ... I'll never know everything. It's comforting to know that I don't 'have' to know the right answer all the time, or to even have 'an' answer, right or wrong. The pressure is off. So while others dance around conversations pretending to know what they're talking about and looking foolish after all is said and done, I feel peace in knowing that I don't know the answer and don't have to pretend I do. 'I don't know.' It's one of the most comforting things to say. That's not to say I don't know where to 'find' the answer, or that I've given up learning. On the contrary. I've built quite a formidable library in which to research my questions. If I don't happen to have the answer at hand, I know where to look or who to ask and usually do so like a student, no matter the topic. That's the fun part, finding the answer. Pretending to know the answer is just plain pretentious. With that said, I offer these ten things magicians do which I feel is downright contemptuous. I don't claim to know everything (see first sentence,) I just see things as they are and quite frankly, don't like what I see. Magicians are apparently oblivious to these abominable acts they perpetrate. They do what they do and care little of the consequences. My guess is they perform these deeds to feel better about themselves. But it's just plain wrong. Instead of magic, they should try therapy. Most won't be happy about these ten observations. A few things will happen because of it. People will see themselves, think about what they do, and make a change. Oh, if life were that easy. Others will boycott my magic books and videos. That's alright, I don't have magic books and videos to sell. Some will scoff at what I have to say as ridiculous, and continue doing these horrific acts. Oh well. If I can get at least one person to think about these things and make a change, it'll all be worth it. C'mon, one person let me know that what I've said has made a difference. One person is all I ask. Make a change. I now present to you what I feel are the real Miseries of Magic:

I actually witnessed this: while attending a David Copperfield show, I saw a magician making balloon animals in the lobby during intermission. I know he wasn't hired by the Copperfield team to do this. He just happened to have balloons in his pocket and made one, then another until a small line formed. He might just as well have put a hat out and pitched. Please don't make balloon animals at someone else's show unless said person has asked you to (and they probably won't ... so don't.)

While attending a Penn Teller show in a beautiful theater, I spotted a handful of magicians performing tricks in their seats for the people sitting next to them, all before the show even started. I guess they felt there was time while people were coming into the theater, nothing's really happening and they wanted to impress the strangers sitting next to them with the trick they just learned that day. Interesting. When I went to a Tony Bennett concert I didn't see any singers do a few songs in the audience before the show. At the Big Apple Circus, I didn't see any aspiring jugglers doing three ball juggling in the lobby during intermission. Why does every other audience act like adults, but magicians seem to act like big children? If it's not your show and you're not hired to perform, then don't.

III

Attention close-up magicians: when asked to perform a magic trick for someone who's working (i.e. waitress, cashier, doctor,) make it a quick one. If it's more than thirty seconds, it's too long. A waitress has work to do, a cashier has people waiting in line, a doctor has me sitting in his waiting room for an hour already. Get it done quickly. No tricks with long storylines, no four phase oil and water, no moving the person to a certain spot so they don't see you flash something. They don't have time! Vanish a coin, bend a spoon, push a cigarette up your nose. Do it quick and get it over with, they have work to do.

Here's another lame-o thing magicians do. Professional Magic Guy has a magic special on television. He shows the audience an asparagus stalk, then vanishes it under an olive leaf. The next day, Amateur Magic Guy goes to the local magic shop and asks, 'Do you have the Vanishing Asparagus Stalk Under Olive Leaf trick? I want to perform it in a show this weekend.' Wow, two things I hate rolled into one. First things first: the performer doesn't pick the trick, the trick picks the performer! Don't spend your time looking at video tapes of magicians who've been on the boob tube, or paging through a magic catalog thinking what trick to put in next. Examine the character you portray, look at your personality. When you can define that in specific terms, the tricks fall into place - the tricks come to you. Copperfield, Blaine and Burton don't have all the answers for you. If you're going to waste time watching other magicians, watch yourself. Video tape one of your performances and study your character and personality. And the second part to this is, you can't learn a brand new trick on Tuesday and have it ready for audience consumption on Friday. Some effects/routines take months if not years before they're ready. Don't ruin it for everyone else by performing when you're not ready (which is about ninety-five percent of the magic community.) V The sound of riffling cards and coins constantly hitting the floor in public places rattle my nerves. Especially when I'm in a conversation with said amateur. Practicing in public is not only bad practice, it's rude. You're not in a conversation if, while talking with someone, you're practicing your classic pass, or trying to do a coin roll ('trying' is the operative word.) Or even just riffling cards making that awful 'ffftttpppp' sound with the cards (Okay, I probably spelled the sound wrong, but you know what I'm talking about.) Is it that these practioners are looking for an 'in' to perform for anybody, anytime? They feel if they make some noise with a half dollar or some cards, it'll attract attention and - boom - there's their in. Instant audience. They're so desperate for attention, they'll stoop to dropping coins and cards just to have someone look at them. Hobbyists: stop diddling your cards and coins in public ... diddle in the privacy of your homes like everyone else.

Nothing irks me more than an amateur-part-time-out-of-work magician seeing a professional's commercial trick and making it himself only to sell them to the local club. Kids, 'D'Lite' is Rocco's. You can't just go to Radio Shack, buy the supplies, make some of your own and sell them for fifteen bucks a piece to other amateur-part-time-out-of-work magicians. It's not yours to sell. You didn't create it. You didn't talk to Rocco about this. You have no right to make a few extra bucks off someone else's creativity. If you do, it means you have no creativity of your own, it means you can, and should, get busted, it means you'll have no respect from anyone (not that you actually care ... you're a thief, after all.)

VII

Okay you magic club hobbyists with your raccoon hats, when a professional magic lecturer comes to your town, whether he traveled locally or from another part of the country, support the guy by buying his lecture notes and video tapes. I know first hand that magic clubs who hire a lecturer will buy one copy of lectures notes and video tape, and then pass them around to the members to copy. They whisper to each other, 'Don't buy the notes, the club has one, I'll get it for you' or 'Don't get his video, I have one, I'll make a copy for you.' Hey guys, listen up, professionals magician/lecturers aren't going to be around anymore if you don't support them. They'll have to get jobs somewhere else and you know what? You won't have magic material anymore. It'll all dry up. Support the pros so we can all have more!

VIII

I heard a local magician say this to a young kid while attending a lecture, 'He's nothing. He's got no skill whatsoever. He couldn't sleight himself out of a paper bag ... he's got no talent.' I asked who he was talking about. The magician said, 'David Blaine.' Hey guys, it's not cool to badmouth professional magicians in public. First off, no matter how you feel about David Blaine or David Copperfield or Lance Burton ... you wouldn't be getting as much work without them. Plus, it makes you look lame to talk badly of people in your own field. You make 'yourself' look bad, not those you're trashing. Try to support our craft. Even if someone says, 'How did Copperfield make the Statue disappear?' It's okay to say 'I don't know' (see first sentence.) Saying, 'I know, but I can't say,' tells people there's a secret trick involved that they don't know about and you do and you're not gonna tell them ... nya, nya, nya. Hey, remember this is theater, we're all trying to make it real ... play the part of a magician. Let them wonder. Instead say, 'I don't know how he made the Statue disappear, wasn't it fabulous?' Support wonder, not your own damn egotistical self.

Don't tell people you know how someone else's trick works. Just because you don't perform the trick in question, you can't tell laymen the secret. Not only is it unfair, but it takes the wonder away. Try to build wonder whenever possible, even if it makes another magician look better than you (see VIII.) Put your ego away and try to help this art. We're near the bottom of the entertainment food chain, along with mimes and clowns. Let's try to dig our way up to the top.

I hate guys that write articles telling readers what to do. You don't need me as a guide. Feel what's right for our craft ... don't be so selfish. If you're taking something away from someone by what you do, then don't do it! Don't wait for a guy to write an article like this. If you did the right thing, you wouldn't be sitting here reading this because there wouldn't be a need for me to write it. Hey, I haven't been an angel these past years either, but it's time for a change. Do the right thing, have respect for others, care about our art ... ... believe in magic.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

How Do I Learn Street Magic And Card Tricks?

2010-08-30T01:37:00.001-07:00

Introduction

Magic consists of tricks which require skill and a lot of practice. It requires intense practice and hard work to achieve the talent and knack for performing magic tricks. Given below are some of the books useful for beginners.

Where do I begin?

Previously, the only way to become a magician was to spend hours learning magic from books. And before that, you had to learn magic as an apprentice. Nowadays however, you can learn magic from other sources too: Interactive CD-ROMs, Videos, and from the Internet. You can also buy ready-prepared tricks from magic shops, and basic tricks from most good toy shops.

Learning magic from books is still better than any other methods, as it teaches you to perform magic in your own way. Sleight of hand is where the magician performs secret moves to help accomplish the effect of the trick. This is actually best learned from videos, as they show you exactly where to place your hands and how to place the objects in your hands that you need.

It is important to have a good knowledge of all magic principles to become a successful magician.

Magic is not learned just from books and videos, but through experience. Go and see a live magic show in your area, even if it is a children's magician, for young age groups, go along, and get a feel of how a magician performs. It is very important to see a magician live. Also, watch the superstars of magic like David Copperfield, David Blaine, Criss Angel and Cyril Takayama perform if you can.

There are quite a few tips outlined below:

Set aside an hour or so a day to learning. Do it regularly, say three times a week, at the same time, and get into the habit of practicing. Treat your magic like studying for exams, and you can't go far wrong.

Don't perform a trick until you can do it with one hand behind your back, blindfolded, and without having to think about what you're doing.

Never tell anyone how you do your tricks, as this ruins the effect of the trick.

Practice in front of a mirror, so that you can see exactly what your audience will see. This will enable you to spot any mistakes you may be making.

If you have a video camera or camcorder, then video yourself performing, which lets you see just how good/bad you actually are. If you are not satisfied with your performance, then you know that your audience will be too.

Learn to do as many different types of tricks as you can, so that if someone gives you a coin, you can do a trick with it, or if someone gives you a deck of cards, you'll be able to do a trick with that too. This is called performing 'Impromptu'.

Learn to do your tricks perfectly. This is important.

Eye contact is essential. Look at each of your spectators in turn. This makes the audience believe that you are talking to them, and not through them.

First Show

Once you have learned a good number of tricks, perhaps 10 or 12, then it's about time you started thinking about putting a short show together. 30 minutes should do it at this stage.

A successful show has a beginning, a middle and an end, just like any good book. Always start off with a 'warm-up' which is a short but startling effect performed by you, normally without audience help, that gets your audience into the swing of things. After the warm-up, perhaps perform a slightly longer effect, with lots of good patter, and perhaps some audience interaction. When creating your routine, don't put two similar effects together or two long or two short tricks together.

For example, if your first trick involves a vanish, then it's a good idea not to make the second trick a vanish also. However, if you can find a way to link two effects, for example, using the silks you produced in trick one as part of trick two, then the show flows a little better. Pace yourself, and also remember that variety is the spice of any magic show. Always finish with your most spectacular effect, as a finale.

The length of a show is determined by a whole host of factors, and each must be given careful consideration.

Setting:

Where is the show taking place? If it's on a stage, and your audience is paying, then obviously they want value for money, and so a longer show is better. However, if you are table hopping in a restaurant, then people don't want to be disturbed for too long, or their food might get cold, and so 5-10 minutes is probably best.

Age of audience:

As a general rule, the younger the audience, the shorter the show should be. Always leave the audience wanting more.

Live Performance

The best way to get started here is to show a few tricks to family members or close friends and judge their reaction. After you become confident about performing for them, then you can think about doing shows for your local school, playgroup, or party.

Remember that each audience you come across will be different. Children like different types of magic than adults do and each age group you encounter will have different tastes. Remember that each different social class, age group etc. find different things funny.

Money Matters

After a while, you might want to think about performing for money.

Cost is based on the following factors:

Your age: if you're young, then you can't expect to be paid the same as top professionals.

Location: your location in relation to the show, and also if you're in a city or a small village etc.

Children's parties should be more affordable than shopping centres.

If you are going pro and making a living from your magic, then charge what you need to. Take into account your living expenses, any bills you have to pay, petrol, food, repairs, consumables etc. Divide the number you get when you add it all up by the number of shows you expect to get in a year, and that's how much you need to charge.

Once you start to make a good reputation for yourself, then you can expect to be paid more for your efforts.

Buying Props

Sooner or later, you will probably have to buy some props. Buy trick cards or coins if you can help it. Most beginning magicians think tricks that require special decks or coins get your audience wondering why you cannot use a normal coins/decks but they are missing out on a lot of powerful effects that could potentially increase their income in the long run. Having said that you should still try to accomplish your effects by your own skill rather than on machinery just in case you stumble acrossa tough audience member.

When performing with props, keep them clean, freshly painted and presentable at all times, especially in front of paying audiences. Make sure your props work correctly before a performance!

When you have finished a show, keep your props away from dust, and store them properly for your next show!

Lastly, be confident and you are sure to succeed.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

A Model For Entertaining With Magic

2010-08-30T00:29:00.001-07:00

When you do not speak a foreign language, it can be a somewhat challenging proposition when performing magic with abundant patter. On such occasions, I have decided to use more visual effects without the reliance on patter. Patter-less magic, or silent magic can be challenging if you do not have flashy and ostentatious props and costumes. How do we perform parlour type magic with simple props or ordinary items? I would distil this down to several aspects in my proposed model for entertaining with magic:

Place, Replace, Space, Face and Pace.

Place is your location and venue. Where will you be you presenting your magic? Is it a stand-up or sit-down performance? Do you perform at a fixed location, or are you walking from table to table? The place also refers to the level of sophistication of venue and patrons. Is it a family day outing, dinner and dance, or a private engagement at a five-star restaurant? Open-air venues are, probably, the most challenging ones because we are exposed to the elements: rain, humidity, sunlight and wind. Performing with a jacket outdoors can be uncomfortable as you can perspire profusely after two tables. Get into an air-conditioned environment to cool off, as you set up or work another table. A hot and bothered magician, dripping sweat, can be an unpleasant sight regardless of the strong magic that you do. A noisy venue like a crowded and smoky bar presents other challenges like noise and other distractions. Patter rarely works here, and you have to consider the lighting or lack of it.

Replace is about substitution, elimination or customisation. If an effect does not go well with a group, change it. So, the group does not enjoy card tricks – then do something else! Do Professor’s Nightmare, Colour Changing Silks, Coins Across, Rollover Bills, suspend a folded bill, or even a Paddle effect. Variety is the spice of life, and your livelihood as a magical entertainer. What does not add to your overall performance distracts and detracts!

‘Space – the final frontier. These are the adventures of the Starship Enterprise’…sorry – I got carried away. Space is your working and storage area. How much space can you work with? Are you working out of your pockets or from a briefcase? Do you work on a close-up mat, or in your hands? Your working space is your stage, and you need to establish your stage as that is where your authority and control stems from. Space is our area of influence. It determines the type of effects that we can do, or not. Without a table, you can hardly do a gambling demonstration or ace assembly. If you have to do it standing only, then you are restricted to working on your spectator’s hands, or from yours. Thus, rope magic may be most relevant, as is also above the waist level coin routines (Three Fly, ExTROYdinary, TRIO), or Cards Across. Table-free effects that you can consider are Visible Coins Across, Asher Twist, McClintock Twist, Waving the Aces (Guy Hollingworth version), topit transformations, sleeving effects, and manipulation with cigars (wooden ones).

Face is your appearance, and the impression you wish to create. It is your persona, or stage character. There are introverts who behave like extroverts when they are on stage. It is all an act, and it is an outlet to express themselves as artistes and performers. Be neat and presentable. Dress well, and stand out in your favourite colour, unique tie or tie-clip design. Stay dry, and sweat-free if you can. Dab off your perspiration between sets.

If you can speak a few phrases that meet the profile of your audience, it can build a huge deal of rapport. Rapport is comforting and builds closeness with our audiences. Face up to your audience by being prepared and well-rehearsed, and you will be confident and self-assured.

Pace is how fast you work. Magic that is rapid and overflowing with flourishes can be confusing. Confusion is not magic, echoed Dai Vernon. Slow down if you tend to speak faster, slur your words or mumble. Speed up if your patter exceeds your magic, and reduce dead-time (awkward silence). Vary your tempo, alter your rhythm and modulate your voice. It will appeal to different members of your audiences.

Yours Magically

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

A Coin Trick

2010-08-30T00:15:00.003-07:00

Go and get a coin. Go on. Place it on the table, about four inches or so from the edge nearest you. Now, using your right hand if you are right-handed, pick it up; but rather than trying to lift it straight from the surface of the table, slide it naturally back towards you with your fingertips, and let your thumb contact the underside as it reaches the table edge. As you pick it up, make your hand into a fist around the coin, bring your arm up to eye level and hold it there.

Got it? Do it a few times and note the feeling of the movement. Be relaxed and natural. Good. Now, this time, as the coin reaches the edge of the table, pretend to pick it up using exactly the same series of movements but let it fall into your lap instead. Your thumb doesn't really contact it, and the continuing movement of the fingers just push it off the table. Then, as before, make a fist as if the coin was still there, and bring your hand up. Blow on your hand, and open it. The imaginary fool sitting opposite you is delighted: the coin has vanished. He believes you have special powers: you can rest. Now, be good enough to do this a few times until that moment of letting the coin drop is as relaxed and natural as picking it up normally. Alternate between really picking it up and only pretending to until the two sequences look and feel the same. If you can try it in front of a mirror, you will be amply rewarded.

This is an elementary coin sleight, but it is barely magic. Let us take this now comfortable sequence and make it more effective. In doing so, there is much to be learned about what makes magic magical. Firstly, why put a coin down in order to pick it straight back up again? Who other than a seriously retarded individual would enact such an absurdity? Such odd behaviour does rather detract from a convincing moment of magic. If you remove a coin from your pocket, place it on the table near you, then immediately pick it up to show it's gone, then clearly the action of putting it down and picking it up was somehow special and necessary, and its’ very unnaturalness suggests to the spectator that some derring-do must have occurred. Compare this, say, with the situation where the coin was there already. If you are just picking up a coin that happened to be in place on the table, that becomes immediately much better. So perhaps you might hunt for something in your pocket a little earlier, removing a coin or two to facilitate the search. They get left on the table, forgotten and unimportant, one of them in the correct position for the trick. Now you have to pick it up to do anything with it, so we start off with a much more natural set of circumstances. Good. Now, there is another issue to be solved. The coin is there on the table; you apparently pick it up and make a fist; you open the fist and it's gone. Because the chain of events is so short and easy to reconstruct, it is more than possible that an astute observer (and many magicians underestimate how astute people are) could work out the trick. If it has gone from your fist then perhaps it was never in your fist, so you can't have picked it up. It must have gone somewhere else. Aha! It somehow slid off the table. And if they dive over the table to search your lap area for concealed currency, you're in a tight spot, and must resort to violence to keep them from lifting the dark veil of your art. So, we have to upset their chain of events so they can't reconstruct so easily. This time, instead of making a fist around the imaginary coin, fake putting it in your other hand after you've supposedly picked it up (i.e. your left, but feel free to reverse all of this if you're left-handed), and then closing that fist around it. Do it with the real coin a few times to see how you perform this motion normally then do exactly the same thing without the coin.

By the silly act of pretending to put a coin that isn't there into your left hand, and curling your fist around it, you have now made it much more difficult for the observer to reconstruct events. Blow on the empty left fist and show that the coin has vanished. If they think that the coin was never really in the left fist, then the only explanation is that you must have retained it in the right fist. But they can see that the right fist is empty too. They will be too busy pondering this conundrum to work their way back to whether or not you even picked it up. Good, but still not great. How great would it be if they were convinced they saw the coin in your right hand before you put it in the left? Then there really would be no solution for them. So, this time, before you pass the 'coin' across to your left hand, mime showing it at your fingertips. Hold it up for half a moment, as if you're fairly displaying it between your thumb and first two fingers. Now

anyone studying your fingers will see that there's nothing there. But if you make it a quick and casual gesture - a swing of the hand up in the air as you say, ‘Watch. . .', and then back down again to pass the coin to your left, hand - then they will, once you are relaxed and you time it just right, swear that you showed them the coin in that hand. That is an extraordinary thing. And imagine the delight that comes from knowing you got away with it.

Now, when the right hand retreats after apparently passing its coin to the left hand, move your attention to the left hand but don't show your right to be empty. Keep it well over the table, and hold it in a loose fist, as if you could still be secretly retaining the imaginary coin in it. Now you are toying with them. You are going to create a false solution: that you palmed the coin away in that right hand. Blow on your left and show it empty. Hold your position for a second to register the climax of the trick, then innocently open both hands as you say, 'It's bizarre, isn't it? You have given them a moment to hang their only explanation on the surmise that you must still have the coin in your right hand then removed that one possibility from them.

Much of the experience of magic happens after the trick is over, when the spectator tries to reconstruct what happened. This is why we've already made it difficult for him. But there's more we can do: we can plant the seeds of false memories, and at the same time cover any worries you may have about not performing the sleight correctly. Earlier I suggested that you take out a couple of coins and place them on the table. Let's say Coin A is a little further towards the centre of the table, too far to do the sleight. Coin B, however, is nearer you and in position for the trick. Look at both coins, and hover your hand a little over both, as if you are deciding which one to use. This secures in the spectator's mind the image of two coins fairly on the table. Decide on Coin A, and pick it straight up off the table. Don't slide it back, just pick it up. All attention will be on you and the coin. Place it fairly into your left hand and make a fist around it. Squeeze it and toy with it a little. Open your left hand for a moment, look at the coin and close it again. You're having trouble, though your spectators have no idea what you're trying to achieve. Give up and drop the coin out of your hand onto the table, away from Coin B. Make a self-deprecating remark - 'Right, that didn't work, sorry.' The spectators' attention will dissipate, and you should relax too. As you relax (allow your body to slump back a little which will cue them to relax with you), go into the trick by apparently picking up Coin B. You are now performing the sleight when the spectators are paying the least attention. Their eyes may still be directed at you, but for the vital moment they are off-guard. As long as you can make them relax in this way, you'll get away with anything during this vital 'off-beat'. Once Coin B is apparently in the left hand, sit forward again and build up the tension. The trick is now so much more convincing. Moreover, you have, by unsuccessfully going through the trick once with Coin A, given them some snapshots that will

confuse them later in their reconstruction. They have seen a coin being picked directly up from the table. They have seen a coin clearly in your left fist. Later, they will confuse what they saw the first time with what they saw the second time. No-one should remember that you picked up the second coin in a slightly different manner. There is still more. How are you apparently making the coin vanish?

For all these precautions and convincers we have woven into your little performance, is there not something rather cheap and amateurish about blowing on your hand and then immediately showing it empty? It's here that you actually create the magic. The magic happens not from what you do, but from what the spectator perceives. And it has its home not in the fact that the coin vanishes, but how it vanished (that would be the magic part). So how about this: when the coin is apparently in your left hand, toy with it a bit. Move it around. That's not something any sane person would do unless there really were a coin there, so it really cements the illusion. Act as if you have to get it into some special place in your hand in order to make it disappear.

Needless to say, you don't verbalize this, you just act as if.

Concentrate. Making a coin disappear isn't easy. Perhaps it even hurts a bit (this small touch is a dramatic and rather powerful idea). A great modern magician, Tommy Wonder, emphasizes the importance of this sort of 'silent script' for magic. Your hand isn't quite warm enough and that's making it more difficult. Maybe the fact that you've just eaten makes it very hard to make it fully disappear. There's probably no need to blow on your hand now, or if there is it’s just for show. But not yet . . . wait . . . hang on . . . there it goes ... I can feel it ... And when it goes, does it pop? Get very hot? Does it disappear or somehow melt into the hand?

Would it be interesting to vanish the coin and then ask the spectators if they can still see it, as if they might have only hallucinated its disappearance? How many different ways could you play with this to see what gets the best reaction? Any tension you feel the few times you do it will be relieved by two things: firstly, your muscles will learn how to perform the series of moves as fluidly as possible, with the minimum of effort; and secondly, the reactions you will get, so out of proportion to the act of slipping a coin off a table, will delight you so much that in no time you’ll be showing everyone. And to tell them how it was done ('Pathetically, I just slipped the coin off the table') would be to take away their amazement and replace it with disappointment. Try that once: You’ll see that they switch from thinking it was a great piece of magic to, at best, an average trick.

Yours Magically,

Solomon

Interested to learn magic for fun or profit? Would you like to hire a magician, hypnotist or an emcee for your event? Visit www.themagicofsolomon.com for more info..

A Card Trick

2010-08-30T00:15:00.001-07:00

While out getting hopelessly drunk during one of your regular Saturday nights, bring out your packet of pasteboards and offer the following piece of card chicanery to your well-loved companions. The trick is perhaps not really 'magic'. Indeed, it falls into a slightly unpleasant area of conjuring known as the 'sucker trick', which delights in exposing the spectator as a fool. Still, it should earn you a few free drinks.

Pick upon someone you wish to victimize, and have him shuffle the cards. It is worth making sure that you do not pick a skilled card-shuffler or closet croupier: if he performs anything other than a basic shuffle (avoid anyone who riffles the two halves of the deck together), have him pass the deck to someone else for 'further shuffling'. Unless you happen to have caught either Dame Fortune or her unusual sister Mistress Providence during moody lady-time, you should find that this one move brings forward a suitably unimpressive shuffler.

Take the deck back from this unsuspecting person and turn it face up in your hand. This means that, you make sure you are looking down at an actual card face on the top, rather than the back of a card. However, the very second that you have seen this card, turn away and spread them a little in your hands to show your audience the faces of the deck. 'They are all different, obviously, and well mixed now,' you say, to justify this sequence which has afforded you a glimpse of that first card. Turn the deck face-down before turning back around, and place it neatly and squared-up on the table. You have given the impression that you have not seen any of the cards, and while this is not terribly important at this point, it will help to create the surprise later. Do remember the bottom card you glimpsed: this is your 'key-card', and your ability to recall that card later will make all the difference between you seeming as much like a twerp or looking literally as clever as Jesus. Now, tell the person sat in front of you to cut the deck into two while you look away. Mime the action of removing a pile of cards from the top of the deck and placing it to your right of the remainder. You do want him to place his cut-off top-half to your right, but in case he places it to the left, make a note of the position of the deck on the table, so that when you turn back in a few moments you will be able to tell which half is which, in case of any confusion.

Turn away and let the person do as you so patiently told him. Tell him to remove the card he cut to (the top card of the bottom half) and have a good look at it. As he does so, turn back around and casually pick up the original bottom half of the deck (from which he would have just taken his card). This should be the pack of cards to your left. Normally, if you don't turn away completely, you can tell peripherally that he has placed it down correctly. Either way, do make sure that you are picking up the bottom half. The card on the underside, or 'face', of this half is of course the card you have remembered, but you'd be a fool to have to double-check. Hold this half above the other half (the original top half that he cut off), and tell him to replace the card. Without telling him to do so, you can make it clear that he is to place the card back between the two halves. It will seem a very natural thing to do, as he has just removed it from the middle of the deck and now appears to be putting it back in the same place. In fact, rather excitingly, his card is now next to the key-card. It is this secret fact that is soon to win you victory over the audience at large and secure you the intimate favours of any creature on this earth. Now, although it is vital that these two cards stay together, you are now very bravely going to ask the person to shuffle the cards. What's that? Won't that undo all our clever machinations? Have I separated myself from my senses? How could such a thing work? Am I simply mad? Perhaps at this point you are incontinent with rage at the wasted effort you have put into learning this so far; I merely say: bear with me and let me explain. It is for this reason alone, if you will just simmer down for a second, that you have chosen a poor shuffler. As long as he gives the deck a simple overhand shuffle, you can be rest assured that the two important cards – your glimpsed key card and his selection - will remain as a pair. You can subtly hurry him along and stop him from shuffling too thoroughly by extending your hand after a few moments and casually saying, 'Great - just so we don't know where the card is.' Also, asking him to 'mix them a bit' rather than 'shuffle' very often helps too. Take the deck back when he is done, and say that you are going to deal the cards face-up onto the table, and he is to try not to react if he sees his card. Hold the deck facedown, and start to deal cards from the top, turning them over one at a time. Make a rough pile on the table as you do so. You are - and I'm sure I don't need to tell you - watching out for your key card. The moment you deal that key card, the next card will be the very card selected. However, bat not an eyelid, and keep dealing past the chosen card, making sure that you continue to make such a rough pile on the table that the index of the actual chosen card remains visible to you. The person will of course be gloating with that quite specific smugness of one who believes his card has been mistakenly dealt past. Stop whenever you feel the moment is right, and proudly state the following: 'I bet you a pint/glass of wine/warm water with a slice of lemon/million bucks that the next card I turn over will be your card.' Look like you are poised to turn over the next card from the deck. Have the person agree to the deal, then reach forward, remove the chosen card from the pile, and turn it over. Climb onto the table and roar for applause before triumphantly urinating on the group.

There are a couple of afterthoughts regarding this trick which might be of use to you - crumbs from the table of a showbiz pro. Firstly, when you take the deck back after shuffling, just before you start dealing, take a look at the bottom (face) card of the deck. This can be easily done by tapping the deck on the table to square it, and just glimpsing the bottom card. It is conceivable, though very unlikely, that this card is your key-card. If indeed you do recognize it to be so, it means that the actual chosen card is on the top of the deck - the very first card you would deal. If this happens, you can remedy the situation by having someone cut the deck before dealing.

This will allow you to proceed with the trick as explained above, as it will bring the two cards back together in the middle of the deck. Alternatively, it does allow you to segue into a much more impressive trick instead. If you see that key-card on the bottom, I would suggest placing the deck face-down on the table and talking some nonsense about how when we choose a card we develop a kind of relationship with it, and that in something as random as a shuffle it is possible for us to express that affinity by unconsciously controlling it. If you feel like really lying, you could tell them that in a series of tests it’s been shown that particularly intuitive people will actually shuffle a card they're thinking of to the top of the deck without realizing it. Have them accept the seeming unlikelihood of such a statement, then sit back and let them take as long as they want to reach forward and turn over the top card for themselves. Secondly, dealing the cards to random positions on the table rather than into a pile offers you other opportunities to make this even more dangerously impressive.

Let's imagine that you deal past the key-card and you see that the selection is a four of hearts. Unless you are unfortunate enough for the selection to reveal itself near the end of the deck, you can now join up the scattered cards into a '4H' as you deal, and continue dealing. If you don't feel you have enough cards left to do this convincingly, it doesn't matter; the scattered dealing will just seem a mysterious part of the secret. But if you do manage to casually deal the cards into a giant representation of the selection, then you have what we like to call a 'kicker ending': after turning over the correct card, you can point out the arrangement on the table, which gives the impression that you knew the card from the very start.

Yours Magically,

Solomon

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