Marion Boykin delivered a top-notch webinar last night to the members of the IBM's Harry Kellar ring here in Erie, Pennsylvania. Despite some technical glitches on our end (Zoom refused to play the audio through the television, despite the fact that this worked perfectly when we tested it on Tuesday --- sorry about that, MB!), Marion taught us multiple routines using his MB Transpo, Crimp Change, the short hop, and a pair of card tricks. (This is the coin forum, so I won't go into too much detail, but both card effects were well within the skill set of my ring's membership.)

If you belong to a ring or a club that is looking for a lecturer, I would STRONGLY recommend that you consider reaching out to MB. As good as his chops are, his presentational style and his personality are even better. (I can't help myself, I just like the guy....) The lecture was well-paced and the demonstrations and explanations were all very clear; but the parts I liked the best were when Marion talked about the importance of being well-rounded in magic (a mix of cards, coins, other close-up, etc.), when he talked about his approach to "less is more," and when he talked about the importance of being able to perform "just five tricks" really, really well. It is clear to me that he has given a great deal of thought and analysis to our art.

And now it's time for me to go to work. I will be taking two coins with me today, so I can practice that Crimp Change a few hundred times....

Wow wish I was there

It has taken me more than a day to respond here, just overwhelmed at all the kind words. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I was honored to lecture such a good group of guys. A good audience helps to make a good performer, sometimes even better than he is.

I had a great time talking about magic and showing a bit of it, and explaining the hows & whys of this & that, of the things from my journey that I do best. And it’s nice to know that you are a bit more than just the magic in interacting with people. WOW!

The host, IBM Harry Kellar Ring President, Joe Hohman, and old member & friend here, was most gracious & welcoming. And we had a few different kinds of magicians & of differing levels, but all interested in our branch of the art as well as just good magic, and that some of us practice other parts as well. And yes, I even spoke of cards.

Again, it was indeed a fun evening and I really appreciated being there speaking up for the big, small & “ALL” of us that take part in this thing from wherever we are in it or it is in us.

And yeah fonda, I wish you were there too, I wish you all were there.

Thanks again, Mr. President…Oh, and your Ring is quite fortunate to have you at the helm.

You're nice, MB

Forget his innovative Sleight and Effects. If other magicians could master his sly wink, they could elevate their performance three-fold.

Yes, Funsway, it's the whole package!

A gentlemen, a friend to many, MB is a class act.

Congratulations, Marion! You're right that a good audience energizes a speaker and makes him/her even better. But that only works if the speaker is really good in the first place!

And, while I'm here, thanks for all the help you've given me on the cafe.


Joe, any chance that someone recorded the lecture? I'd love to see it.


Regards to you both,


Bob

Thanks guys, appreciate all your congrats and recognition here, as to magic and all things. It really was a lot of fun to do. It’s nice speaking to like-minds about effects and all the many different parts of the art. I have to give a hand here to President, Joe Hohman for keeping the meeting going. Thanks Joe!

I went over a lot of stuff, because the Crimp Change is something worth taking time with as it’s a wonderful change of a coin that can be used in a variety of ways and routines. When set with the other trappings I use around it, it makes it all a collection of wonderful coin magic with just two coins. I got a chance to talk about all that and even show it. It was great seeing the guys in the background with their coins trying to follow along. Even the card trick I covered, a little trick from my Mini Magic Book, called the The Godfather’s Peek-a-Boo, a real cutey-pie. Lots of questions and big smiles on that one. Yeah, just a whole lot of fun.

Harry, sorry for taking so long here but the things I mentioned can be gotten from my website…it’s all there!

And yes, it really can be all done with just 2 coins. I actually explained 3 different routines I do with the dollar size Chinese coin and a half dollar. I don’t do them all at one time but instead do it different ways for the people I happen to run into. Sometimes as a One Coin Routine, other times 2 different plays with the MB Transpo, that included my ReViSiTeD effect, which is also available on the website.

You get a lot of mileage out of it all, and it’s filled with nice play and patter throughout each effect. Sorry you didn’t make the lecture, but all the work is out there for all to share in. Thanks to the many that reached out about it here. And thanks again to IBM President, Joe Hohman and the Harry Kellar Ring for inviting me.


Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Years to all.

Whoa - ho - ho, just to be clear, I am the president of the Harry Kellar ring, not the president of the entire IBM! (But what an honor that would be....) Hey, MB, after things settle down at work here a little bit (year end is always kind of busy), I will be in touch with you again so you can critique my crimp change; I have been working on it!

Yes, and that would be an increased honor for me as well. Sorry for any confusion here.

And as to the Crimp Change, happy to hear you’re staying after it…It really is a worthy pursuit to do well.


“And now let us believe in a long year that is given to us, new, untouched, full of things that have never been.”