Panel of Experts Enrich December Meeting

The December 1st meeting hosted fifty members and guests. President Arnie Fuoco introduced former member Homer Lambeth, who was reinstated into Ring 50. After the raffle and 50/50, Treasurer Bob Patterson proposed that the Counts of Conjuring (Magic Youth International) annual prize be a paid membership in the I.B.M. The motion was passed.

President Fuoco facilitated the “Ask the Experts” panel discussion, answering questions submitted by email in advance. The panel consisted of Dick Christian, Hugh Turley, Mike Taggert, Wayne Alan, Buddy Smith and Louis Meyer. While many questions generated in-depth discussion, highlights follow.

One person asked about dealing with anxiety and shaking hands in performance. Some offered humorous lines, such as “I learned this trick in Minnesota,” while others stressed the importance of preparation and rehearsal. One member wanted to rent illusions on an occasional basis. The illusionists on the panel pointed out the difficulties involved and encouraged study of the many books of practical, low-cost illusions.

L to R: Dick Christian, Hugh Turley, Michael Taggert, Wayne Alan, Buddy Smith, Louis Meyer, Arnie Fuoco.

How would one practice the classic palm with coins without palming a coin all day? Coin expert Buddy Smith replied that Fred Kaps practiced with half dollars and held on in classic palm from sunrise to sunset. Buddy then reminded us of the many practical alternatives, such as Finger Palm and Thumb Clip, which could be acquired with less effort.

How to turn professional? This generated a huge discussion, with aspects of showmanship, finance, marketing, and raising fees once one’s calendar fills up. A related question on Internet marketing brought some great answers from Louis Meyer, who recently flew to California for a class at Google HQ.

How to sell an effect one has invented was the net topic, and this time the emphasis was on studying the background and history to ensure that the invention is in fact novel. The experts also discussed arrangements with magic dealers and wholesalers. To refresh old playing cards, try fanning powder, or just buy a new deck. A great card trick for strolling that resets and last under a minute? Turley recommends the old Three Card Monte with the flap card, which can be customized for each event or used as a giveaway. How does Kreskin find his check at the end of each show? The answer: muscle reading, also known as contact mind reading or Hellstromism.

Thinking about entering a contest? Attend other conventions and contests and observe the contests, noting the high level of copying. Then design an act that is novel, visually amazing and entertaining. Make sure to understand thoroughly the grading system and contest rules, especially time limits.

The final question was about working with agents, and again emphasized knowing the agent’s rules before you book through them. Getting things clearly in writing ahead of time saves much trouble.

A big THANK YOU to all our experts who made the discussions lively and very informative!

The final lineup for MAGI-WHIRL 2011 (April 29-30) is LOSANDER, LUNA SHIMADA, KEITH FIELDS and MARK MASON. Get all the info at www.Magi-Whirl.org

December Magi-Gram is Here!

You can read it by clicking here or by looking for the link in the right column. Thanks to Bob Patterson for a wonderful, fun-filled issue!

TLR Reviewers Perform at November Meeting

The November 3rd meeting had more than 50 in attendance, including new members Cassandra Rogers and Julian Ortiza, who were officially voted in. Magi-Whirl 2011 Chairman Theo Rushin, Jr., announced the full lineup for the April 29-30 event: Losander, Luna Shimada, Keith Fields and Mark Mason. Magi-Whirl will have a truly international flavor this year and you can get details at www.Magi-Whirl.org.

The November showcase featured Ring 50 members performing tricks they had reviewed for The Linking Ring. Since Associate Editor Jason Goldberg is in charge of Hocus in Focus and is also a Ring 50 members, most of the reviewers are from Ring 50. (Because of the sheer number of performers that follow, there is no room for full descriptions, which you can find in the November 2010 Magi-Gram newsletter.)

President Arnie Fuoco introduced the acts, which began with Jason Goldberg doing a charming rendition of Christian Schenk’s “Metamorphosis,” in which caterpillars on cards change to butterflies and one comes off as a souvenir. Treasurer Bob Patterson did Cameron Francis’ “Annihilation Deck,” in which two prediction cards are removed from the deck, and then a helper chooses a card. The prediction cards do not match the selection, but have the value and suit of the selection written on their backs! Bob Continued with “Prohibition” from Blacks Magic, a very clean, nearly impromptu cap-in-bottle effect. Bob concluded with “Double Coincidence,” one of the effects from Jean-Pierre Vallarino’s “Fasten” DVD.

Dick Christian did several mental magic and mentalism items, including “School Daze” by Black’s Magic, Asi Wind’s “Switcher,” and Devin Knight’s “Word Sight.” Kevin McGuire switched gears into children’s magic with a modified version of “Fronkey” from Oliver Meech’s “5 for £5 Kids Magic,” a sort of McCombical Deck routine for children, which was very cute.

With many funny bits of business, Arnie Levin did a four ace trick from the Criss Angel DVD, and then recommended we simply buy McDonald’s Aces. He finished with “Keyruption” by Bob Solari, in which a borrowed, signed, bill vanishes and winds up in a zippered leather key case – a definite recommendation.

Rucj Uffelman performed Devin Knight’s “Inside Thoughts” and “Schezuan Sampler” from Mentalism Unlimited. Bob Carnathan performed Devin Knight’s “Unshop,” and Danny Selnick did Gaeton Bloom’s “The Die.” Geoff Weber astonished all with the signature routine from Steve Spill’s “Confessions of a Needle Swallower” DVD.

Eric Henning had a last-minute change of program, announcing that he had been privileged to perform for President and the First Family at the White House Halloween party. He proceeded to do the routine he had developed for this engagement, which combined Bill Abbott’s “The Thing” with the DaVinci Floating Table. Afterward, Michael Taggert came up and reiterated his reviews of “The Thing” and also Jim Kleefeld’s “Sound Control” utility device, which Henning had used in his act.

TLR Reviewers Perform the Latest Items

The November 3rd meeting will be demonstrations of the latest magic items on the market by our Ring 50 product reviewers for the "Hocus in Focus" section of The Linking Ring. New items arrive at TLR editor’s office for review. He sends them to the Associate Editor, Jason Goldberg, for his reviewers to examine, tear apart, perform, and evaluate. Many are new items, books, DVDs, and some are revisions or modifications to classic magic effects. This will be a good chance to see a demo of an item you have seen advertised and want to know more about.

We appreciate the time the "Hocus in Focus" team spends on their reviews. It is not an easy task to critically examine the hard work of others. Our Ring 50 reviewers are:
Jason Goldberg, Tom Bohacek, Sam Brothers, Dick Christian, Eric Henning, Dick Kahane, Arnie Levin, Larry Lipman, Kevin McGuire, Louis Meyer, Bob Patterson, Tom Paxton, Dwight Redman, Danny Selnick, Dave Shepherd, Ed Spells, Michael Taggert, Geoff Weber, Rucj Uffelman, Bill Wells and Paul White.

October Magi-Gram is Here!

You can read it online or download it and print it out from your own computer if you like. Just click here. Special thanks to Bob Patterson, who in addition to his duties as Treasurer, has been faithfully creating this great newsletter monthly.

You can see the online newsletter archive at http://www.scribd.com/document_collections/2674897