Long time, no hear.

Yes it as be a while but a lot has happened. First up science in a van has taken of more than we expected. We have done over 70 education bookings, few corporate events, community festivals, charity fundraiser and youth offenders. We had great time in Rotorua at the U-Learn conference we meet fantastic people. Our space chick Steve also had a great time flying across the crowd. So 2011 was good for science in a van. And with the bookings coming in and a contract signed with the Ministry of done working for the breath right foundation going in 50 early learning centre and teacher training 2012 looks good for science in a van.

So Science in a van along with a bit of fishing has took up most of my time. However I have managed to get a bit of street magic in out on the street of Auckland. With what I have learnt I plan to develop a 10 minute repeatable routine.

Things have been going well with the Brother Hood Of Auckland Magicians. It was great getting routines ready for the themed nights. At the theme of storytelling I Visited a undeveloped idea I had a while ago called a magicians chat. It worked well and the development continues. Also a routine I was working on with bottle tops and a purse frame . Got developed and worked on quite fast with help from the club. This has beeb ran out on the streets. I had the great plesuer of receiving the BAM Wizard Award.

So what next, Science in a van is my main concern. Id like to get a street routine working and I might enter a close up competition.

Progress updates and more information hopefully to follow about puzzlement and wonder.

Magic travels :Part 3

In this part of magic travels I will cover what I took away from my travels. In Spain partially many people remarked on the simplicity and the fact I just did magic there and there with things around me. Also in reinforced that magic is just another way to communicate with people.

In India it thank people for their help and hospitality. A guy in a photo copy shop took great care to copy and bind some resources for me. And once we paid he knew they were for the project so he said a prayer over them. So in return I did Crazy man handcuff with two of his bands. He loved it.

The routine Staples of modern conjuring is something I am quite proud of. It great fun and easy to follow. It got comedy and some very magic moments in it. Also it all fits in a very small box and easy to carry. In fact it could be made from scratch in a afternoon with a visit to a dollar store. And I did it as my audition piece for Brother Hood Of Auckland Magicians

When walking in Spain I saw lots of butter flies and I want to do a routine about them and my journey. It be a bit like sands of Indian by Just Alan. This routine also made more sense after I travelled on a sleeper train in India.

So with a full note book of ideas to work on. Were now in New Zealand were Emily is from and were running a company called Science In A Van. Ill up date more as we go.

Magic travels :Part 2

In India we volunteered for an education project in Delhi. I took a few extra bits with for a routine called the staples of modern conjuring which is simple to follow and great fun it contains. A appearing cane, Fibre optics, egg bag routine and a 6 card repeat. With a basic costume and my top hat this was very handy. I did routines at the 3 centres for groups of kids. We stayed with the founder of the project and her family they were very hospital and had lot of guest visit and they all got a magic trick. We were there for Diwali so staple of modern conjuring came in handy again.

Once finished at the project we left to go to Jodhpur. This beautiful blue city is a wonderful place. While we were there me and my wife took a walk up and through an area which was of the tourist track and was just were people lived. It was very close and many nook and cranny’s. We past a group of women sitting on the street side watching kids play. My wife smiled at a group of girls playing hop scotch. They got her to have ago. People came out to watch. I then did a basic sponge star routine with a purse frame. They loved it. The video attached is only a small bit of what I did but check out the girls face. No shared langue but we all knew what was going on.

http://www.youtube.com/user/ScienceinaVan#p/a/u/1/C7EdI1VhK-Q

As we was about to leave our great hostel we realised that the young boy of the owners was not well. A motor bike ran over his bare foot the day before. So again a purse frame came in handy a couple of coin vanishes then four rupee coin production. It made him feel a little better.

Magic travles :Part 1

In this 3 part blog I explain the magic I developed to take traveling with me. Mid the end of 2009 my wife Emily and I planned to go traveling in 2010. Most of our time was took up planning and saving for our trip. My plans for my magic changed. From setting up new charter which was to be inspired from a 18th century Victorian London scientific / magician with a splash of steam punk. I became thinking of what magic I could carry with me which dint take up much space and what stuff can I do importuned.

Our travel started in Spain. We spent 3 weeks in San Sebastian learning a little Spanish. Then we moved to St Jean pied de port in France to start the Camino de Santiago a 795 kilometres pilgrim walk across northern Spain. The magic I took was simple and light. I took 3 decks of cards, a length of rope set of fibre optics, In my Mesika's Wallet inside was Richard sanders power ball 60, 4 old English pennies and a few rubber bands with the gaff bands for stargazer by Alan Wong. These kept me well as I did magic for fellow pilgrims as I travelled. The effects that did me well was Crazy Man Handcuffs with stargazer and a effect I did with a coin and purse frame. One place we stayed was a ruined monastery in San Anton the couple that ran it had the perfect love story and planned to get married there a year later. Over a meal I did a version of Hindu thread. With the story of a good relationship is made up of many things. And when we get it right amazing things happen. They played guitar I did magic and my wife sung a solo it was great night.

First thing first.

A few years ago I had a friend that had a few gaffed tricks and learnt some basic card tricks. But wanted to learn more on the basics of what’s out there. So here follows a list and a quick explanation of what I recommended and why.

1- Invisible deck /TT plus silk/ spotty dot paddles.
2- Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic / 2 pack Cards/ Sponge balls/ rope.
3- Cups and balls/ multiplying balls.
4- Daryl’s Fooler Dooler three volumes DVD.

1, Is mainly all gaffs but require some handling. The invisible deck is great fun. I got one when I first started and still carry one. The TT can be used for many things. The paddle move is worth learning and the trick mentioned is very cheap and it kills people watching. These make a nice routine.

2, The book Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic has a great introduction to most disciplines in magic. Sponge balls are not easy but there a great way to learn basic slights and moves.

3, Cups and balls are a real classic In magic. It personal preference if you get involved in this. The same goes for multiplying balls.

4, Daryl’s Fooler Dooler DVD set. There are some tricks that require some gaff cards but instruction are given to make your own. Also there are things like sponge ball routines as well. But there is a lot here which you can do with regular stuff. And it introduce work from some of the greats like Dai Veron, Al Baker and Tenki just to name a few.

I hope this helps in the confusion of what to choose in the vast world of magic. This will not suite everyone but it’s worth looking at. Good luck and spread your own little bit of puzzlement and wonder.

Whats it all about.

This blog was set up a few years ago in 2009. The idea was for me to develop my magic and a charter called Al Zebediah. I also planned to get out there more and do magic in the environment I find myself in. This blog was to document this as I went. I got some of the basics down then other things come up and the focus I planned to give my magic got a little side tracked. But I plan to bring some life back in to blog. I have developed my charter a bit and still plan to do more so ill update on this. I also have advice for people starting in the art of magic.

So what came up. Well I got pretty busy with working at the Science Museum London. I worked on the interactive galliers and did tours of the collection. While I was there I developed many shows used in the museum. Including a science magic, magic science work shop and built a phoenix table. Then me and wife decide to hit the road and travel. We did a pilgrimage across Spain and volunteered at A education project in India. Were now in New Zealand were we have set up a company called Science In A Van. All these experience had a influence on my magic and I will post about this in following blogs.

So the quest of supplying puzzlement and wonder goes on and over the next few post I plan to cover how my travels have developed my magic. I also have some advice for beginners and talk you through how I developed a routine which is the first routine in the direction of where I want my magic to go.