Circus Magic In The Park

It was a great day! Thanks to my Son @phineasjuggler I was on the list of performers for the weekly entertainment her in Queens NY at the Flushing Meadow Park's Fantasy Forest Amusement Park at the Carousel. Every weekend they have a performer to do a "clown show" at 2 and 4 and I was the performer today (Sunday July 7th)

So I put on my Dr. Molar Magic Summer clown costume and headed out to the park. I arrived and set up my show in the designated performance area and then went about the gathering a crowd. This part of my job consisted of walking around the rides and interacting with the people on the lines, doing walk around stuff, small magic, and letting them know that the magic clown show will be starting at 2pm.
At 2pm we started the show. As the families gathered and the kids took their seat on the artificial turf put out for them and I started with some juggling. My shaker cups (a personal favorite) which are loud and visual. Once the crowd was settled it was on with the show!
My 30 minute kid show is fast paced and involves lots of audience participation. This show I added something new....the new Rocky The Raccoon Zig-Zag.....yes our old friend Rocky comes out of the magic closet and instead of just doing the usual gags and jokes, I place him into a vertical box slide bladed through him and move the middle section apart from the others! Its Rocky meets Harbin. The routine is fun to perform mainly because its just so ridiculous and in the end if a real fooler. I'm glad I added it to the set as it got a great reaction from the kids and their parents.
My finale is the Bells.....bells in the key of C covering a full octave and a few of the sharps/flats just in case they are needed. I line up 6 young volunteers and they each get a bell. Now if you want fun and comedy just give 6 little kids bells and tell them not to ring them until told.....yup its a tough one, but that's where a lot of the comedy and fun develops. We manged to get the kids under control and they were able t follow directions to allow this impromptu bell band to perform Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and of course the cell phones were videoing and taking photos of their performing kids!
After the last note and a colorful throw streamer the show was over and everyone had a great time.
I love this kind of show because the families come to the park and they know the rides are there and maybe they know about the show but they are not paying a fee for the show. They are staying and enjoying the magic and fun. I'm proud to say that the audiences were large and there was plenty of clapping and laughing. I know that when I have fun performing the audience has fun along with me, I'm happy to say the audience agreed.
Be Well and Keep 'em clean

Have Magic Will Travel......

For any of my regular readers you all know that as a Busker I try to perform everywhere I travel. So for business or vacation I always have some magic with me and some sort of busking set up.
I also happen to be a bag and case fanatic! I love different bags and cases both custom and generic and I've spent a lot of time looking for that "perfect bag" to carry my act that is both portable and can hold all the magic I need to street perform. I've also come up with many different portable magic table designs that are adapted very well to the portability needed for street performing.

Well this trip is no different. I'm back in Baraboo Wisconsin and Wisconsin Dells for @Pupperdoodle18 's YMCA Gymnastics National Competition. So I assumed there would be some down time so I brought my Busking bag. This case is one of my favorites. I've travelled all over the place with this one, its a case that holds a tiny table top and tripod stand as well as my 8 inch linking rings, chop cup and a bunch of other magic for a solid 20-30 minute street show.

Its a violin case I found at a thrift shop and after removing the guts from one side it holds plenty  of magic as well as one of my Steampunk hats, goggles included. Its small and has a handle and the case can be left open leaning against the tripod to have a collection bin after all those clever hat lines at the end of my act. So keep an eye out on your travels for me and of course other buskers. Be they magicians, or musicians or balloon sculpture artists please support street entertainers. 

Until next time Be Well and Keep 'em clean

Bruce

Busking Cardiff

What a great trip! I Just returned from Cardiff Wales where I participated in the SCHOOL OF BUSKING with Master Magic Buskers Mario and Veronica Morris. Got there Thursday morning jet lagged but excited......I fell asleep, very exciting I know, but I did wake up in time to get some dinner in a local restaurant. Cardiff is a very nice city and everyone I met, spoke with, or just interacted with was pleasant and happy to talk. Very welcoming! Friday morning we gathered at the Ocean Arts Center and after meeting the rest of our group, Jeremy, Jan, Phil, and Scott we started working through our acts giving feedback and getting feedback from each other. No matter how long you've been performing, and how great you think you are its always a good idea to work with a coach or director or even just a colleague to get objective feedback. This means notes on the good and bad aspects, what works and what doesn't. Its a very important part of the improvement process.


Then we hit the streets. Mario scoped out a good pitch and we all took turns doing our shows. Stopping the crowds, getting them to stay and watch and then collecting the money for a show well done.

By the time I started my Cups and Balls Finale I was performing for a crowd of about 75 people and everyone was having lots of fun. It was great when I started my hat lines I hadn't even finished the finale and people rushed forward to put money in my pouch! Then after the finale it kept coming....it was a good day.
Clearly the busking environment in Wales is much different than NY.  I can't wait to head back and busk more places in Europe.....but that's sometime in the future. For now I'll be out in the Parks in Queens and Manhattan.....and a few festivals around the tristate.

Be Well and Keep 'em clean

Dachshund Spring Fiesta!!!

Its that time of year again! The twice yearly meet up for all Dachshund lovers in Washington Square Park, NY under the Arch at the base of 5th Ave. The last Saturday in April and the First Saturday in October lovers of this adorable dog breed meet up with their Dachshunds and schmooze and at 1 PM sing the Dachshund Song, and of course pet and play with the dogs.
So last Saturday Pupperdoodle and I took Otto to Washington Square Park for the festivities.

The weather was great in the park, not too hot with a slight breeze and all the Dachshunds you could handle. All combinations of color and type enjoyed each others company, sniffing and barking in celebration of their breed. 

Then the culmination of the event came at 1PM when everyone grabbed a song sheet and accompanied by Murray Weinstock we all sang the Dachshund Song by Paul De Vries and Murray Weinstock. 

Its always great fun and we look forward to this meet and greet each October and April

And of course Otto loves the event but it takes a lot out of him 

I'm sure after a good nap he'll be up and ready for the next adventure!

Keep 'em clean

Bruce

why hire a magician for your event.....

Let me set the stage for you. You've planned your event, be it a graduation party, engagement party, or even 50th birthday party. Everything is in place, the venue, the food, the decorations and your guest list, and the party begins, music plays and your guests begin to arrive.
What do they do? Have you ever given any thought to what your guests will do as they arrive. They come in, look around, notice your efforts to set the scene and your attention to detail in the decorations or the sign in board or place cards, ah the place cards!
      Have you ever noticed how people stop and spend so much time at the place cards, or even as they stop and note to themselves the seating arrangements. Guests will find their card or scout out a place to sit and then take note of who else is there or invited and if they know them or not. They are looking for a friend or at least acquaintance to find a comfort level. "Oh great there are people I know so there will be someone to sit and talk with" That's what they are thinking and once they realize there is going to be someone they know there is a relief that they are not "alone" at your event. 
     At a wedding or family event this is much easier (or maybe not when dealing with family relationships!) Then the party begins and you may notice that people gather in small groups with those they already know. After all this isn't a self help group where they need to introduce themselves to everyone in the circle.
    As the host you may have the time or inclination to go to every table and make sure that everyone at each table has introduced themselves. "So everyone this is John from work and this is Jane my second cousin I found out you both like Star Wars...." No that's not likely as the host you have other responsibilities. So where does this have anything to do with hiring a magician for your party.
The art and performance of magic is ALL ABOUT INTERACTIONS!!
      Yes its not just card tricks and wow how did he do that? Its much much more. As I walk around performing at a cocktail hour or table to table at a party, my first job is to interact with every guest, weather they know each other or not and engage them in conversation and entertain with my magic. If there are 2 or 3 small groups on the floor just talking I can engage all of them and help them all interact as they all together engage in the enjoyment of the magical effects I perform. I've found that people at a party who don't know each other and would never even make the effort to introduce themselves or make small talk will come together, watch and engage in the magic weather its selecting a card, holding out their hand hold an object, confirm a serial number on a bill, or even just contribute by watching, and of course reacting.
       Have you ever been to a party where people line up just outside the kitchen door waiting for the next tray of  hot passings to come out, or are just leaning up against the bar looking around the room, because there is nothing to do and that's the most exciting thing  going on until they are asked to move onto the next part of the event. Now these same people have moved into the cell phone world and are just standing there checking their emails and social media. But as a magician I look for these guests and help them engage with those around them. That's what magic is all about, its a way to engage and help people interact and enjoy themselves along with other humans in the room.
So I ask you to think about this next time you're at a party or an event. Just look around and check out what your guests are doing.
     I promise you they are clumping in small groups who already know each other from work or family or community and there will be lone stragglers on the fringe just buried in their phones. Lets get them involved and lets engage them and help them enjoy your event with some escape from the mundane and enjoy some magic!
       If you have an event coming up, reach out to me by email "thebrooklynmagician@gmail.com" or call (917) 324-6066 and we can talk about how I can bring magic and amazement to your guests and make your special event even more special and memorable.
Be Well and Keep 'em clean

We have seemed to reach that point in life.....

I was watching one of my favorite movies from one of my favorite franchises, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of The Crystal Skull, and I heard a line that I had forgotten and when I heard it I thought s was very profound......" It seems we've reach the age where life stops giving us things and starts taking them away" Wow, that's serious stuff. But is there such an age? I mean is there ever a time when life stops giving us things? Should we ever stop giving away to others, giving of ourselves? That's when I focus on my feelings about magic and its performance.  I have always strongly believed that the performance of magic, the creation of mystery and wonder is a gift I give my audience. The former Dean of Mystery School the late Eugene Berger often spoke in class about gift magic and it's importance. I make it a point to "give away" something to my audience with each performance. It could be simple as a signed card, the torn corner of a card from the effect or even a napkin rose- those are easy and wonderfully received.

Now I don't actually believe that by seeing my magic their lives will improve, or their illnesses will be cured or their mortgages will get paid faster but for the moments of the performance as the audience focuses their attention on my script and my hands I can take them to a magical place.
We work with the same philosophy when we perform at clown rounds and enter a room. We can't effect the illnesses or the seriousness of the condition  but we can effect the people there and in that moment to change the energy in the room, and change their focus. That what magic is and can do. In fact that's what all art should do, is have some effect on the viewer or audience. And after all is said and done, Magic is an art form, a performance art form. Magic isn't just tricks and secrets, or it shouldn't be. It needs to be more.Often times magicians will start their performances with the statement," I'd like to show you something," when what they mean is they want to show you something that you will enjoy watching, or a mystery to get you to think about things differently.
If we as performers can achieve that simple goal of effecting our audiences and giving them the gift of wonder even for a few minutes then we have created great art with our magic. SO go perform an give away some wonder and magic.....then keep doing it!
Just an update I just got some new promotional photos.....here's one

Be Well and Keep 'em clean

How many of those have I read?

Once during a class, the professor took everyone from the lecture hall for a walk to his office and as we all gathered and crowded into his office he said," take a look around what do you see?" His office was densely packed book shelves on three sides. We all replied, lots of books! "how many of them do you think I've read?" We all took our guesses and we were all very surprised at the reply....it wasn't that many and my surprise soon turned to disappointment.....I really thought he had read, or should have read all of them.....
This brings me to the theme of this post. I enjoy books, one of my prides and joys is my magic book collection. And after that day I went home and looked at my magic book collection and asked myself, " how many of these books have I read?"

It was an interesting question, I decided to go over the shelves book by book and see if I've read everything. My feeling was that I had completely read 95% of them.
I thought there were a few different types of books, those you read and re read often, those you buy to read once then keep as collectibles, lastly  those you start and put down after a few pages because it didn't meet your expectations.
So off I went to review each and every book title. I realized that I was almost right, it turns out that I have completely read about 75% of the books. I found a few that I didn't even remember I had,  and rekindled my love for certain titles that I haven't gone through in years.
I did find many book marked and dogeared pages for effects and concepts that I wanted to revisit to improve or enhance my performances. Out of those ideas many of them have actually made it to my act, some of them went in and didn't make the cut.
Reading magic books is often a great way to relax. Last post I wrote about things that inspire you to be creative and often times reading through certain classic magic books helps solve creative problems. For me whenever I come across a magic or routinizing challenge I can't wait to crack the binding on one of my favorite texts.
How do you decide on what books to buy? You really can't just get every book that comes out as they do take up space and they are not all relevant, so where do recommendations come from?
I encourage you to join discussion groups and speak to other magicians about the books you read and undoubtedly they will have recommendations. I have gotten the last few book recommendations from discussions in the McBride Mystery School and some from The Magic Word Podcast, two sources I've mentioned before in my blog posts. My most recent books have been about performance skills, script writing, magic philosophy and history.  I've made it a point to email or post my thanks to those who recommended the titles and that I really enjoyed them, kindness and gratitude are always in order.
So that brings me back to the question, "how many of these books have I read" I've made a neat pile of books that I havn't read and started to add them to my reading list. So far I've found lots of great information that was right there on MY shelves all this time......yup, there was great stuff right in front of me, and I didn't even realize it.
Be Well and Keep 'em clean