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Edison New user Chicago 11 Posts |
Hello, all! I've been a magic enthusiast since age 8, pursuing it enough to perform shows and birthday parties until picking up the electric guitar at 16 (there are only so many hours in the day to practice manual dexterity!). I've never lost my interest in the craft though, having drifted back to it in more recent years. I've continued to do some collecting, but lately I've gotten into building my own apparatus and effects. More for the craft and fun, at the moment.
Being in Chicago and from the area, I'm pretty familiar with Magic Inc. having spent many hours in their old shop at 5082 N. Lincoln. I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with the late Jay Marshall during my visits. The roots of magic run deep in this city. It's also heartwarming to see the frequency of new registers here, myself among them! |
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
Welcome to our motley crew, from the guy who broke Charlie Miller's record for staying in the Charlie Miller 'Suite'! (at 5082 North Lincoln.)
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
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Mary Mowder Inner circle Sacramento / Elk Grove, CA 3659 Posts |
Welcome Edison,
And, welcome back to Magic. Musicians have a real advantage in Magic because they "get" practice. What is your most noteworthy impression of how Magic has changed since you were gone? -Mary Mowder |
Edison New user Chicago 11 Posts |
Quote:
On Jul 8, 2017, Mary Mowder wrote: Thanks Mary! Great question. I'm especially loving the online presence of magic. Everything from video demos and tutorials to research and shopping have been positively affected. Though as much as I always enjoyed flipping through a printed catalog, having them online is a plus. It allows suppliers to update their products much quicker, not to mention the trees it saves. It's really fun watching some of the archival and performance videos shared on YouTube. Learning how to do an 'Elmley count' or a 'French Drop' has never been easier. And at one time it was virtually impossible to see a performance of someone like Channing Pollock even though you knew there was film of him, somewhere. |
Mary Mowder Inner circle Sacramento / Elk Grove, CA 3659 Posts |
The Elmsley count was the first "Magic" thing (utility) I ever learned. I got to see him in person once but I was too nervous to introduce myself.
I did meet Channing Pollock briefly. He was really nice to me and many others who were honored to meet him. It is also very easy to learn a bad Elmsley online. LOL -Mary Mowder |
Edison New user Chicago 11 Posts |
When I was a practicing magician (1970s) the only ways of learning were through books and good teachers, and good magicians had to be sought. Scarce company. There's always solid volumes of magic instruction, and those continue to stand the test of time. Good writing and clear diagrams are so vital in translating such craft into a teachable text. It's a real challenge. Giobbi's Card College series is a great contemporary example.
Instructional videos were a quantum leap, I think. As far as YouTube goes; much in the way one can tell 'good' writing from 'bad', the same is evident in watching tutorial videos (I also found this when searching transcribed guitar for music). Part of the fun is seeing how something can be interpreted by comparison, not always well, lol. But I've enjoyed looking up performances of effects I would perform (Egg Bag, or multiplying bottles for examples) and like seeing all the variations, personal twists, and how they also adhere to the basics. ..Frankly, just seeing any effect demonstrated, if only to sell it, is better than it used to be. Much of the time a magic catalog would rely on hyperbolic description and a dramatic illustration to sell a trick. Now you can really see what you're getting for your money spent. |
Mary Mowder Inner circle Sacramento / Elk Grove, CA 3659 Posts |
I've been lucky enough to be present at MANY magic instructional video sessions. As a dyslexic I find it much easier to learn from some videos but I do still read because it is not all available on video and because I still enjoy reading some Magicians in print.
I have really benefited from video but I could totally do with out the shaky cam. with over dramatic music as well as the one angle wonders that seem endemic today. Video is a big leap forward when used to instruct as well as sell. -Mary Mowder |
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