Magic Roadshow

December 3rd, 2006   Issue# 60 !!

Rick Carruth / editor   (C)2006 All rights reserved worldwide


Street Magic's #1 free newsletter for magicians, street performers, restaurant workers, close-up artists, and mentalists, with subscribers in over sixty eight countries worldwide.


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~ Magic and the Theory of Learning ~

     Todd Landman


Watch any professional perform: magician, chess player, tennis player, swimmer…and the first thing you notice is that they appear as if they are not even trying, or better yet, it appears as if they are not thinking about what they are doing. In fact, this is exactly correct. A well trained, well-practised professional is so competent in his or her craft, that the performance appears perfectly natural, flowing, and ‘unthinking’.

Learning theory tells us that we move through four stages when we learn a skill, trade, or profession:

1. Unconsciously incompetent;
2. Consciously incompetent;
3. Consciously competent;
4. Unconsciously competent.

When we start to learn something, we have very little idea how to start, what to do, how to handle ourselves, or what our performance looks like. We are, in effect, unconsciously incompetent. This is not a derogatory statement; it is a statement of fact. Another way of saying it is that we are simply (some might say, blissfully) ignorant.

Once we read the method of a magic or mental effect, take in the phases and steps of a routine, practice some of the moves, and begin to think about some of the presentation, we become conscious of how hard some of it is and therefore we become conscious of our incompetence. Again, this is not a negative assessment, but one that recognises that we may find something very difficult.

Remember riding a bicycle for the first time? Technically, the trick to riding a bike is to turn into the fall, but very few of us ever think of it in that way. Rather, we fall sideways, stumble forward, stop, start, and finally somehow move forward without falling off. And then we see Greg Lemond or Lance Armstrong! The same goes for the first time we try to serve a tennis ball, fire an arrow at a target, shoot a rifle, hit a golf ball, or play a game of chess.

Being conscious of our incompetence either frustrates us into giving up or spurs us on to more practice. Once you practice each move in an effect and join them together, you become consciously competent, where you still need to think about each move as it is performed, but you can perform the effect. You are still thinking about the phases of a routine, the sleights, the patter and its links to the moves, and the end result that you are trying to achieve. At this stage, you are not quite a natural performer of the effect, but you can move through a routine and perform the effect adequately.

Hebert Simon spent a lot of time researching the idea of ‘bounded rationality’ in which he knew that the human brain can only consciously process so much information at one time. We need shortcuts, or what the cognitive psychologists refer to as ‘chunking’ or what the neuro-linguists call ‘meta-programmes’ in which chunks of information are processed at once. A chess master thinks in collections of moves to counteract an attack or to control a section of the chess board. Rarely do the masters think in terms of sequences of individual moves, which is why it took so long for the computer programmers to invent ‘Deep Blue’. Does Pete Sampras think about each and every shot, or does he ‘feel’ the shot as it comes to him? He engages in some form of cybernetic feedback in adjusting his shot to the conditions of play: the court (clay, hard court, and grass), his opponent, the weather, his own body, etc.

Richard Osterlind has written about this. For example, the ‘haunted key’ is a lovely effect where a key mysteriously turns itself over in your hand. Constant practice of this effect will produce an ability in you to actually ‘will’ the key to turn over. For me, the classic palm feels its way into my performances. I can comfortably palm six half dollars and release them one by one. When a student asks me how that is done, I find it very difficult to explain. Your hand will develop a feeling for palming coins after multiple iterations and a maturing of the hand muscles. In this way, the ability to palm is much like the development of a musician’s embouchure.

Once you have practiced over and over again, the moves to any effect, particular sleights, or ways of delivering performances should come as second nature, and then you have moved to the final stage. Once you have reached the final stage, you are unconsciously competent in your craft. Jazz musicians become liberated after years and years of practice. They learn their major scales, minor scales, the cycle of fifths, the cycle of fourths, the modal substitutions, playing horizontally and vertically over the harmonic structures of tunes, and then one day, they stop thinking about what they are doing. They begin to feel the music, anticipate what comes next, and push themselves to the next. People who saw John Coltrane perform claimed that he was a musical shaman.

We have the ability, through hard practice, to move through these phases of learning. To learn our scales, which for Osterlind include perfected performances of the cups and balls and linking rings, even if we never perform them in public. Mastering the classics of magic and mentalism lets us move onto higher levels of performance and learning.

Spend time with a deck of cards, a few coins, some billets, some billiard balls, some cups, and other elements of our craft. Reflect on the skills you need, practice the moves until they become second nature; keep something from your collection close to hand, and wake up every day thinking about how you will continue to learn your craft. May we all be unconsciously competent one day!

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Todd Landman's Politics Magic and Jazz is undoubtedly one of my favorite blogs, on any level. Seeping with intellectual thought and maturity, Todd offers his insights into both magic and magic related products with equal poise.

Visit both his blog and web site:

http://www.drtoddlandman.blogspot.com/

http://www.metaphysical-magician.com


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Cyril's Fishy Card Trick


I SO enjoy watching Cyril perform. As far as I'm concerned, he's the top magician in the world, for the moment at least. Someone is going to have to step forward and show me a gob of impressive magic to convince me otherwise..

In this inventive effect, Cyril, standing in the middle of a restaurant, has a selected card signed and returned to the deck. He turns, tosses the cards against an aquarium, and the selected card is stuck to the glass after everything else falls to the floor. Of course, the spectator cannot peel the card from the glass as it's on the inside of the tank.

Most magicians would take their bows, but not Cyril. He goes to the back side of the aquarium to show that the card on the glass has the spectators signature on the back of the card. Under cover of a small towel, Cyril reaches thru the glass and removes the card from the far wall of the tank. Water leaks out as he retracts his arm thru the glass and then 'seals' the hole, leaving no evidence of the penetration.

http://www.glumbert.com/media/cyril


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Tricks Gone Terribly Wrong.. (video)


The first time I watched this video I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Oh, I've seen magicians perform the classic " hide a spike under a cup and slam your hand on all the cups that don't have a spike under it... and make it as dramatic as possible.." trick. I watched on TV as Chris Korn put a spike through his palm on Mondo Magic. I've heard tales of other magicians suffering less-than-desired results with this effect. And I watched the first magician on this video slam his hand onto a knife blade and shock his audience as he bloodied the stage.

But..

I have NEVER seen an act as totally irresponsible as the second part of this video. I cannot imagine a magician being so confident with his performance of this effect that he is willing to bring a spectator on stage and use HER hand to slam the cups. I don't have to tell you what happens.. Unbelievable..    

http://www.glumbert.com/media/magictrick


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Pen Penetration thru Rubber Band


I've performed this little effect for friends for a number of years, then, I'll forget about it for awhile and something like this video will come along to remind me. Although a little more difficult, angle wise, to perform that crazy mans handcuffs, it's very similar and uses a pen for the penetration instead of another rubber band..

http://www.301url.com/penetration


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StackView


I know some of you guys are rather cerebral in nature, and take to effects or sites that require a certain level of thought. StackView is just such a site.

Stackview, and the accompanying guide, are both downloadable. You don't go to the site and play. You download the program and then explore the possibilities of a stacked deck. To quote from their site:

"StackView is a computer based simulation tool for magicians to explorel and learn various aspects of controlling a stacked deck of cards. The software does not teach you any magician's principles; it is assumed that you are familiar with various card techniques, or that you have the resources to learn them elsewhere. It does however allow you to discover new possibilities with your card knowledge in a full featured simulation environment."

StackView is free of charge, and is available on the Download page

http://www.stackview.com/index.html


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John J. Fabjance's  Magic Management


Mr. Fabjance has developed a web site full of interactive magic that you will find extremely entertaining. Although I, and probably you, understand the basis of MOST of these effects, there are a couple that even I have to think twice about...

Food tricks, several card tricks, domino effects, a mentalism effect with cards you can print out and save, a clock trick, a mystery adder, and a coin trick are all designed to perplex the unknowing.

Last.. but certainly not least.. Mr. Fabjance has a magic shop page that features a number of tricks you can personalize to give away as promotions or bigger magic sets you could easily resell as a back-end product after your performances.. If you don't understand the power of back-end, or Back of Room sales, and what it can mean to your bottom line. ( See issue 57 of the Magic Roadshow )  

http://www.magicmgmt.com/gary/welcome2/


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An Undeniable Truth


I have a problem with most standard self-working card tricks. Try as I might, I can't convince my spectator's that they've just witnessed a small miracle. Many self-working card tricks look like just that.. something that would have happened without any magic from me. Here's a really nice effect that possesses the perfect combination of amazement and impossibility to leave your spectators totally bemused..

This effect is a type of poker deal and requires you to deal five hands.. one each to four different spectators and one to yourself.

Begin by shuffling the deck thoroughly and fairly, then asking a spectator to cut it to their hearts content. Start on your left and deal five hands of five cards each. Once done, ask each spectator to pick up their hand, look at it, and MENTALLY pick out one card. Now, ask them to shuffle their packet so thoroughly that no one has a clue where their card lies in the five card stack. Ask them to lay their hand back on the table, face down, when they're convinced their cards are well mixed.

Pick up the hand to your immediate left and put it on top of the deck, face down. Proceed around the table and pick up each of the other hands, in order and one at a time, and put them on top as well. Finish by putting your hand on top.

From left to right, deal out five stacks of five cards, just as you would deal five poker hands.  These stacks are controlled by you and not dealt to the spectators. Pick up the first stack to your left, fan it open, and show it to the four spectators. Ask if any of the spectators see their card in your hand. If they do, they are only to say "yes".      

Let's say the spectator second from the left see's his/her card. If you close the fan and, holding the cards with the backs up, count down two cards, that will be the card that the second spectator mentally selected. If the fourth spectator said they saw their card, their's will be the fourth card down. Just remember to hold the hand with the 'backs up' and not 'face up'.
If no one saw their card, you can drop the hand on top of the deck as it won't be needed any longer.

Once the spectator(s) have told you they saw their card, close the fan, turn it upside down, and put it under the table. Thumb down to the number that matches the spectator and take that card out of the hand and toss it toward the spectator, still face down. Ask them to not look at it yet..

Work you way thru all the hands, or until you have found all the necessary cards, and put all the remaining cards onto the top of the deck. Not each hand will have a spectators card, and some hands may have multiple spectators cards. But regardless, the location of the card in the face down hand will always match the position of the spectator.

You can do this blindfolded..

Now, all that's left to do is ask the spectator's, in turn, to name their mentally selected card and turn over the card in front of them, revealing the perfect match.

It's the thorough shuffling of the mentally selected card into the hand that throws the spectators off. Without the shuffling, this could have passed for just another self-working mathematical trick.

I've given you the basic workings, and you can easily use this principle to develop your own 'reveal'.

"Thanks" to Frank Garcia and George Schindler for the idea..

(To be added to the " Learn Free Magic Tricks" section )


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Houdini and the Library of Congress


What does Houdini and the Library of Congress have in common? Apparently, more than you think.. The Rare Book and Special Collections Division and the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress combined to form a collection of extremely rare Houdini items and photos that detail the life of America's first Superstar.

Think about it.. Houdini has been gone for eighty years. Yet everyone knows of Houdini. His influence seems to never wain, even with the turn of a new century and the never-ceasing progression of performers like Vernon, Henning, Copperfield, Blaine, and Angel.

The Man was a born marketer. He knew how to focus the spotlight on his performance alone, even as the rest of the magic community did their best to collectively copy his act and steal his thunder.. Uh, let me rephrase.... TRY to steal his thunder.

From the Library of Congress site:

"The Houdini component of the American Variety Stage Collection comprises 143 photographs and 29 related items of personal memorabilia that document the career of Harry Houdini, the legendary magician and "Genius of Escape Who Will Startle and Amaze." Collection materials have been drawn from the Rare Book and Special Collections Division, and the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress, and date from 1886 to the years following Houdini's death in 1926."

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"The mission of the Library of Congress is to make its resources available and useful to Congress and the American people and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations. The goal of the Library's National Digital Library Program is to offer broad public access to a wide range of historical and cultural documents as a contribution to education and lifelong learning.
The Library of Congress presents these documents as part of the record of the past. These primary historical documents reflect the attitudes, perspectives, and beliefs of different times. The Library of Congress does not endorse the views expressed in these collections, which may contain materials offensive to some readers."

Library of Congress Magic Link


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John Tudor

I want to thank my friend, John Tudor, for the Houdini link. I would never have found it without his direction.

As mentioned in the last issue, Uri Geller chose YouTube to publish his promo video to.. Now I find that John actually beat Uri to it. Here's the link to John's slick video. Professional wanna-be's, sit down and take notes..  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PErjDjXDtbU



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The Web Site Some Magic Companies Don't Want You To Find..

What if  I could STOP YOU from buying magic that sucks?  You would be Happy.. A couple of magic companies would be Mad. They would be so mad, in fact, that they would want to block you from visiting this special site.    

For complete details, go to Magic Cleaver and watch the demo video.

http://www.MagicCleaver.com


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~ A Five-Step Marketing Plan for Magicians ~
R.Carruth


Marketing is far and away the one forgotten factor in magic. Not that it doesn't exist, but most magicians are content to 'practice' their magic night after night as they sit at home and wonder why no one calls...

If you are to succeed in the 'business' of magic, and it IS a business, here's a list of five steps you MUST do to earn the type of paychecks necessary to work full time.


(1) Treat your Career as a Business.

Yes, it's a business and you are the president of the company. You can no longer think of yourself as simply a magician. You can introduce yourself to others as a magician, but you must be able to wear different hats at different times of the day. When you walk out on that stage.. you're a magician, but the rest of the time you're the owner of your own business.. the boss.. the president.. the big kahuna.


(2) Define your Performance.

Why is your performance worthy of the attention of those seeking a magician? What make's your performance different and unique? Can I flip through the phone book and find dozens of other performers who will fill the bill as well as you?

This could easily be a two or three part question, but I'm going to keep it simple... Every magician needs a 'selling point', and your selling point is what separates you from the rest of the performers. Your selling point helps define who you are. You can't sell a corporation on hiring you to entertain at their sales conference by stressing that you're a great childrens magician, close-up artist, illusionist, balloon artist, yada yada.. You MUST be prepared to present yourself as a great corporate performer, offer proof that you're great, and convince the hirer that you're going to make him or her look great.

Same applies if you're a children's performer. I promise you, the childs parents don't want to spend money on a poor performance. They want to see their little darling's eye's light up when you perform. And its your job to convince the parents that YOU are a professional performer who makes children's eye's light up every week. Define yourself, and once you do, you'll find that it's much easier to be a big fish in a small pond than jack-of-all-trade's in a great big pond..


(3) Define and Determine your Market    

Where are you going to find your customers? If you haven't defined yourself, how the heck are you going to define your market. And don't even say ' Oh, I'll perform anywhere, anytime, for anybody." Maybe you will... But never develop that mindset.  

Imagine yourself as a salesman for a floor tile company, and as you prepare to walk out of the office on your first day, your boss stops you and ask what's your plan for the day. And your answer? "Oh, I thought I would go down to main street and go store to store. Maybe I'll stop a few folks on the sidewalks too, and see if they need tile." Before you can take another ill-advised step your boss is going to have you by the collar, leading  you back to the conference room.  

He's going to explain to you that most stores on main street are owned by investment companies or landlords, and talking to the store proprietors is basically a waste of time, unless you're on a fact-finding expedition. He's also going to tell you that most folks don't install their own tile, the contractor's do that.. And that the largest sales are going to come courtesy of corporate accounts via maintenance supervisors. He's going to give you a phone book and tell you that you're not to leave the office without two or three appointments with individuals who actually have the authority, ability, and desire to replace their tile..

Maybe all this sounds a little silly, but I'm trying to make a point here.. By determining your market,  you're  going to maximize your ability to actually get a gig. By determining where you're going to perform, and who you need to talk to about performing those venues, you're saving yourself days of needlessly handing out business cards at the mall.  


(4) Make a Marketing Plan.

This is simply the above step taken one step further. After determining your market and who you need to talk to, you now draw up, and I mean physically draw up, a plan. "Today I'm gong to contact all the city and county libraries and see who sets up the performing schedules for artists and performers. Then, I'm going to set appointments starting next Monday. Tomorrow, I'll contact all the school administrative offices and get the names of superintendents I can send a performance package to, and I'll hand deliver those packages if necessary.."

Include both weekly and monthly goals. As good salesmen say.. " Plan to work, and work your plan."    


(5) Reach Out..

Good businessmen travel in social circles. They belong to country clubs, professional organizations, city and community organizations. They belong to the Chamber of Commerce. Did you know that in most cities, you can call the city or county administrative offices and volunteer to serve on county panels? You may find yourself on the council for the aging, or the school volunteer service's board. Service one night a month may open a lot of doors for your career.
If you're a school administrator, doesn't it make sense that you would gladly set up an appointment with a performer/magician who also happens to be on the County School Oversight Committee?
 
Write articles. Send them to the Magic Roadshow. Become a 'published author' or authority on magic. Hey, there's nothing wrong with telling future clients you've had your articles read, literally, around the world..

Know the value of your work, and never let others cut you short. When was the last time you convinced a doctor or dentist to reduce their bill, or operate pro bono?

Remember.. it's YOUR career, and you are a professional, a performer, and a businessman 24 hours a day. Walk and talk like a professional..  and others will start to treat you like one..
 
R.Carruth


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My Dilemma - My Solution


I receive letters and emails, literally, from around the world wanting me to teach them HOW to succeed in Magic. Now, there's two problems with that...  One, I'm not that good a teacher. And Two, I have a friend who is, without a doubt, among the top couple of teachers on the globe.

If you're SERIOUS about learning magic and street magic, I have someone I want to introduce you to..

http://www.301url.com/powerful_magic


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Play It Again, Sam


It's amazing how far computer games have progressed. But have you ever felt the urge to take a trip back in time and relive the games of the eighties and nineties? Well now you can.

We have 232 DOS games in our archive that can be downloaded for free. The games are shareware, freeware, playable demos and full versions that are released as freeware or into the public domain.

http://www.dosgamesarchive.com


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Erdnases' Expert at the Card Table - Download


You can download your free version of Erdnases' classic ebook at this link..

http://www.301url.com/erdnase

If you have a problem, let me know and I will send you the ebook as an attachment..


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That's all.. for now. Look for another packed issue in two weeks. Our Next issue will be our last before Christmas, so I'll see what kind of gift I can get for you this year. Last year I gave away a collection of hypnotism ebooks, six different one's if I remember correctly. I have in mind what I hope to give away this year. I'm probably going to upset someone when I do, but they'll probably forgive me... some day.

Questions? Rants? Raves? Comments?

Email Me

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To position yourself on the 'Roadshow's Frappr World Map' with other readers from, literally, around the world....  
http://www.frappr.com/magicroadshow

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To view a sample chapter of our best selling magic-related ebook 'Astounding Magic'.. http://www.StreetMagic.info/astounding.html    

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To watch high quality sample video's from our favorite teaching web site CardTricks1..  
http://www.301url.com/cardsleights

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Remember to visit some of my other sites at:

http://www.StreetMagic.info

http://www.MagicRoadshow.com

http://www.Mentalists.info

http://www.StreetMagicSecrets.info

http://www.BellaOnline.com/site/shareware

http://www.StreetMagic.info/blogger.html

http://www.MadMarketing101.com

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May my next issue find you well..

Rick Carruth / editor


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