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.

The reasons I love magic.

I see magic as a art form. Like any other art form there the need to understanding behind what your doing. This can involve the research in many field not just the history of magic. For example i have loved dice since I was a kid I am now developing a dice routine. As well searching the magic books I have also looked at the history of dice and including stories of dice loaders and scoundrels in to my routine. So this exploring other interest and learning more about what's around us is great.

The second thing is exploring what's around me understanding the environment I am in. For example at festivals I like to either be loud and showy or sat down under a tree nice and slow and calm. I bars it about chatting and laughing then leaving with a loud reaction. Not only am I exploring the environment but I want the people to explore as well throw my magic. One place i do is a cabaret night and a feel that I take people away from work mode to a position of something else something creative and enjoyable. So the understanding of people and what's around me is something I enjoy.

I often say to other magicians enjoy your magic and let others enjoy it as well. I just love it when your doing magic and some watch just forget about what's going on in the mad world. To see some that leave smiling fells compiled to speak to me and show a interest in what i do is a great pay back for all the practice I put in. Of course its great when someone pays you as well he he.

So as i started out magic is a art form. And as any artist they need to practice and understand there skill. Then apply it in away to communicate message of how they feel or to aid the viewers understanding. In is this type of filed we also need to entertain up lift and have a laugh.

I just love sharing my magic with any one be it a crowd that as paid for tickets or a waitress in a café. I don't want to interfere or change what's going on around me I just like to bring a bit of refill and reflect it all with a bit of puzzlement and wonder.

Puzzlement and wonder?

The idea is that my magic become a extension of me. I like the idea that i become a person that dose magic as I go with things around me. Not the type of persons like oh yeah i am a magician but I don't have anything on me or yes this contain which no one seen the likes of before. I would like to responded in this case naturally. This can be explained in a case were someone asked me about magic and as we spoke I played with a mustard pot and a napkin. I wrapped the mustard in the napkin the bang I hit it and the pot went throw the table. The person I was speaking to freaked and they was amazed that I just did it there and then.

I also like to be aware of what's going on around me. I was in a café once and a mum and daughter were having breakfast. They had a teddy bear and a toy bunny with them which were also having breakfast with them. As I left i went up to the mum and daughter and asked about there friends then performed a trick with sponge bunnies. As the sponge bunnies jumped from my hands to the young girls people working in the café goatherd to watch. At the end as the girl opened her hand and there were the 2 bunnies with a pile of babies. The people watching gasped there was a small round of applause I grabbed my stuff and said farewell and things carried on as normal. I later saw the mum and daughter the mum thanked me very much. This is a example of just adding something to the environment around me then just leaving it to carry on as it would done but just sprinkled with a little puzzlement and wonder.

All the world's a stage,And all the men and women merely players: Shakespeare.
This is what he said and I do not disagree. I also like to do little routines at bus stops and just general places i hang out in. I usually look for the kids with tired parents the parents like there kid to be distracted for a while. Also on top of a double decker bus stuck in traffic I did a few tricks for some guys on a tour bus next to us.

So this is what I am working on and what I done so far. Its a fine line from this and just being annoying lets hope I keep on the right side. So this is the start of Al Zebediah and
Puzzlement and wonder and quite were its going i dont know but there's a few things planed I let you know as I go.