March 2014

Official Publication of The Society of Young Magicians

The of David Garrard

How to be a Magician S.A.M.S.A.M. SpoSPOTLIGHTtlight

Whats on the Web WWA brief look at what’s happening in magic on theW Internet

Card tricks are a fun and easy way to amaze friends and family. This website is for magicians of any skill level looking to learn free card tricks.

Be sure to check back often since new card tricks are added often! If you haven’t already, you can sign up for the newsletter to receive tricks in your email!

Click the logo to see the site. http://www.falseshuffle.com/

2 March 2014/The Magic SYMbol CONTENTSWHAT’S INSIDE 2 Spotlight - Convention Ad/What’s on the Web 8 How to be a Magician

4 Letter From the Editor 9 Card to Wallet

5 How to be a Magician 10 SYM Pin Program

6 Young Magicians Seminar info 11 SYM Pin Program

7 ImPULSEable Card Trick 12 Magic Fun Page

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”-W.B. Yeats

S.Y.M. WEBSITE S.A.M. WEBSITE www.magicsym.com www.magicsam.com

The Society of Young Magicians (S.Y.M.) sponsored by The Society of American Magicians, is a world-wide organization for youth, ages 7 through 17. (At age 18 you graduate to membership in The Society of American Magicians.) The purpose of S.Y.M. is to promote interest in magic as a wholesome hobby that will help develop self-confidence and skill, the ability to speak in pub- lic, discipline that comes from learning, practicing and performing magic, and a sense of service to others through helping others learn magic and by performing magic at charitable events.

The Society of Young Magicians has nearly 100 local chapters, called Assemblies, around the country. Adult supervision and instruction are provided by qualified members of the Society of American Magicians, one of the most prestigious world-wide organizations of its kind.

HAVE A QUESTION? NEED ADVICE? CAN’T FIGURE OUT A TRICK? NEED GUIDANCE? DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO NEXT IN MAGIC?

The S.Y.M. has a panel of mentors ready to help you. Associate members who do not have an Assembly in their area now have a place to turn. Even members of a local Assembly can participate in this mentoring program. This is a free service and part of your S.Y.M. membership. To contact the SYMentor, simply e-mail your questions to: [email protected]

Your question will be directed to someone who will help you from our panel of experts. Parents of SYM’ers may also write with questions.

Be sure to get permission from your parents before writing. Letter from the editor The Michael A. Raymer Magic SYMbol Volume 30 Issue No. 3 • March 2014 Spring is nature’s way The Magic SYMbol is a monthly publication Michael A. Raymer, Editor of saying, “Let’s party!” Bruce Kalver, Consulting Editor ~Robin Williams Articles are written by the editor unless otherwise noted.

Editorial Offices:

The Magic SYMbol Michael Raymer, Editor Well, as I write this we had all the snow melt around the house 5512 Pavilion Way but now they say we have more on the way. Last report was maybe 7- Louisville, KY 40291 8 inches. Now I know some of you live in areas that get 10-12 inches 502-231-0689 or 502-644-7829 of snow and you are laughing at me for the small amount we get and [email protected] some of you don’t get any snow. I think it is very pretty as long as you don’t have to drive in it. S.Y.M. National Director I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for Spring and some Jann Goodsell warmer weather! As Robin Williams has said - “Spring is nature’s way 329 West 1750 North of saying let’s party”. Spring is like a party; the animals are active, Orem, UT 84057 801-724-9758 trees and flowers begin to bloom and that also means magic conven- Fax: 801-802-8925 tions are just around the corner! [email protected] When you receive this magazine, I will be preparing to send Dues Payment my son off to Germany for 5 months to study abroad. He is a senior in Change of Address/ New Memberships: college, majoring in language and computer programing. He speaks S.Y.M c/o German and Japanese and a few words in other languages. So it’s Manon Rodriguez been hectic around the Raymer household getting his paperwork National Administrator passports and plane tickets all lined up. I will miss him but I hope he P.O. Box 505 Parker, CO 80134 really enjoys it. [email protected] I’ve been busy interviewing former SYM members who are now professional magicians and we’ll be publishing those interviews The SocietySociety of of in the next few editions. Next month will be Kayla Drescher and if you YoungYoung MagiciansMagicians don’t know much about her, in March of 2012, she was honored to Board ofof Directors Directors appear on NBC’s “Today Show” as one of three finalists in David Cop- perfield’s “Search for the Next Great Magician”. Copperfield chose Executive Board JannExecutive Goodsell • Andy Board Dallas Kayla as the winner. She has always been active in the SYM and now Bruce Kalver in the SAM. She is currently lecturing at magic assemblies and per- EdJann Thomas Goodsell • Hope • Andy Anderson Dallas Bruce Kalver forming every chance she gets. LanceEd Thomas Burton • • William Hope Anderson Andrews This month we have a guest article from John Kurlak who has Jay Gorham • Char Gott ConnieLance BurtonHatherill • William• Arlen Solomon Andrews developed a website on performing card tricks called false shuffle. Marlene Clark You can see the link for his site in the What’s on the Web ad. Connie Hatherill • Arlen Solomon

See you next month...... HAS YOUR S.Y.M. MEMBERSHIP EXPIRED?

If it has you should be receiving your renewal information by mail, please remember to renew your membership. 4 March 2014/The Magic SYMbol How to Be a Magician Guest Article

Magic SYMbol How to Be a Magician your time as a magician will initially be spent learning by John Kurlak and practicing sleights. Some sleights can take years to master, while others can be learned in a single day. Magic is a fascinating hobby! It is fascinating Many sleights accomplish similar things. because it uses dazzling displays and mysterious Now that you understand a little bit about the illusions to captivate audiences of all ages. Because jargon and philosophy of magic, I will now teach you magic is so fascinating, many people want to learn how how to become a magician. To become a successful to be a magician. However, becoming a magician is a big magician, you must: responsibility—one that requires practice, dedication, and respect. By reading this article, you already have • Have the necessary equipment shown an interest in learning magic. Today, I am going (e.g., a deck of cards, handkerchiefs, ropes, etc.) to expose you to the underground world of magic, and • Learn magic tricks and sleights by the end of this article, you will be well on your way • Organize the tricks you know into a routine to becoming a great magician. • Develop your own style and patter The first thing you need to know about being a • Practice, practice, practice magician is that there is a magician’s code. This code exists to protect the art of magic so that it can continue Having the necessary equipment is easy. If you to dazzle audiences in the years to come. The main wish to do card magic, buy a deck of cards. If you wish points of the magician’s code are as follows: to do , find some large coins. Once you have everything you need, you can Practice all tricks thoroughly before performing in start learning magic tricks and sleights. There are front of others hundreds of places to learn what you need to know. These sources include: Never repeat the same trick twice unless you use a different method for each performance • Books • Websites Never expose the secrets to tricks that are currently • DVDs being sold by other magicians • Magazines • Other magicians Never tell your secrets to non-magicians As you learn, try to start with easy tricks and The next step in becoming a magician is to easy sleights. Some of the best tricks in magic are easy understand more about the hobby. Every magic trick to perform, so do not think that you will be unable to you learn can be categorized into an “effect” and a perform great magic as a beginner. Great magic is the “method.” result of confidence, practice, good patter, and good •The effect of a magic trick is a description of what style. the trick looks like to the audience. Once you have learned a few tricks, you will want to develop a routine. A good routine consists of •The method of a magic trick is an explanation of about five to fifteen magic tricks. Some situations might how to do that magic trick. dictate fewer tricks, and other situations might dictate more. Magic tricks are often composed of “sleights,” or If you have a good routine of five to fifteen special moves/illusions that accomplish a desired effect tricks, you should be able to adapt to most situations. without the audience’s knowledge. Some sleights are When developing a routine, it is good to have smooth used quite a bit in magic, and other sleights are used transitions between tricks. For example, if you start with infrequently. Sleights are helpful because they make it a card trick that reveals the four aces, a good next trick easier to explain how to do a particular trick. Most of would be a trick that involves the four aces.

March 2014/The Magic SYMbol 5 WE NEED YOUR NEWS! We want to hear from you! Send us photos of your Assembly show. Write up a report about the lecturer you saw at your S.Y. M. meeting. Become our field reporters and keep other SYMers in touch with SYM Assembly activities. If you don’t write in, then we don’t know about it! Send your story to the editor at [email protected].

DID YOu KNOw? The symbol Has Hidden Easter Eggs!!!

Bruce Kalver who places The Magic SYMbol online for us each month has been hiding easter eggs in the magazine. Have you found them? Last month if you clicked on the phone of the front cover it rings.

6 March 2014/The Magic SYMbol ImPULSEable Card Trick by John Kurlak Card tricks

Effect:

The magician shuffles that deck and then has the spectator choose a card. The spectator remembers her card and places it back into the deck. The magician then shuffles the deck and spreads it out across the table face up. He then asks for the spectator to extend her hand and stick out her index finger. Next, he gently holds her by the wrist, getting her pulse. As he is reading her pulse, he begins guiding her hand over the face up cards on the table. After a pass or two over the cards, he singles out one card: the spectator’s card!

Method and performance:

Begin by riffle shuffling the deck. (As you perform the riffle shuffle, peek at the bottom card of the deck and memorize it.)

Now spread the cards in your hand, and allow the spectator to take one and memorize it. Just after the spectator removes a card, split the deck into two halves at the location where the spectator removed her card.

When the spectator has memorized her selection, extend the original top half of the deck out, and ask the spectator to place her card on top.

Next, place the original bottom half of the deck on top of the spectator’s card. In effect, this places the key card you memorized from earlier on top of the spectator’s card.

Now, perform a few loose overhand shuffles. (A quick overhand shuffle shouldn’t separate the key card from the spectator’s card.)

After shuffling, ribbon spread the cards face up on the table from left to right. Make sure that every card’s value is visible.

Now ask the spectator to point at the cards with her first finger.

Take her by the wrist, explaining that you will use her pulse to find her card.

After getting her pulse, slowly moves her hand along the cards. Make a few passes for effect.

Then, move her hand back towards the ten or so cards surrounding the key card.

Gently lower her hand until her pointer rests on the card to the right of the key card. It should be her card!

March 2014/The Magic SYMbol 7 Guest Article How to Be a Magician Continued

The order of the magic tricks in your routine also helpful because it shows you what your performance is also important. You want to start with one of your looks like to the audience, and it helps you learn to be a better tricks to catch the audience’s attention. However, better public speaker. Video cameras also allow you to you also want to finish strong, so save another one of record your performance from different angles. your better tricks for the end. Some magic tricks are angle-sensitive, so Part of developing your routine is to plan the practicing for different angles is important. If possible, it patter for your routine and to develop a style for is also helpful to practice in front of magician friends. If yourself as a magician. What you say during a trick you do not have any friends that are magicians, you can greatly correlates to your style as a magician. Everyone try posting videos of your progress on forums online. can perform the sleights involved to create magic. Many magicians out there can give you helpful tips. However, good magic is the result of good patter and Worth noting, however, is that some aspects of good style. A great magician can amaze audiences magic are hard to practice. , for example, is with a bad trick. A bad magician struggles to amaze hard to practice without an actual audience. audiences with any trick. Some magicians try to have a Learning how to recover from mistakes in the comical style, making jokes with the audience as they middle of a trick is also something that requires practice, go. They might pretend that even they have no idea but is difficult to learn without experience. how the trick worked. That kind of style might suit you. Learning how to adapt your routine to handle Other magicians try to be mysterious, rarely hecklers is similarly difficult. Understand that you will talking, but instead, focusing intensely on what they make mistakes. are doing. The more you practice ahead of time, the less Finding a style that is right for you may take likely you are to make a mistake. As you become more time. The best way to develop your style is to watch experienced, you will learn how to handle difficult professional magicians perform and then to go out and situations a lot better. try different things yourself. What you say during a trick is up to you. Just Now that you have learned everything you make sure that what you say makes sense. If a spectator need to know to get started as a magician, you need to cannot follow you during a trick because your patter is decide what kind of magic you wish to perform. Some confusing, the trick will not work. options include:

Finally, the last part of becoming a magician is • Close-up magic practice. Practice is extremely important, but you have • to be sure that you are practicing well. If you do not • Stage magic already have a mirror, buy a mirror that you can perform • Platform magic in front of to see what your trick might look like to the • Children’s magic audience. It is important that every sleight you perform You also can specialize in one or a few types of is nearly flawless. You do not want the audience to magic. You could learn: see anything out of place. You are trying to create the illusion of real magic, remember? It is important to • Card magic try to do everything as naturally as you can. If you get • Coin magic nervous in front of people, practice can help build your • Rope magic confidence. You want to be sure to practice not only the • Spongeball magic sleights you plan to use but also the words you plan • Dove magic to say as well as the flow of your routine. You want to • make sure that you know which trick comes next at any given time. So try a little bit of everything, decide what you like, Recording your routines with a video camera is and get practicing!

8 March 2014/The Magic SYMbol Card to Wallet Advanced Magic

Effect: A signed card is found in your wallet after some funny by-play.

This routine will take some work to put together but if you want to do something different, you’ll have a routine that is more unusual than what everyone else is doing.

What You’ll need:

1. Some kind of gimmicked wallet for the card-to-wallet.

2. One clear-plastic accordion pleated wallet insert. The kind that has about 8 or 10 separate pockets for credit cards.

3. About 20 duplicate cards. You need enough to fill all the plastic pockets on both sides. I just went down to my local magic shop and bought a cheap one-way forcing deck. Make sure that you get a card that has a lot of white-space so that there’s plenty of room for a signature. Don’t use court cards.

4. You’ll also need any regular deck of cards.

Preparation / Set-up: Have a bunch of your friends sign different names in different kinds of ink on all your duplicates. Put two duplicates back-to-back in each of the plastic compartments, and hook the insert into your gimmicked wallet. Make sure that the insert will flop open easily when you flip open the wallet, but will not interfere with the loading part of the wallet.

To perform: While doing some cards tricks, force the duplicate of the 20 duplicates that are in your wallet. Have it signed, palm it out, and load it into your wallet. Have spectator hold onto the deck while you show the wallet.

Tell the spectator that if he aims the deck at your wallet and riffles the edge, his card will fly out of the deck and land inside your wallet. Have him riffle, then announce dramatically that the card has arrived. Ask him the name of his card. Remind him that he wrote his name on it, so that there is now only one card like his in the whole world. (This is a key humor point)

As you flip the wallet open to reveal all the duplicates, say the line, “Four of Clubs, fine. (or whatever card you happen to be using)

Now, what was YOUR NAME?” Look through the duplicates as if trying to find his name. This last line should never fail to get a laugh, when all those duplicates pop out. Finish up by finding his real card inside

See the Card to Wallet Performed on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTfsU6kE9X8

March 2014/The Magic SYMbol 9 S.Y.M. ACHIEVEMENT PIN PROGRAM The S.Y.M. Achievement Pin Program allows S.Y.M. members to explore 10 areas of magic, demonstrate skill in these areas, and receive recognition for their accomplishments. The progressive nature of the Achievement Pin Program also measures how young magicians are advancing in their magical journey. As candidates work from bronze to gold, they will learn valuable leadership skills aimed at increasing their confidence in all areas of life. S.Y.M advisors are available to help members work toward earning their pins and to ensure that candidates meet all requirements. S.Y.M. members who do not belong to an S.Y.M. assembly will be able to receive help from advisors via mail or electronically.

GENERAL INFORMATION 1. The Achievement Pin Program coordinator will provide worksheets in which candidates and adult supervisors can record candidates’ progress. 2. Advisors or organizers must return completed forms to the Achievement Pin Program coordinator. Completed paperwork will be forwarded to the S.Y.M. director, after which pins will be awarded. 3. Pins will be awarded for completed tricks only. In other words, demonstrating a or a does not count. The Double Lift must be presented within a completed trick; e.g., using a Double Lift to force or find a card. 4. Members may receive pins in more than one category, as long as all requirements are met for each category. 5. S.Y.M. assembly members will test for pins at an assembly meeting. 6. Associate S.Y.M. members will test for pins by submitting an application, along with a video, DVD or electronic link to the Achievement Pin Program Coordinator. 7. Each candidate will submit an application fee of $4.00 for each bronze and silver pin, and $5.00 for each gold pin.

Make your check out to the Society of Young Magicians. Mail it and your Completed Application to: Marlene Clark SYM Achievement Pin Program Coordinator 274 Church St., #6B Guilford, CT 06437

10 March 2014/The Magic SYMbol S.Y.M. ACHIEVEMENT PIN PROGRAM

1. Categories: Members may perform stage, standup (parlor), and/or close-up magic. They will be awarded bronze and silver pins in the following categories and gold “Excellence in Magic” pins.

Cards Coins Silk Paper Sponge Rope Animals Mentalism Cups & Balls General Magic (Miscellaneous)

2. Requirements A. Bronze: (1) Candidates must be a member for at least three months. (2) Candidates must give and explain the S.Y.M. Pledge. (3) Candidates must demonstrate skill in three effects in one category: three card tricks or three sponge tricks, for example. (4) Candidates must be able to describe each effect and provide the proper or technical term for the effect or move, if applicable: Professor’s Nightmare, French Drop or Glide, for example. (5) Candidates will be judged on execution and basic skill; e.g., don’t tip the method. B. Silver (1) Candidates must give and explain the S.Y.M. Pledge. (2) Candidates must have earned two bronze pins in the same category – a total of six tricks for that category. (3) Candidates will perform a three-to-four minute routine. There is no limit to the number of effects used, but at least two must be from a bronze routine in order to get a silver pin in that category. (4) Candidates will be judged on execution, skill and presentation. (5) Candidates must write a report of at least 250 words on one famous magician for each silver pin. C. Gold (1) Candidates must have earned a Silver pin in three different categories to qualify for a gold pin. (2) Candidates will present an 8-to-10-minute act with a unifying theme or presentation. One effect must be from a silver routine. The act will be judged on skill, presentation, appearance, stage presence (even in close-up), confidence, audience appeal, appropriateness, timing, and public speaking ability (if applicable). (3) Candidates will also present their gold pin performances as a community service project for the public at a venue of their choice. (4) Candidates will make a five-to-10 minute oral presentation on any area of magic before an S.Y.M. or S.A.M. meeting or public venue, such as a classroom or library. The candidate will be judged on knowledge of material, organization, delivery, appearance, and public speaking ability. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to, magic history, biography (different from the Silver presentation) and magic theory. (5) Candidates are responsible for organizing and making all arrangements for all presentations. Following presentations, candidates will submit a report to the adult advisor detailing the work done.

SOCIETY OF YOUNG MAGICIANS www.magicsym.com

March 2014/The Magic SYMbol 11 Magic Fun Page

Larry Crane was an American vaudeville headlining magician. Usually billed as “The Irish Wizard”, Crane’s specialty was sleight-of-hand manipulations.

Crane’s father, the magician known as “The Great Crane”, brought the family from Ireland to the United States in 1885. Joining his father’s act at age six, March Birthdays Larry learned from him the magical skills needed to launch a vaudeville career. 01- Cardini Larry learned the business side of magic 11- Ching Ling Foo 24- Harry Houdini while working for Alexander Herrmann Larry Crane in 1892, and for the Maskelynes in England in 1893. “The Irish Wizard” He was married to female magician Grace Andrews.

What’s your leprechaun Name Find your leprechaun name by selecting your birth month and favorite color.

Monday, March 17 St. Patrick’s Day 2014