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Camirand Academy of Magic
A good magic school for those interested in magic classes. Visit their website at Camirand Magic
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KI Magic University
A COMPREHENSIVE BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE MAGIC COURSE
The principles of deception that magicians use are psychological; the methods are manipulative and mechanical. The psychological principles are misdirection, suggestion, imitation, and concealment. The spectators do not see everything that happens, and they believe they see things that do not happen. Such faulty perception leads to false assumptions, fallacious logic, and, in the end, to the conclusion that the performer has achieved an impossible result.
- Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia
- Having problems understanding magic books? - Are videos less than completely clear? - Have you noticed that good magicians generally make bad authors? - Did you ever want to have a bunch of professional magicians at your beck and call to teach you everything you ever wanted the know?
If the answer to any of these questions is a resounding YES! Read on...
KISMET ILLUSIONS is proud to offer, for the second year in a row, a magic workshop. This year's course will 4 (four) consecutive weeks starting May 6, 2000. Each session will be two and half hours each. We will offer a very comprehensive curriculum of magic sleights, maneuvers, showmanship, sleight of hand, manipulation, misdirection and presentation.
We will allow only 12 students in our workshop so as to allow maximum instructor/student interaction.
If you have specific effects/sleights you would like to learn, contact us and we will include them in our curriculum.
The price for this year's workshop is $225.00 for the four (4) week course. Each enrolled student will receive a magic kit (valued at $80.00) which will used in the course.
E-mail, phone or fax us your reservation for this years' Magic Workshop and learn more magic than you ever thought was possible!
There are books that every close-up magician will need to procure. Do not disregard beginner´s books. I learned a great mentalism trick from Bruce Elliot´s The Best in Magic that I used for my IBM entrance exam that wowed the audience of wizened, crusty magicians who seem to know every trick in the book...as it were.
I highly suggest the following:
Jean Hugard and Frederic Braues Expert Card Technique Jean Hugard The Royal Road to Card Magic Jean Hugard Encyclopedia of Card Tricks Karl Fulves Self-Working Card Magic Bobo's Modern Coin Magic
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Magic Specialities
Close-up - Cards, coins, cups & balls, thimbles and any other, generally hand-sized tricks. Generally, people will specialize in either one or the other of these different subfields; card people rarely socialize with coins people.
Mentalism - "Magic of the mind." That is, precognition, telekinesis, ESP and pyrokinesis among other
It´s one thing to pull four aces from a deck but it´s something all together to divine how much money a stranger has in his pocket or what the headlines for the New York Times will be the following day.
Stage Illusions - The difference between an illusion and a trick is that an illusion generally is large- scale and involves a human assistant and/or a large animal. David Copperfield was once asked what the difference was between a magician and an illusionist. He flatly replied, "about $40,000."
Platform/Parlor/Cabaret - As few of us are going to be hired to do large-scale shows most of our bread-and-butter will come from cabaret-style performances. Tricks included in this category include the Square Circle, Portable Sawing-in-Half.,
Escapology - Ropes and chains and trunks! Oh my! Escapologists manage to extricate themselves form unusual and seemingly impossible conditions including, but not limited to: jail cells, trunks at he bottom of a river, sea monsters (Harry Houdini actually escaped from one after being sown up into the creature´s belly). My personal repertoire includes the Milk Can Escape, the Mail-bag escape and the Escape from 50 feet of Chains.
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Specializing in Mentalism
Mentalism - "Magic of the mind." That is, precognition, telekinesis, telepathy, psychometry, ESP and pyrokinesis among other mind-related effects. It´s one thing to pull four aces from a deck but it´s something all together to divine how much money a stranger has in his pocket or what the headlines for the New York Times will be the following day.
My specialty in magic is mentalism. I find it to be the most intriguing of the branches of magic. Pulling a coin out of someone's ear is a great trick but there will always be someone in the crowd who thinks they know how the trick is done. When you can read someone's mind or otherwise reveal personal information about that person that is an outstanding and seemingly impossible feat. The gasps I receive after performing a mentalism effect far outshines any surprise I can extract from someone after doing a card trick.
There is another advantage to performing mentalism. It utilizes very little if any equipment so one generally packs small for a mentalism show.
Many tricks can be made to appear as mentalism effects including many card and card tricks. You'll need the to explore each one to determine which can be reworked to fit a mentalism milieu. Generally, mentalists, as magicians who solely present themselves as practitioners of metal magic call themselves, present their art as not being magic at all. That would suggest that their was some kin of illusion or sleight-of-hand in use. Mentalists wish to present themselves as being able to perform their tricks without the aid of “tricks.” I personally don't approve of magicians who claim supernatural or psychic powers Building everyone has to forge their own way their careers. But please avoid ascribing special powers to yourself. It serves neither your audience, yourself nor the magic community in general.
Excellent mentalism tricks that can be purchased at any well-equipped magic store are the Thought Projector by John Cornelius, the Swami Gimmick and the ESP Board.
Books on mentalism will have instructions for such classic feats of mentalism as the Center Tear, Psychological Forces and Billet tricks.
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Linking Ring journals on CD ROM
Linking Ring journals on CD ROM
The Linking Ring, the official journal of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, on CD-ROM is now available. I bought the set and have it up and running. I searched back through many years of I.B.M. history. I´ve gone back through some of the Ring Reports to find the names of members who are long gone. I´ve read of some of the past conventions and activities of Rings all over the world. What great memories. I´ve always wanted to have all the John Booth columns in one binder. I should be able to do that with a little effort.
I was amazed at all the Ed Marlo card effects. Someone recently asked about the creator of the great kid trick, Forgetful Freddie. I searched and think I have the answer. It´s a great resource for research. Ring officers should take a serious look at this. If you´re involved with your local Ring, having a set of the CD´s will make it easier to put together the clubs history. I´m happy that I bought mine, I´m sure you will be too. Contact Digital Publishing, www.dparchive.com for more information.
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Specialize!
It's important to specialize in the type of magic you wish to present. Find an area that you feel comfortable with and that your wallet allows. Several areas require specialized training and years of study. Other fields require massive amounts of financial investment. Some require little more than several fifty-cent pieces or a deck of cards. Some people have the personality and stage-presence to appear before crowds of 500 people of more. Others can only stand the sustained glares of one or two close friends. You need to decide for yourself.
Please note, that just because you choose to specialize in a field doesn't mean that you shouldn't dabble in any other field.
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Illusions by Your Design
Illusions by Your Design is a very good resource for those magicians interested in up-scale stage magic to add to their shows. Illusions by Your Design
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Magic Magazines II
KRYPTS QUARTERLY CRIER c/o David Zver 89 West Broad St. Bethehem, PA 18018 4 issues per year, 16 pages per issue. Specializes in Bizarre, New Age, Occult presentations.
LINKING RING The monthly magazine of the International Brotherhood of Magicians PO Box 192090 St. Lousis MO 63119-9998 Tele: (314) 351-7677 Fax: (314) 353-4771
MAGIC - AN INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE FOR MAGICIANS Circulation Office 7380 S. Eastern Ave. Suite #124-179 Las Vegas, NV 89123 USA Tel: (702) 798-4893 Fax: (702) 798-0220 E-mail: subscriptions@magic-mag.com 12 issues per year www.magic-mag.com
Monthly colour magazine with columns by Paul Gertner (performance tips), Richard Kaufman (editor of the magic section), and reviews by Mike Weber. Varied and interesting articles
MAGICOL David Meyers PO BOX 427 Glenwood, ILL 60425 The quarterly publication of the Magic Collectors Association. For information on joining write to: David Meyers PO Box 427 Glenwood, Ill, 60425.
MAGIC COLLECTOR´S BULLETIN George Daily´s Magacana for Collectors 3778 Cayuga Lane York, PA 17402 (717) 757-3098
THE MAGIC MENU 21 Noe Place Beacon Falls, CT 06403 (203) 729-4278 Six issues per year A bi-monthly journal for professional restaurant and bar magicians published by Jim Sisti magicmenu@aol.com (MagicMenu).
THE MINOTAUR P.O. Box 470025 Broadview Hts. Oh 44147 4-5 issues per year Dan Harlan´s magazine . Reputed to be one of the best close up magazines
M. U. M. (monthly magazine) Richard Blowers, National Administrator P.O. Box 510260 St. Louis, MO 63151 (314) 846-5659
THE NEW INVOCATION (Edited by Docc Hilford) PO Box 17163 Phoenix, AZ 85011 12 issues per year but published irregularly. Specializes in Bizarre, New Age, Occult presentations. 12 pages per issue.
PRECURSOR: A MAGAZINE OF INNOVATION Unikorn magic 2215 Mytle St. Erie, PA 16502 Edited by Bill Miesel 3 issues a year. Mostly advanced card work.
SYZYGY 2901 N. 55th Avenue Phoenix,AZ 85031-3301. Internet - LeeE7@aol.com A monthly publication for mentalists, published by Lee Earle. Effects and routines by the real workers, simply the best.
THE TRAPDOOR Steven L. Beam Trapdoor Productions 407 Carrington Drive Knightdale, NC 27545 (919) 266-7900 5 issues a year Excellent artwork and Humor, Closeup
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The Magical Edd Newsletter
The Magical Edd Newsletter (UK) URL:
MAGICAL EDD produces a broad-interest newsletter and a very active chatroom for magicians and allied entertainers including clowns and other wonder-workers.
He is also involved in assisting Mike Wallis of Great Yarmouth England with his Wallis´s Wonders Magic Shop.
Learn more at MagicalEdd or visit the magic shop at Wallis Wonders
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L & L Publishing
L&L Publishing is an excellent source of magic tricks and publications for magicians. Very low prices. Browse their offerings at All Magic
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Magic Summer Camps
Many of you have asked about magic summer camps. I'm happy to provide the information that I have but a listing here should not be interpreted as a recommendation for any of the camps. I know nothing about the actual workings or history of the individual camps.
The first three summer camps are specially dedicated to the magical performing arts. The remainder of them have intensive performing arts programs that may or may not include magic as a course of instruction.
I found the non-specifically magic-related camps through a Sarah engine using an advanced search method using the words: SUMMER, CAMPS, PERFORMING and ARTS
David Goodsell´s West Coast Magic Camp Idyllwood, California A summer camp for boys and girls ages 9 to 16 in the San Jacinto Mountains of Southern California two miles east of Los Angeles. There are programs from beginners to advanced stage and close-up magic. For more information call (800) 645-1423
Sorcerer´s Summer Safari, Camp Tamarack Ontario, Canada Tel: (416) 322-1442 E-mail: magic.mike@sympatico.com Canada's only summer camp for young magicians. Participants receive private and semi-private instructions in a variety of magic disciplines from visiting professional magicians. The camp has a large private lake, a stage with full lighting and sound equipment, a large practice studio, full video and post-production faculties.
Tannen´s Summer Camp Location: The New York Institute of Technology Campus Registration Information only: (212) 929-4500 x. #200 Other inquiries: Ask for Terri or Dennis Cook: (718) 631-8908. Website: www.tannenmagic.com
A week-long summer camp for magicians ages 12 to 20 features an intense schedule of close-up and stage lectures and classes and performances by leading magicians.
Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts/Theater/Dance Camp New Rochelle, NY 130 Wood Hollow Lake New Rochelle, NY 10804 Tel: 804-967-0178 Fax: 804-967-0178 Website: http://www.frenchwoods.com/
Cazadero Performing Arts Camp P.O. Box 8121 Berkeley, CA 94707 Tel: (510) 527-7500 Fax: (510) 527-2790 Email: cazpac@cazpac.org Website: http://www.cazpac.org/
Long Lake Camp Tel: (914) 693-7111 Fax: (914) 694-7684 Duration: June 20 - August 30 Tel: (518) 624-4831 E-mail: marc@longlakecamp.com Website: http://www.longlakecamp.com/
Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School & Camp 40755 Routt County Road 36 Steamboat Springs, CO 80487 Tel: (970) 879-7125 or 1-800-430-ARTS (2787) Fax: (970) 879-5823 E-mail: p-m@perry-mansfield.org Website: http://www.perry-mansfield.org/additionalinfo.html
Buck´s Rock Camp 59 Buck´s Rock Road New Milford, CT. 06776, USA Website: http://www.bucksrock.olm.net/Brochure/index.html
Young Musicians & Artists P0 Box 13277 Portland, OR 97213 Tel: (503) 281-9528 E-mail: vicki@YMAinc.org Website: http://www.ymainc.org/
Sunapee Arts Camp Deer Hill Road Box 177 Georges Mills, NH 03751 Tel: (603)763-5111 Fax: (603)763-4502 E-mail: bcharp@tds.net http://www.sunapeearts.com/
Showchoir Camps of America Box 583, Naperville IL 60566 Tel: (630) 355-5551 Website: http://www.showchoircamps.com/
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Specializing
It's important to specialize in the type of magic you wish to present. Find an area that you feel comfortable with and that your wallet allows. Several areas require specialized training and years of study. Other fields require massive amounts of financial investments. Others require little more than several fifty-cent pieces or a deck of cards. Some people have the personality and stage-presence to appear before crowds of 500 people of more. Others can only stand the sustained glares of only one or two close friends. One has to decide for themselves.
1) Close-up - Cards, coins, cups & balls, balls, thimbles and any other generally hand-sized tricks. Generally, people will specialize in either one or the other of these different subfields; card people rarely socialize with coin people.
Personally I can't stand card tricks. Magicians who know me know enough not to approach me with a deck of cards. I recoil whenever I hear a magician say those fateful words, “Here! Take a card!” I'm continually reminded of Somerset Maugham's immortal words:
“He asked me if I liked card tricks. I said ‘no.' He did five.”
There are a lot of entertaining card tricks but too many magicians insists on doing ALL OF THEM AT ONCE! Relax! Three good card tricks are enough. When an impudent amateur magician swaggered up to Harry Houdini after a show and haughtily said, “I know 500 card tricks. How many do you know?” Harry Houdini thought for a second and calmly replied, “Fifteen.”
Personally, I know ten card tricks because I pick and choose and these are almost without and It might be cool to master a thousand flourishes, manipulations and sleights but these are entertaining only to other magicians and not to lay audiences.
I feel the same way about coin magic. I have a short 3-minute routine and then that's it! I use it to introduce myself as a magician. After all, who else could pull coins out of a kid's ear? And, admittedly, magic with someone else's money certainly holds the attention of the lender and his or her friends.
Excellent coin tricks that can be purchased at any well-equipped magic store are: Hopping Halves (aka, the Sun & the Moon,) Scotch & Soda (aka, Vodka & Orange Juice,) Alchemist's Fantasy and the Great British Coin Trick. (NB: Don't worry about the names of tricks, none of them involve alcohol but instead refer to the original use of these tricks as bar bets.)
This newsletter now reaches almost 2,000 practitioners of physical theatre worldwide and we particularly welcome all new members to the list.
We invite you to put us on your e-mail list, should you have information for inclusion in future issues.
Check it out in the MAGICIANS ONLY section of our website: Magic Unlimited
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Magic Magazines I
ABRACADABRA (GOODLIFFE'S) Goodliffe Publications 150 New Road, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire B60 2LG. England Published weekly, 20 pages each issue.
THE ALTAR FLAME Thaumysta Publishing Company P.O. Box 17174, Minneapolis, MN 55417 (alchemy13@aol.com or thaumysta@aol.com) Published quarterly by Mary Tomich with a focus on presentation-based on occult themes, etc.
APHELION Thomas A. Sawyer 521 S. Lyon St., No. 105 Santa Ana, CA 92701
APOCOLYPSE Harry Lorayne 62 Jane Street NY NY 10074 12 issues per year Lots of serious card magic by one magic most respected writers.
ARCANUM c/o Joe Cabral, 115 Pinehurst Avenue, Waterbury, CT 06705 Published twice annually by The Inner Circle of Bizarre Magic.
CLUB 71 84 page magazine is published six times per year, and has a four colour cover. The magazine contains independant editorial, covering all branches of magic. Annual subscriptions available.
THE COLLECTORS´ FORUM Fred Evans editor PO. Box 391 Knoxville, TN, 37901 Publisehd quarterly publication. Contains letters and short articles submitted by readers. Included with each issue are various magic items which are themselves very collectable. Good value for money.
THE CRIMP Jerry Sadowitz, Flat 28, 177 Finchley Rd., London NW3 Glg., UK. A very funny monthly magazine. BUT Jerry Sadowitz is renowned for his bad language! a must for any serious close-up magician but definately NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN
DR FAUSTUS JOURNAL Tom Stone/Bengtsson Julias gata 111 422 51 Hisings Backa SWEDEN 10 issues/ per year, 8-12 pages per issue. Focusing on performance material and theory.
GENII PO Box 36068 Los Angeles, CA 90036 thegenii@aol.com Tel: (213) 935-2848 Color cover, 80 pages an issue, with the largest circulation of any magazine. Advertises most magic items.
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Houdini Magic
This site has well-designed and appealing magic tricks that should add greatly to your act. Look especially for the linking rings ad. Houdini Magic
