Jamy Ian Swiss Lectures at Ring 50

Jamy Ian Swiss is a gifted sleight-of-hand artist who possesses "a finely tuned sense of the absurd," says the Washington Post. He has appeared along the way in performances from Hollywood's Magic Castle to Caesar's Palace on the Las Vegas Strip to the Ginza District of downtown Tokyo. His greatest passion, though, is sleight-of-hand magic, and there are few practitioners who can match his skill and enthusiasm. With a bravado that reflects his early days performing in biker bars, Jamy blends contemporary comedy with bravura technical mastery to create a truly unique show that appeals to almost any audience. Jamy is a busy and highly regarded writer, Jamy contributes a monthly book review column to Genii, the Conjuror's Magazine; he is the author of 11 books and monographs of magic for magicians.

His three and a half hour lecture for IBM Ring 50 was based on “why” I do things the way I do. He stressed using creativity and that novel wins over the good from the AMATEUR MAGICIAN'S perspective, and that this is why novelty wins magic contests, and why magic contest winners -- like FISM Grand Prix closeup winners -- are consistently terrible. The layman, on the other hand, has a MUCH better idea of what is good, when compared with an amateur magician. He says the great performer demonstrates very little skill and goes for the effect. Jamy says, “sleight of hand is only a small part of the secret – the real secrets have to do with psychology and a carefully constructed, almost theatrical production, with many players, most of whose roles are invisible to the victim.”

Jamy's lecture was packed with practical material from his own working repertoire – filled with real-life information about performance of magic – all delivered in Jamy's powerful, potent and unprecedented style! Including: THE KISS OF THE BIG APPLE - According to Scotty York, long-time confidant of the great Fred Kaps, "This is the final word on the Kaps method for the Card in Matchbox." WISHFUL THINKING - The ultimate Card in Matchbook routine, elements of which have been endorsed and even adopted by Michael Ammar. THE ANIMATED RING - The easiest yet most powerful effect that's been and featured in Jon LeClair's “The Art of Invisible Thread.” His lecture was more than just tricks. It's was a carefully constructed performance, a session with an expert teacher, a riveting motivational experience. This lecture was not merely magic lessons – this lecture was life lessons!

New Members Join IBM Ring 50

The National Capital Ring 50 we voted in two new members at the October meeting. Todd Eisenstadt, Bethesda MD, Todd is a college professor and has performed at charity shows and birthday gigs. Todd is a member of KIDABRA. Michael Wolfson, Alexandria VA. Mike is a Management Analyst with the US Dept of State. He has always loved magic and has performed presentations at the US Dept of State and for friends in the US Army and Peru.

The following have applied for membership in IBM Ring 50 and have membership applications pending with IBM. Upon completion of the HQ IBM membership, and when these magicians attend the next meeting, the members will vote on their acceptance into Ring 50. Donna Jean Audi, Alexandria VA, performs as ‘Sparkplug’ the clown. Magic has always interested her and she wants to make a profession of it. Donna has received her membership into IBM and will be eligible to be voted upon at the next meeting she attends. Shrive Paul Beck, Arlington VA, has been a student of magic through books and is looking forward to gaining knowledge, advice, and experience through membership in the Ring. Peter A. Zawadzki (Zulu Papa), Bethesda MD, has been a Yogi Magic Mart student in Baltimore and was inspired by Jeff McBride.

~ ~ Bob Patterson