Moving Monday (Last Week in Michigan)

A question I get a lot as a magician is "how many decks of cards do you own?" Well this last Saturday I spent an hour organizing all my decks of cards for my move, if that gives you any indication! I tried to get all my cards into one dresser instead of having them spread throughout my room. I think I have them all locked up in one dresser now instead of spread across my computer desk, in drawers, and on top of my dressers.

Sean Solak and I are recording a few magic videos this week. Yesterday was our first day and we rehearsed a new routine in his basement in between moments of Nintendo 3DS. We got a late start on recording some test footage, getting out just as the sun was setting. It was a pretty cold day to begin with, but it got aggressively cold after the sun went down. We still managed to bug a group of hacky sack players in the park off of Biddle though. It was definitely an interesting time to record! I would ask someone to pick a card and to put it back as quick as they could so they could get their hands back in their pockets! I even had to cut my routine short in order to get back to the car and warm my fingers up.

Today I am working on Introductions. I never introduce myself, nor do I ask for people's names. I'm looking for things that will put me "in the moment" as well as involve my spectators more and this is a huge next step.

Anyway, thanks for reading. I'm going to get back to organizing things for my move. Look for another video this Friday as well as a few more blogs about my thoughts leading up to the move later this week.

Until next time, may I recommend a song?
http://www.uvumi.com/#finelle/songs/16305

"Moving" Monday

Magic Monday is "Moving Monday" today (and likely a few more Mondays to come.) I've officially received my transfer at work and am looking to begin driving to Houston, Texas on April 5th.

I've already set up shows with some Relay for Life events down there:

April 8th
(Possible Stage Show)
Woodlands, TX
College Park High School

April 29th
Northwest Harris County, TX
Klein Oak High School

May 13th - my brother Brad's birthday
(Luncheon and a Possible Stage Show)
Greater Heights, TX
Delmar Dyer Stadium

I've also updated my gigsalad account to show the change. You are able to see what kind of shows I offer as well as booking me through GigSalad.com

Magic Monday - Arts and Crafts

I've been spending the last week trying to stay away from the Black Friday deals on the magic websites I frequent (yes even magic website have Black Friday deals.) I swore off buying magic products a year ago and was trying to keep my word (minus the three books I bought over the summer.) I looked through my old videos and books and found a few ideas that I've looked over for a while and began practicing them. It's pretty rewarding actually and I would recommend it to anyone that's in a similar situation.

Christmas is coming up and I just wrapped my presents. Keeping with my strange persona the presents have no names on them, but a secret code that reveals the recipient of the gift. I asked everyone on my list "what would be the worst gift to receive on Christmas" and used that as a starting point for what to get them. It should be a very interesting year! I'll be passing the gifts out when Jordan comes to town on New Year's Day.

As I mentioned earlier this month in the blog I've been studying up on Sherlock Holmes. I'm hoping to get a few jobs doing Sherlock Holmes styled personality readings and am going to be passing out my resumes again this week to a few select locations. I'm looking to practice my Holmes' reading methods during the week as well in order to fine tune my presentation. Anyone looking for a free personality reading send me an email, comment, or some sort of social network nudge.

Thanks for reading,
Steve.

Magic Monday

Here's a video of me performing on the fly at Buffalo Wild Wings back around January.

Please be forewarned that there's some foul language and "honest reactions" to this effect that I was not able to easily edit out. Flip camera software is not easy to navigate and does not give many options for editing.

Magic Monday

Magic Monday's is something I started doing years ago at my old house. I set aside an hour to create my own magic effects. I would choose a creative environment and listen to some creatively inspiring music. Most of the time I listened to the four part album Ghosts by Nine Inch Nails (since they advertised it as an album for daydreaming, it felt perfect.) I also chose to sit in my garage with the doors open so that I could hear the outside world, take in the sights, and feel the breeze go through.

I've just moved back in with my family, but we no longer live in the same house, so I will be on the lookout for a new creative environment. Right now I sit with my magic journal at Border's or Tim Horton's.

My first step is coming up with effect ideas. I sent a text out to all of my friends (none of whom are magicians) asking what they would do if any effect was possible to them. I got back very few responses, but it still got my mind going. One friend said "pull your heart out" and the other said "do something with invisibility." Another friend that was in the room when I sent the text mentioned levitating a chair.

Here's some of my list as it was written in my magic journal:

A coins across effect in someone else's pockets
Color Change done on a camera phone
Christmas in July (outside snow effect ala David Copperfield)
Make a chair appear (home or a restaurant)
An ambitious card routine where the deck disappears

The appearing chair came from my friend's idea. He had mentioned making a chair disappear, but making one appear would serve a more usefull purpose. Wouldn't it be great to invite some friends to a restaurant, not have enough chairs, and then make one appear?

The next few "Magic Mondays" will hopefully see the evolution of these ideas and more.

Magic Monday Week 5

Here's a video some of you may not have seen. I did not teach this effect in my magic class, but I did teach a move used in the effect. So, if you remember what you learned in class you are able to do this one. That means you get to learn new things even though the class is over, how cool is that!?

The rest of you can still watch the video recorded last Christmas.

Anyone have some time off this weekend? I'm looking to record for a full day in order to stock pile some future videos and I need a few volunteer camera people. Send me a message on facebook or write a comment below if you're interested.

Steve, The Amazing

Magic Monday Week 4

This is a refresher video of some of the effects we went over in my most recent magic class.

Now this week was about performance. This effect wasn't taught in my class (nor could I truly teach it in one hour, the secret is almost harder than the effect itself.) The idea is disecting performances and seeing what you like and what you feel you could do differently.

We felt pretty lucky to get this strange triangle shaped table; it was perfect for a performance. I began by making a coin appear from nowhere and then impossibly vanish never to be seen again. I think that started the nite on a very strange note. An hour after we ate; the guy in the video came up to me and asked "...where did the coin go?" I've never made someone that on edge about a coin vanish before, but I think it was because the coin wasn't brought back. An old saying goes, if magic where real people wouldn't clap they would scream, and I think I may have danced along a thin line that nite between magic and something more.

Magic Monday Week 3

Each Monday I give a refresher video of one of the effects I performed at my magic class. I've been late for a while, but here's a new one.

Magic Monday Week 2

About to start working on the Ninja video from my Interactive Facebook Group's suggestions. Until then, here is a refresher video of some of the effects I taught last Wednesday during my magic class.

Magic Mondays

Here's a quick refresher of some of the things my magic class went over last Wednesday. Each Monday will have a new video through the remainder of the class.

Where I Stand

Welcome to one of the new features of my revamp(ing) blog page. Wednesdays are a time to check in and see Where I Stand as I update my blog with a photo taken often moments before the blog post. Also many of my Where I Stand photos include subtle clues about my life or hints into something I'm doing, so keep an eye out for that.

Just to describe this image in a short amount of time; I was practicing with a deck of cards that my girlfriend and I made. This is a mind reading deck of cards that includes gypsy elements, mind reading psychology, as well as symbolism and a little luck. These five cards are the ones I chose at random. There are a few things going on in this picture that I am not going to go too far into, one being something that I hope to add to the website soon....

Back to the blog update. My second magic class is beginning tomorrow (though it might as well be Wednesday already.) As part of the class I will be uploading a video each Monday that will recap the performance of some of the effects being taught in each class. This will go on for the next six Monday's as the class continues. There is still time to get signed up for the class and I am willing to try to ask if I can teach another week to make up for anyone that misses this first week.

Keep to the blog for many more consistent updates as well as checking back as I clean up the website a bit. See you soon.

Steve.