Mary-

Is that a smirk in your avatar? I thought it was your "Mona Lisa" smile...

Jim

ps- funny "tyre" joke- sorry I didn't think of it!

Good evening everyone,

My practice sessions are going well. Outside of last Saturday and Sunday I have practiced at least once every day since my last post. The anticipation of performing at the birthday party is really pumping up my practice sessions. After reflecting on the environment, I have changed a few of the effects. I will now be performing some strolling fractal magic and sponge bunnies. Then I will do a quick mini-show as part of the family entertainment portion of the party (sort of a mini talent show where each family has to do something Vegasy). Currently I am focusing my practice sessions on Search & Destroy (Fisher) and Entourage (Bean), plus I warm up by continuing to sharpen my overhand shuffle techniques.

Pete - Welcome to the thread! I am unfamiliar with Close's "Renaldo the Great" but I read that he developed the routine as part of a personal challenge to find an effect and make it better. How is the routine coming along?

Jim - Good luck busking this weekend! I hope the weather will cooperate and be nice but comfortable. Speaking of PePe LePe, I remember loving (and dying of laughter) Williamson's Rocky Raccoon appearances on TV. Spring animals can bring a smile to anyone's face.

Mary - How are your 10 minute run throughs developing? Did your card stand find its way home?

Laurie - The sponge bunnies do seem to be another effect that makes everyone smile.

Have a fun weekend everyone!

~ Nathan

Thanks Nathan! Yes, that is true. He does that with several effects and challenges people to do the same. I have the "routine" of it down, now the practice will polish it up. It's been tough to get the sessions in this week. Been very busy at work, so I am hoping to catch up on my sessions this weekend. I have three to go for this week. I want to start doing it in front of a mirror and see how that goes. I started sitting down and then realized that I will be doing this in November at my first table hopping venue. So I better learn it standing up! That has been a slight adjustment. Talk to you all soon!

Pete

Posted: Sep 18, 2010 11:14pm
So I had a great session tonight! I feel the progress. However, and this is has always been my hang up with practice, it never feels as good as it does in front of a live audience. I always learn so much from that. Call it a Catch 22, I guess. So I will keep forging ahead until I get to try it out on my club in two weeks! I have identified the spots in the routine where I need more emphasis on practicing to get the bumps smoothed out. Any comments are appreciated! This has already helped me so much just from a discipline perspective.

Pete

Hello all!

Thanks for the good wishes, Nathan, I think they helped! I finally came up with a presentation idea that I feel will change my performance routine in a good way. Also, the weather was excellent on the first day, and very stormy on the second, which allowed me to do a large indoor parlor show on day 2.

Still working on getting Pepe a magic effect to perform, but he is such a hit without such an effect that I love to put him in shows with lots of kids and fammilies. I borrow heavily from Dave W., but having a skunk instead of a raccoon makes it easy to branch off and be more original. I close with Pepe, because the kids all want to come up and pet him. Makes a nice ending.

My Miser's Dream is sort of Chris Capehart, and I almost decided not to use it because of the event being for "Head Start", an Ohio program for poor children and their families. My problem, of course, was pulling half dollars out of these kids, and filling MY pail.

Then it dawned on me that there was a way to do it (it is one of my most popular effects with the kids, so I was looking for a way). At the end, I told them it wasn't very fair for me to keep money it literally took from them, so I "gave it back" and each kid got a half dollar. They were thrilled, and of course I told them to be careful how they spent it because obviously it was a magic coin. To see those families laugh and have such a good time- lord it is fun to be a magician!

Glad to hear of such good progress, Pete. A thought: remember we are asking our audience to "make believe" so use that same thing for rehearsal. If you can "create" an audience in your mind, you can actually get to the point where YOU believe it is a real performance. It occurred to me that must be the challenge TV performers have if not using a live audience. How do you get it in your head that a million people are watching, when there is just that camera? BTW, I find when I video my rehearsal it is far easier to "get in the groove" and treat the rehearsal as if it were a real performance in front of a large audience...

Jim

Jim,

God Bless you and Miser's dream! What a fantastic solution! Thanks for the pointers. I just love feeding off the energy of a real audience, but until then I will keep my favorite quote from Albert Einstein in mind, "Imagination is more important then knowledge!"

Pete

Thanks, Pete, I appreciate the back pat... Nice quote, I always have liked Mr. E....

Jim

Hello all,

I found my card stand (at home).

My run throughs have been hit and miss but really good on the hit days. I'm seeing a lot of awkward places in the act though (I'm apt but not graceful). This is always an uncomfortable phase of practice but really improves the act a lot from the spectator's standpoint..

I also imagine a supportive audience when I practice. It really works well. I knew I had a problem when they started quipping with me and I was becoming impatient with how long some of them would take to pick a card. Are all my spectators wearing white coats now or am I just imagining it? These sleeves are making it hard to shuffle. I don't suppose I'll be able to do that shoelace trick either.

- Mary Mowder

Mary-

You are a girl after my own heart!!!

Jim

Posted: Sep 27, 2010 10:50am
HEY, any of my buddies still out there?

What's anybody working up for halloween? I am itching to do a show, even if it is a freebie...

Jim

I went to my first official Club meeting last night. The subject was Halloween. So I presented Renaldo the Great for my first live audience. It went very well and I received several atta boys. I feel better having one under my belt. So I will keep up the regiment to prepare for my first ever Table Hopping venue November 6th for the club. I have to work on a few more items to complete my set.

Pete

Peter,

If you are just building your Close-Up repertoire try to get one Rubber band, Dollar Bill, Pencil, Finger Ring or what ever effect for each card trick you acquire.

If you start that early, you will really stand out among most Close-Up Magicians. In fact, I've often come off very well in the company of better Magicians than myself following this advice. Real people like variety.

- Mary Mowder

Mary,

Thanks for the advice! Believe it or not, I have shied away from cards. I have a few that I eventually would like to pursue and add to my repertoire, however, I have always liked doing other magic, much for the reasons you have suggested. Still this is good advide and I will keep it in mind. Thank you!

Pete

Hello all!

I've been missing for a while ... sorry about that. Took a new job and my life has gotten crazy! Not much time to practice, but I did get to do the Chop Cup routine I was working on when we had a few people over to the house. It went well, but I did get a surprise (and a great lesson!) when one of the guest reached over and picked up the cup! I immediately went into the final loads (2) and recovered nicely ... but it was a lesson on being ready for anything!

Nothing on tap to work on now except to keep my existing routines in practice... too much travel, too much new stuff to learn on the job...

Hudson

Our Club's Public Show was last Saturday. Tom's act came off very well and mine went well other than a few annoying glitches (nothing un-magical just annoying). I think it was a pretty good Show all around.

I closed- this Show for the first time which was fun. They usually have a small illusion to end but no one who did that kind if thing was available this year. I ended with some beautiful Silks and a Long Streamer.

I really wish I could work on Stage more often. It was really fun. I think I'll do some practice to that end for a while. Maybe I'll work out some of the glitches.

- Mary Mowder

Hey, Folks-

How goes it? Keep up the good practice and it comes together. Even 10 minutes a day makes so much of a difference. So, I am getting together a Halloween spook out for Oct. 30th. Got some bizarre effects and just trying to decide the age range of the audience, since there WILL be blood! YOU ARE INVITED if you can get to central Ohio!

My news: I have changed my stage name from "Mandarin" to "Mr. Mystoffelees (actually Mistoffelees to keep with Elliot). Looking forward to lots of fun with this... Hey, whatcha think???????

Jim

Dear Jim,

I think Mistoffelees sounds hard to spell and find on the internet. Very few will know the reference and those who do won't spell it that way. Is this just for Halloween? If so it's no big deal and the demonic tie in won't hurt business, otherwise "I think you better think it out again".

My stage name is hard to spell and I'm seriously thinking of changing it to Magic Mary for the Birthday Market.

I know it's plain (that's why I didn't go with that originally) but now I think the more simple the better.

Just trying to help.

- Mary Mowder

Thanks for the thoughts, Mary. I have been struggling with this, as most people don't get the Mandarin reference either. Sometimes I use "Diamond Jim" but there are a few of those already around. Have also thought of "The Catahoula Kid". If Mr. Mystoffelees seems to offer confusion, I will ditch it. Was listening to an Andrew Lloyd Webber DVD and just got captivated by the thought. My plan is to use it mainly for family shows, and to use the explanation and poem as part of the act...

I share your interest in stage work. There are so many advantages, and I like being a bit more in control of the audience. I am also, though, very enthused about busking- wow are those two different, or what?

Thanks again!

Jim

Hey Jim,

I have to admit I was thinking Faust and not Andrew Lloyd Webber, so I guess there is a more contemporary reference.

How close is the nearest Diamond Jim? How about Jim Mystic or Mr Ham-tastic LOL?

Oddly, I'm recently interested in busking as well. The Café makes it sound so fun (and occasionally miserable).

- Mary Mowder

Good evening everyone!

Sorry for the absence, but I have had multiple out of town weddings. Luckily, this did not deter my practice sessions. Although, the beach wedding wasn't conducive to individual practice, I did use the opportunity to perform some of the effects for people. I am now even more pumped to perform at my aunt-in-law's Halloween birthday party.

I am starting to see real progress from my practice. I am becoming comfortable with the effects to the extent that I can really focus on the participants and performance without "thinking" about the moves. And my overhand shuffling is really improving. Once the show is over I am going to start working on DL's. Also, class is canceled on Tuesday so I am dropping by the local magic club meeting for some extra practice and conversation.

Jim - Did the Kozmo lecture spark your interest in busking, or have you always had the bug? Once I raise my level and become more comfortable, busking sounds quite intriguing. The new name is interesting, unfortunately I do not know the reference (I will have to do some research). Let us know how your clients receive your new persona.

Mary - Congratulations on your successful show. What do you have lined up next? Is there any particular effect you are currently working on?

Hudson - Whose inspiration do you use for your Chop Cup routine? Travel can definitely put a damper on practicing. I usually try to pack only one effect and carve out 10~15 minutes when I get to the hotel to get some practice in.

I hope everyone else is having productive practice sessions. Have a wonderful weekend

~ Nathan

Nathan,
I've been working on Danny Tong's routine from World's Greatest Magic Chop Cup DVD. It is a very short routine, but great impact. I do travel with cards and sponge balls, but chop cup is a little much to bring. By the way, hotel lobby and bar are great places to practice -- every one is hanging out with nothing to do, great to for real practice!
Hudson

Hi BlueOwl,

I'm working on Martin Lewis' Technicolor Prediction and Miser's Dream (ongoing).

Currently enjoying the Halloween upswing in business, YAY!

By the way NewsFlash is going over great. I have two new patter lines and although they are not shaken down to their final form, both are working fine.

- Mary Mowder