samletter 181magicsam181.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/samletterv5n4...in mentalism, one would be...

SAMLETTER181 V5N4R1 - DECEMBER 2019 1

Samletter 181

Time to re-live the wonder of magic that you once knew. Allen Zingg will be the tour guide of a workshop with a host of performers presenting their favorite magic effects at the next Assembly 181 meeting, Thursday, December 5, 2019.

Allen Zingg, Imaginationist1 and Owner of Magic of the Imagination is an author and former editor for both Psychic Entertainers Associates and M-U-M publications. Allen has his own line of products and has published several magic DVDs. http://magicoftheimagination.com

Following the workshop, we will open the stage to others to perform in our “No Judgment Zone”, so bring something to share.

Society of American Magicians Assembly 181 of Hightstown meets the first Thursday of every month, September through June at the First United Methodist Church, 187 Stockton Street, Hightstown, NJ 08520. Doors open at 7:00 PM. Workshops start at 7:30 PM.

1 Imaginationist: one who embraces a wide mix of knowledge, skills and experience, creates metaphors and performance art to reach people, create common experiences, connect people and stir them out of their patterns to imagine and be open to new possibilities.

http://magicoftheimagination.com/


From the President

The holidays are just around the corner and the year 2019 is coming to an end. Not only is it a time for us all to celebrate but it is also a time to feel the magic in the air. There is something magical about this time so the idea of feeling the magic is our theme for the month. It seems like people have lost the idea of what is "magical". We push a button and instantly we are speaking to someone miles away, if not thousands of miles away.

We see something that we like, take a picture of it and again with just a push of a button we send that picture to someone and they receive it instantly. It may seem ordinary to someone younger than thirty but at my age that is magical. There is no end to the magical experiences we are exposed to with the advent of technology. Do you ever stop to wonder how amazing it really is?

As magicians, we watch magic, learn magic, talk magic and perform magic as if it is an ordinary occurrence. I and others fear that being exposed to all that magic, the moves, concepts, and philosophies had almost desensitized us to the wonder of magic. I can still remember the first magic trick I saw. I remember how amazed I was at how the gemstones changed on a hot rod. I also still remember how I was blown away when the first mentalist I ever encountered knew my zodiac sign and birthday without me "telling him" anything. Can you remember how you felt when you first experienced the magic?

This month SAM 181 member Allen Zingg is going to take us on a magical journey. His hope is to be our guide on a path where we can rekindle the wonder we first felt when we were exposed to magic. Allen Zingg will be working with five performers who will be performing their most favorite tricks. As he guides the presentations he hopes to capitalize on the sheer joy and energy these performers impart as they share their most cherished routine.

I would like to take this time to thank all the members of SAM 181, both past and present, for being part of our magical family. I'm sure I speak for all of the officers of SAM 181 when I wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah and a Happy and Healthy New Year.


SAM 181 President Stephan Sloan [email protected]

SAM 181 Vice President David Zboray [email protected]

SAM 181 Treasurer Dennis Thomas [email protected]

SAM 181 Secretary Mitch Geier [email protected]

Contact SAM 181 [email protected]

Visit us on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/magicsam181 or our website http://www.magicsam181.com/

All S.A.M. Assembly 181 videos are posted on our Vimeo channel at https://vimeo.com/magicsam181

Society of American Magicians Assembly 181 of Hightstown meets the first Thursday of every month, September through June at the First United Methodist Church, 187 Stockton Street, Hightstown, NJ 08520. Doors open at 7:00 PM. Workshops start at 7:30 PM.

Join the world’s oldest magic organization Founded in 1902

https://www.magicsam.com

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.facebook.com/magicsam181http://www.magicsam181.com/https://vimeo.com/magicsam181https://www.magicsam.com/https://www.magicsam.com/general/register_member_type.asp?


S.A.M. Humanitarian Award

It was an exciting meeting at Assembly 181. All in one night, we saw a visual presentation by Regional Vice President Sara Crasson, a presenting of the S.A.M. Humanitarian Award, and learned magic from a coin magic workshop.

RVP Sara Crasson, who is both a magician and a lawyer, and is uniquely qualified to give a PowerPoint presentation on intellectual property. Without using legalize, Sara explains and gave examples of the different types of intellectual properties and your rights as an owner. Besides being very informative, the presentation was also quick and witty, and the group was genuinely engaged throughout. Sara has also recently written a book on the subject “Own Your Magic: A Magician’s Guide to Protecting Your Intellectual Property” and it is a must-read if

you are interested in this topic.

Following that presentation, Sara presented the S.A.M. Humanitarian Award, given annually to the person who best exemplifies the spirit of National Magic Week, to S.A.M. Life Member Chad Juros.

Chad, who himself was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of three, has performed magic around the world for hundreds of children’s hospitals, pediatric cancer organizations, hospices, and cancer camps. He is also the recipient of the “Courage and Inspiration Award” from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the “John Elliot Hero Award” for outstanding acts of kindness to those that are suffering. Chad has formed the Spread the Magic Foundation, https://www.spreadthemagic.org/ a nonprofit charitable organization that performs magic to raise money for pediatric cancer patients. Chad truly personifies the spirit of Magic Week year-round. Congratulations Chad!

We finished the meeting with a workshop on coin magic, specifically on the double-sided copper silver coin. The double-sided coin is probably the oldest known gaffed coin. There are references to magic with “two coins filed thin and

https://www.spreadthemagic.org/


joined” described by Reginald Scot in 1584 in his “Discovery of Witchcraft”. The techniques described in 1584 are still used today.

Each attendee was given a set of poker chips to follow along with and to take home for practice. Most of the effects performed with the cooper silver gaff are transpositions but there are plenty of other plots. The copper-silver coin is a gaff that is inexpensive and easy to use yet powerful enough to fool sophisticated audiences, and that’s magic.

If you would like more information about Chad Juros and his work, take a look at Spread The Magic Foundation.

Barry Mitchell Lecture A Barry Mitchell lecture is being hosted by Assembly 181 and A.C.E.on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 at the First United Methodist Church, 187 Stockton Street, Hightstown, NJ 08520. Doors open at 7:00 PM.

Barry Mitchell is known as "The Entertaining Encourager”. He is also an author and inventor of magic tricks used around the world by professional magicians. This event is FREE to all members of Assembly 181; and only $20 for guests

https://www.spreadthemagic.org/https://www.spreadthemagic.org/


Tricks are for Kids - Magic for the children's performer

I don't do children's magic shows, but I've often wondered how the children who never get picked to participate feel after the show. I also wonder how their parents also feel. Perhaps their child has been to a dozen parties and for some reason never gets chosen. Of course, we all know that there are only a limited number of participatory tricks one can do and most require only one or two children. Well, if you ever wondered how you can increase your participation rate without sacrificing the quality of the show, check out Keith Field's The Human Xylophone.

The Human Xylophone allows you to bring up eight little darlings or seven and an adult rube to entertain for a solid five minutes. The routine is

flexible enough to use the built-in gag opportunities but yet allows for more children to be up on stage for a photo op for their parents.

What you get is a set of nine tuned wind chime tubes so you can play a tune such as "Happy Birthday". Of course, the idea is that there are antics involved in rearranging the kids, so they are the proper place to play the tune. The tubes are drilled with a hole and a cord is strung through the hole to use as a handle. Included are eight wooden spoons which are your "hammers".

There is a little bit of a challenge in knowing how to arrange the chimes and where to place the children. Keith Fields provides written instructions with tips on how to make it easier to remember the order of things. I thought that the strings can be replaced with a color-coded ribbon to make the arranging easier. Using a mnemonic like R-O-Y-G-B-I-V may help. As with a lot of "Children's magic", it doesn't have to be magic as long as it's entertaining and this routine certainly fits that.

To watch the trailer for the Human Xylophone click the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1k1YmcMEkA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1k1YmcMEkA


Psycho Path - Magic for the Mentalist

In every form of magic, there seems to be the "holy grails" one would like to achieve. In mentalism, one would be the zodiac and birthday divination. In all intents and purposes, the mentalist would meet someone and casually reveal their zodiac sign and then the month and day they were born. Obviously, the impact would be tremendous.

There have been several methods developed to do such a revelation that range from gimmicked books and electronics to verbal coercion coupled with mathematics. The electronics are very expensive and limited in scope. The gimmicked books are a bit bulky. There are ways to do this totally propless, but they are complex. Until now a simple method to achieve this was not available until Calendar by Rick Lax.

Calendar is a mathematical based formula based on the old birthday equation but on steroids. The birthday equation is a binary-based formula that will allow you to figure out a number the spectator is thinking of. It is a trick usually packed in with a child's basic magic set. The most recent organic version of that trick is Powerball 60 by Richard Sanders and Bill Abbott. Calendar takes that concept one step further and allows you to divine the numerical date of their birth and the month as well. Calendar is disguised as a small handout typically distributed by a business that you might find under the wiper blade of your vehicle or pick up as a freebee at a new age shop.

The design of the prop is very good. Calendar does not look like a magic prop and a great deal of effort was expended to make it seem like an ordinary item you would see around. The pamphlet is compact and was made to fit in your wallet or pocket. There are two mathematical functions you will have to do but its basic addition so most will not have trouble with it. Both calculations are independent of each other so if you want to disregard revealing the month and just do the day you can. Compared to other methods Calendar is way more portable and extremely less costly. Like many other revelations of this type, you would have to know the zodiac dates to reveal their star sign. Some memory work is required if you want to add that to the reveal. Unfortunately, there is no easy way around that. Calendar is a great way to enter into this area of mentalism and can be part of any casual, walk around set.


To watch a trailer on Calendar click the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqHe0-SOUmQ

S.A.M. Assembly 181 presents a:

Date: Sunday, January 12, 2020 Time: 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM Where: First United Methodist Church, 187 Stockton

Street, Hightstown, NJ 08520 Price: $10.00 per adult; $5.00 per child;

$25.00 for a family of 5.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqHe0-SOUmQ

Double Salto by Walter Gibson Effect: Freely selected cards by a spectator and magician appear face up in a face-down deck.

Setup: Can be done impromptu with a regular deck. Only setup is you must remember and reverse the bottom card on the deck.

Performance: Before you start, you must secretly remember the card on the bottom of the deck, and then reverse it. Ask the spectator to cut off half of the deck as accurately as possible. Both you and the spectator will each be using half of the deck.

Spread the cards in your hands. Remove a random card, look at it and (pretend) to remember it. Ask the spectator to do the same. Have them choose a random card and remember it.

While the spectator is choosing a card, secretly turn the deck over. It will look the same to them because you had reversed and remembered the bottom card before you started.

Take the card that you selected and insert it anywhere into their half of the deck. Ask the spectator to do the same, insert their selected card into your half of the deck (which by now has been flipped over).

Ask the spectator to put their card on the table. While they are doing this, secretly turn the deck over and back to its normal orientation. It will look the same to them.

Place your deck on top of their tabled deck.

Now announce that your selected was the Ace of Clubs (as an example) and ask what their card was. Spread the deck, and your Ace of Clubs and their selected card are the only face-up cards in a face-down deck.

&

Sponsor

Your Performance Voice Workshop

By Elizabeth F. Knotts, MS, CCC-SLP

Do you sometimes get hoarse or lose your voice after a performance? Do you find that sometimes you get breathless while on stage? These are just a few of the many common job-related challenges that magicians experience that can be avoided by using proper vocal and breathing techniques. Elizabeth Knotts, Speech-Language Pathologist at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax, Virginia, is a performer herself and really understands these challenges. She specializes in voice therapy and is offering magicians this small group workshop to help overcome vocal issues and improve their performance voice and vocal health, both on and off stage. Elizabeth’s 3-hour workshop will include: 1. How to do vocal warmups to get your voice in a healthy place before you perform 2. How to breathe properly, on and off stage 3. How to improve the quality of your voice – “how your sound sounds” 4. How to project your voice, without straining/damaging your vocal cords 5. How to speak clearly so that you can be easily understood while performing 6. How to pace your speaking so that your audience can understand you 7. How to massage your throat to relieve muscle tension and discomfort after a performance The minimum of 4 participants and maximum of 6 participants allows for interactive group exercises during the workshop as well as individualized therapy to each participant by Elizabeth. This workshop is made possible through a partnership of Magical Healing and Smoke & Mirrors Theater. When : Monday, January 13, 2020 (snow date: Monday, January 20, 2020) Time : 1pm - 4pm Where : Smoke & Mirrors Theater, 2840 Pine Road, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006 Cost : $120 per person How : Register on line at www.magicalhealing.org or mail your check, made payable to “Magical Healing,” to: Magical Healing 515 Golf Links Drive Bridgewater, NJ 08807 Upon registration, Magical Healing will forward a questionnaire, which we ask you to complete and return 5 days prior to the workshop so that Elizabeth can do a preliminary assessment of each participant’s professional voice concerns. If you have any questions about this workshop, please contact us at [email protected]


Magic Calendar THUR

DEC 5 S.A.M. Assembly 181 meeting on Thursday, December 5, 2019, at the First United Methodist Church, 187 Stockton Street, Hightstown, NJ 08520. Doors open at 7:00. http://magicsam181.com

SUN DEC 8

Family Christmas Celebration Sunday, December 8, 2019, 2:00 PM – 3:45 PM at Saint Anthony of Padua Parish Hall, Hightstown, NJ. Admission is FREE, all are welcome. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

MON DEC 9

S.A.M. Assembly 161 meets on the second Monday of each month. December 9, 2019, at the Stoney Brook Grille, 1285 Easton Turnpike in Branchburg, NJ 08876. https://www.facebook.com/groups/SAM161CALENDAR/about/

MON DEC 9

I.B.M Ring 6, The Delaware Valley Conjurers Club regularly meets every 2nd Monday, with a Holiday Party and Magic Show on Monday, December 9, 2019, at the First Presbyterian Church of Springfield – Lambert Hall, 356 Summit Rd., Springfield, PA 19064. Doors open at 5:30 PM.

FRI DEC 13

Delaware Knights of Magic Holiday Party is on Friday, December 13, 2019, a Cokesbury Village, 726 Loveville Rd, Hockessin, DE 19707. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Fee: $15 Adults; $7 Children (aged 3-12); Kids at 2 and under are free https://www.dkom.org/

TUES DEC 17

I.B.M. Ring 200 meets on Tuesday, December 17, 2019, 7:00 PM (Doors open at 6:30 PM at the Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Edison, New Jersey

THUR DEC 19

S.A.M. Assembly 4 meeting is on Thursday, December 19, 2019, at the Polish Home, 9150 Academy Road, Philadelphia, PA 19114, doors open at 6:30 PM.

THUR JAN 2

S.A.M. Assembly 181 meeting on Thursday, January 2, 2020, at the First United Methodist Church, 187 Stockton Street, Hightstown, NJ 08520. Doors open at 7:00 PM. http://magicsam181.com

SUN JAN 12

A Family Magic Show presented by the members of Assembly 181 on Sunday, January 12, 2020, from 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM at the First United Methodist Church, 187 Stockton Street, Hightstown, NJ 08520. Tickets: $10.00 per adult; $5.00 per child; $25.00 for a family of 5.

TUES JAN 21

Barry Mitchell Lecture hosted by Assembly 181 and A.C.E. at the First United Methodist Church, 187 Stockton Street, Hightstown, NJ 08520. Doors open at 7:00 PM. This event is FREE to all members of Assembly 181; and only $20 for guests.

Visit the Magic Calendar on our SAM 181 website at http://magicsam181.com/?page_id=95
http://magicsam181.com/https://www.facebook.com/groups/SAM161CALENDAR/about/https://www.dkom.org/http://magicsam181.com/http://magicsam181.com/?page_id=95

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