Oh I've seen myself on video.

It was a little hard from under the bed ....and hard to hear over all my cursing at the TV... but I saw it.

-Mary Mowder

LOL!

Find any lost coins or cards under there?

Hi all

Just finished the first week with the new training regime. I managed three 60 minutes sessions - two short of my goal of 5 :=(
I went skiing over the weekend, so no practise on Sat/Sun. However, being on a mountain top and looking down on the sea of fog, is magic on its own.

Nevertheless I noticed some impact. Mostly on the scripts. Reading them out loud and acutally going through the words when doing a trick definitely helped me finding the rough spots.

As I will be skiing this weekend as well, it will be difficult to get to the 5 sessions this week also. As this will then end the season, I will have little excuses after that;=)

Best, markus

Hi MKoeppel,

Keeping your routine in the back of your mind during daily activities is not a substitute for practice but it does inform your later practice.
Daily events have resonance in your thinking on a routine if you are mindful.

You have already practiced more in this week than 95 percent of Magicians (I made up my own data). Keep up the good work.
Glad to hear it is already paying off.

I'm starting to do my juggling throw over the other shoulder now with good success (it is the easier shoulder). Not too many repetitions in a row yet but progress all the same.

Ring and ribbon still on a plateau. Frankly, a little dis-heartening. Makes me want to juggle but I'm still giving it the time.

-Mary Mowder

Hi. folks!

Hope the practice is going well. I am working on a bill change- the steps are easy to understand and not complex or difficult. However, there is no room for error on the switch, and if you miss, you got two bills hanging out for the world to see. I want to get this down pat before the busking season starts in a couple of months here in Ohio. I can do this in my sleep now- just not well enough to perform for specs. Interesting how sometimes a fairly simple effect takes a ton of practice... giving it 15 minutes a day.

Jim

Dear All

I hope your projects are getting along nicely.

As predicted, I managed again only three sessions, instead of the planned five. Let's see what this week will bring.

Mary, sometimes it helps, if you let a piece rest for a couple of days. When you come back to it, you might be surprised by the improvements.

Jim, as they say: there are no easy tricks. Two of my set have a fairly easy handling. Heck - one is even self-working. Still I am far from happy with the way I perform them.

Best, markus

I've been working more on my tabled coin work. I took a few videos last week with my phone and lo and behold, I've made more progress than I thought I had. It's amazing how awesome you look when you tape something, then practice it for a year, then tape it again. You look like a miracle worker.

Jim - I plan to come see you busk in Ohio. I can heckle with the best of 'em.

Andrew

Here is the latest on my Matrix routine: http://youtu.be/tYwbAe3sD4k

Very good work, Andy. Great progress- looking good, keep practicing and it will tighten up. I look forward to seeing your next update!

Lots more fun with the story Andy and I love the coins.

Keep up the good work.

-Mary Mowder

Andy, great progress! This just shows, what a regular practice scheme can do for you. BTW: I was never a friend of fancy coins. But I like these, as they fit nicely to the story.

Best, markus

Time for my weekly update:
Last week I managed actually four sessions - although yesterday I felt as if I´m just starting over again. I used an almost brand new deck of cards - all of a sudden, I could no longer cut the deck at the natural break you get when half of the deck is face-up and the other face-down. Actually it is rather obviously, but sometimes you need the physical experience to bring it home.
By now I'm getting comfortable with the script. It is sometimes a bit challenging, as I write in a different language (German) than I speak (Swiss). All in all slow but steady progress.

Best, markus

A new deck is very flat. A couple of bridged shuffles will fix it. It doesn't take much.

-Mary Mowder

My practice sessions consist of getting the hay from the barn to the feed tubs before my donkeys knock me down trying to get the hay I'm carrying. I am finding if I run a few steps and do a quick turn the donkeys will run past me. I say a little, "Ole" as I turn, and try to imagine a stadium full of people cheering as I do this. I live a sheltered life, but fun....

So far this week I have spent the majority of my time (about 6 hours) practicing various false shuffles to help with the Kings production for my routine. Might be ready to film an update this weekend.

I just got a Gaffed trick cowboy rope today (easier than a real lariat).
So far, it is fun to play with. I'm still on reduced practice time of course so I won't get a sore shoulder.

It really makes me want to get a real lariat, albeit a small one.

Tom is not too wild about this interest but I'm really thinking about it.

Here I go again.

-Mary Mowder

Actually, I find practicing in odd situations a good thing- magic practice that is. For example, sitting with a mustang colt just so he gets used to me. Plus, he never did criticize my technique! I understand how consuming animals can be- having my own menagerie...

Click here to view attached image.

Injured my hand the other week-end =:*( As I rely mostly on sleight of hand, this means that I did not really practice until mid-last week. Since then, I'm happy with the progress, especially Triumph is coming along nicely.

I noticed however, that once I get comfortable with a piece, I start modifying and adapting. As I'm still in practice-mode this bears the risk, that what I think is an improvement actually lessens the effect. In theory (I think) you should only start modifying, once you started performing. Otherwise you do not have a reference to compare the audience reaction with. But rejecting an "improvement" I came up with by my own seems almost impossible. Consequently I am now practicing 2 versions of Triumph :-( How do you deal with this situation?

On a brighter side, I got a chance to do some audience testing yesterday. My neighbour here in Frankfurt came over to pick up some chocolate I brought her from Switzerland. When she saw the cards on the table, she asked me to show her a trick. Isn't it nice, if for once you get asked to do a card trick? So I did Triumph for her. Blew her completely away. When I revealed that all cards had changed face-down, the selection was kind of hidden between the other cards and did not immediately show. When I directed her attention to the fact, that one card did not turn and started to remove it from the spread, I could hear her gasping "Oh no...".
And I always thought the revelation that the one card not turning is the selection is kind of an anti-climax compared to rightening the deck... Hey, isn't this something I could use to improve the piece?

While I was not able to practice I decided to purchase the Books of Wonder. Comparing prices showed that ordering directly from Hermetic Press would cost around 90$ while ordering locally would cost me close to 150$. So I decided to invest the money saved in another book - Maelstrom by Tom Stone. This brought me up to 140$. Still saving 10 bucks. However international shipment is free, when your order for USD 200 or more. So I added another two books. I guess, I'm just a sucker for books. As the parcel has cleared Swiss customs yesterday, I am positive, that the books will wait for me when I return to Switzerland tomorrow. This should keep me busy over the Easter week-end

Wishing you all a happy Easter, markus

I always say "A tap on the cards and they are all turned face up," and spread either in hand or on the table.

(They were backs up but I spread them face up because I like the reveal of "the card" to be face down so the climax is the final turnover revealing their card).

If "the card" shows face down in the spread I say, "except for one, What was your card?"

If the card doesn't show I gather them and tap again saying "Another tap (spread with a little more pressure) and now one card has turned face down, what was your card?".

This happen's more than it doesn't so it's an extra effect, especially if you're ready for it.


I'm very lucky, my partner Tom has amazing instincts for what makes an effect strong. If I have a choice I'll show him both and have him tell me which he thinks is stronger. If I have a strong negative reaction to his choice I'll go with the other version but he is usually right. Either way the choice is made.

It can be confusing to me to know two versions equally well and it makes me lose focus at the junctures where the differences occur. It does not seem as hard to know two versions but have one be my normal version and one different but less well known. Somehow it makes it easier to do either one on command if one is Alpha.

-Mary Mowder

Hi guys! I guess it is time for me to check back in with a status on cylinder and coins. It turns out that this is one heck of a difficult trick to do! That said, I have been practicing regularly - not frequently enough, but pretty regularly.

This past weekend I had an opportunity to perform twice for two sets of friends and this coming weekend I will be able to perform it for my in-laws. Last weekend didn't go perfectly, but an acceptable first performance. I'm practicing daily to make some minor adjustments. I will let you know how it goes with the in-laws!

A video will follow and I'll post as I did last time.

I trust everyone is well and looking forward to Spring. (Snowed here on Monday!)

Hudson