The Magic Caf
Username:
Password:
[ Lost Password ]
  [ Forgot Username ]
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Food for thought » » Music in a magic show (1 Likes) Printer Friendly Version

 Go to page 1~2 [Next]
cafeinst
View Profile
Elite user
489 Posts

Profile of cafeinst
I used to use music, using a tape recorder, in my magic show when I was a teenager at the beginning of my show with lots of quick flashy tricks. Then I would talk and do magic with talking.

Getting back into magic as an adult, I'm not sure whether to use music or not. I've seen shows that don't use music that go very well.

What do you think?
longhaired1
View Profile
Veteran user
Salida
316 Posts

Profile of longhaired1
Look at some of Copperfield's videos on Youtube and check out how he mixes background music with narration. Of course someone can create a compelling magic act without music, but I don't see the point in eliminating such a powerful tool from your theatrical arsenal.
scottds80
View Profile
Special user
Victoria, Australia
730 Posts

Profile of scottds80
Magic is based on emotions. There is music for ANY emotion you want to create. Music is a powerful tool in magic and life in general, I encourage you to keep developing it as part of your show.
"Great Scott the Magician", Gippsland
tommy
View Profile
Eternal Order
Devil's Island
16543 Posts

Profile of tommy
Music is magical!

Speakng as an amateur: Use all the tricks of the theatre. Use whatever fits the bill. However the effect is everything and all ought to be geared towards it. On does not want anything to distract or drown the magic effect.
If there is a single truth about Magic, it is that nothing on earth so efficiently evades it.

Tommy
Ken Northridge
View Profile
Inner circle
Atlantic City, NJ
2393 Posts

Profile of Ken Northridge
Music can be used in many ways and I never do a show without it. Mr. Caféinst, I used to use a tape recorder too with Radio Shack on/off remote. Check out the stuff on this site and you'll realize there's tons of great stuff you can do with music and sound effects these days, all by remote control!

http://www.ceswebsite.com/

Have fun!
"Love is the real magic." -Doug Henning
www.KenNorthridge.com
cafeinst
View Profile
Elite user
489 Posts

Profile of cafeinst
I'm thinking about using the theme song to the 1980's TV show "The Greatest American Hero" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9Q3orQhEcA "Believe it or not I'm walking on air" to be played with my Zombie routine. That's what I did when I was a kid. I had put a tape recorder up to my TV set in recorded the theme when it came on TV. The quality of the recording wasn't the greatest, but it worked. The time of the song was perfect.

But today I'm living in the 21st century and am willing to pay to use better quality music. How do I buy the rights to use this song in my show?

Any other suggestions for music with Zombie?
scottds80
View Profile
Special user
Victoria, Australia
730 Posts

Profile of scottds80
Quote:
On 2013-05-28 21:36, Caféinst wrote:
I'm thinking about using the theme song to the 1980's TV show "The Greatest American Hero" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9Q3orQhEcA "Believe it or not I'm walking on air" to be played with my Zombie routine. That's what I did when I was a kid. I had put a tape recorder up to my TV set in recorded the theme when it came on TV. The quality of the recording wasn't the greatest, but it worked. The time of the song was perfect.

But today I'm living in the 21st century and am willing to pay to use better quality music. How do I buy the rights to use this song in my show?

Any other suggestions for music with Zombie?


There's a ton of info on the topic of using copyrighted music, royalty free music and all that jazz. It's in the F/X section on TMC
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......um=11&93

It can get interesting dealing with what music to use. Have a good read!
"Great Scott the Magician", Gippsland
vincentmusician
View Profile
Loyal user
Toronto
266 Posts

Profile of vincentmusician
There is lots of ways to use Music in you act. As background at the beginning and end of your show, for a Magic to Music Routine and as a background when performing with a routine while talking. I use Music in most of my Shows.
Dannydoyle
View Profile
Eternal Order
21245 Posts

Profile of Dannydoyle
Music is and can be a very powerful way to elicit emotional responses. Why would anyone eliminate it out of hand?
Danny Doyle
<BR>Semper Occultus
<BR>In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act....George Orwell
landmark
View Profile
Inner circle
within a triangle
5194 Posts

Profile of landmark
Quote:
On May 28, 2013, Caféinst wrote:
I'm thinking about using the theme song to the 1980's TV show "The Greatest American Hero" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9Q3orQhEcA "Believe it or not I'm walking on air" to be played with my Zombie routine. That's what I did when I was a kid. I had put a tape recorder up to my TV set in recorded the theme when it came on TV. The quality of the recording wasn't the greatest, but it worked. The time of the song was perfect.

But today I'm living in the 21st century and am willing to pay to use better quality music. How do I buy the rights to use this song in my show?

Any other suggestions for music with Zombie?


arthur stead on this forum has some royalty free music especially for magic shows--different emotions, different moods...
He's on hiatus for now, but you might want to take a look at his website:
http://arthurstead.com/Products.htm
gregg webb
View Profile
Inner circle
1564 Posts

Profile of gregg webb
Find out which of your friends are musicians. Ask for their help.
George Ledo
View Profile
Magic Café Columnist
SF Bay Area
3042 Posts

Profile of George Ledo
Watch movies and TV programs. Many of them use music in the background to emphasize lead-ups or elicit feelings, and so forth. And a lot of the time we're not even aware of it.

Think of the themes for Darth Vader, for instance, which played when he came on. Or, if you watch NCIS, the theme that came on every time we went to Abby's lab.

Of course, these are all created and scored and put in at the right time by professional musicians and editors. It takes a lot of work to get it right.
That's our departed buddy Burt, aka The Great Burtini, doing his famous Cups and Mice routine
www.georgefledo.net

Latest column: "Sorry about the photos in my posts here"
Pop Haydn
View Profile
Inner circle
Los Angeles
3691 Posts

Profile of Pop Haydn
The music we are "not aware of" is usually the best. Often the emotions created by the magic are drowned out by the music which is poured over it like ketchup.

A boring presentation with a music background is still boring. I find it hard to listen to music-backed speeches. If the speech is presented well, then it won't need the music. If it isn't, the music will not help. In fact, I feel that it is a distraction that enables the audience to pass the time without listening to what is being said--like a television commercial. What works on television doesn't always translate to theater, anyway. Putting music behind a speech will not make up for a lack of presentation. If you can't hold the audience's attention through a three minute speech, music won't help.

I find the worst offence is to put powerful music like you would use behind a major illusion, and apply it to a small trick--Thus Spoke Zarathustra for a billiard ball routine. It is like using an elephant gun on a gnat. It makes things seem silly.
gregg webb
View Profile
Inner circle
1564 Posts

Profile of gregg webb
Brian Eno who worked a lot on David Bowie productions, has hours of music that is perfect filler, very little emotion. I think of it as airport music, not even landscape music...just good filler, and also Pink Floyd put out Endless River, I think it is called, of actually unfinished works that were partially done only when their keyboard player died. Some may like it as background music. No lyrics, etc.
Ray Pierce
View Profile
Inner circle
Los Angeles, CA
2604 Posts

Profile of Ray Pierce
Music can fill many different spots in a show. Play on’s, Tags, bumpers and play off’s, stabs, accents and stingers, underscore and of course feature music. It can support and frame a great piece of magic to give it more meaning but as Pop noted above, it can not save a bad effect. Good music can also give you an outline for the correct build and structure to a silent routine. Yes, I use underscores (or “beds”) under some of my talk pieces but equally as important for show balance is silence. The ear must have time to rest for the correctly placed music to be effective.

Back in the 80’s (long before you could edit music on your phone!) I edited music (on Reel to Reel) for most of the professionals working in LA during that time. Shimada, Johnny Thompson, Marvin Roy, J Neal, Dimmare, and so many others. It was a joy to have them come to me with a specific vision and musical concept for me to try and bring to life. Now we have the ability to do that all at home on our devices but it still requires the musicality and understanding of the original composers intent to make it work effectively.

It is a wonderful tool when used correctly… THAT is the art form.
Ray Pierce
tommy
View Profile
Eternal Order
Devil's Island
16543 Posts

Profile of tommy
Simon Drake’s pieces are the best I ever seen. The background music he chose for his pieces always seemed to me to fit the bill perfectly. As I recall, Simon Drake and Ricky Jay both started out opening for rock bands.
If there is a single truth about Magic, it is that nothing on earth so efficiently evades it.

Tommy
Huntington
View Profile
New user
1 Post

Profile of Huntington
Yo I totally agree Simon Drake does have some good stuff!
tommy
View Profile
Eternal Order
Devil's Island
16543 Posts

Profile of tommy
Music can make one’s pants want to get up and dance: Simon Drake’s Killer Rope springs to mind.

However, in the Egyptian temple, wrote Caspar Maspero, the human voice is the instrument par excellence of the priest and the enchanter. It is the voice which seeks afar the Invisibles summoned and makes the necessary objects into a reality.
If there is a single truth about Magic, it is that nothing on earth so efficiently evades it.

Tommy
George Ledo
View Profile
Magic Café Columnist
SF Bay Area
3042 Posts

Profile of George Ledo
Gaston Maspero, maybe?
That's our departed buddy Burt, aka The Great Burtini, doing his famous Cups and Mice routine
www.georgefledo.net

Latest column: "Sorry about the photos in my posts here"
tommy
View Profile
Eternal Order
Devil's Island
16543 Posts

Profile of tommy
Yes, perhaps it is a mistranslation between French and English.

http://www.metaphysicspirit.com/books/Th......0Man.pdf
If there is a single truth about Magic, it is that nothing on earth so efficiently evades it.

Tommy
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Food for thought » » Music in a magic show (1 Likes)
 Go to page 1~2 [Next]
[ Top of Page ]
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved.
This page was created in 0.04 seconds requiring 5 database queries.
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café
are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic.
> Privacy Statement <

ROTFL Billions and billions served! ROTFL