Diary of a Sorcerers Safari newbie - part 1

The “Diary of a Sorcerers Safari Newbie” is primarily based on the 2015 camp season.  It is an aggregate of many perspectives and at times includes events from previous years.


Thursday August 13, 2015

Tomorrow I go to Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp for the first time! 

I'm nervous.  Mom said, “Alex, it's normal for a ten year old to be anxious about their first time at sleepaway camp.”  That makes me feel a bit better.  I hope I won't get too homesick.  I wish I knew someone else who was going.

I'm worried that I don't know enough magic.  I know how to do the "cups and balls."   But I don't know any card or coin tricks.  I hope no one laughs when I try to shuffle cards. It usually ends in a big mess.

It's getting late.  I should try to sleep.  I feel excited and scared both at the same time. (How weird is that?)

Day 1: Friday August 14, 2015

I'm here! This place is awesome!

We got up early and Mom drove me to camp.  During the drive I kinda wished Dad was driving. Mom drives so slow I thought for sure we'd get here late. Turns out my worry was for nothing.  We got here early and even beat the bus!  Way to go Mom!

Camp is huge!!!!  The staff were waiting for us on a big field when we got here.  Other campers were waiting too.

A bus full of campers just arrived. Kids are laughing and cheering and hugging people as they get off the bus.  People are asking if Eric Leclerc is going to be here this year.  He must be awesome if everyone’s talking about him.

Campers gathered on the field.

They’re asking us to take our things to the cabins so I’m going to give Mom a hug goodbye and hope she doesn’t see that I’m sad and a little bit scared to see her go.  If she starts crying I’ll be a mess.  Don’t know when I’ll get a chance to write again.

A camper's notebook.

To be continued ... 


--
The 2016 season of Sorcerers Safari will run from Sunday August 7th through Friday August 12th, 2016. For more information, or to register, please visit SorcerersSafari.ca

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Browser's Magic Bash 2016 recap

As many of you are aware, I live-Tweeted and live-blogged this year's Browser's Magic Bash last Saturday.  In this post I've consolidated (and edited) the blog posts and Tweets. (For the complete list of Tweets and photos check out this Twitter link to #BrowsersBash2016 .)  It's a very long post.  Click "read more" below to view it.  Thanks for joining in.

I hope you all had as much fun as I did!

Monday musings: What's the strangest thing that's ever happened to you during a show?

I've seen a lot of strange and unexpected things happen at shows.  I've seen stage platforms give way.  I've seen entire sets fall over actors (thankfully no one was injured), I've seen audience volunteers walk off the stage.  And there was that one time when a smoke machine caused a cape to catch fire...

I haven't performed often enough to experience anything like that.  Best I can do is report a family member who zealously tried to make a fool out of grade-school-me (boy was he surprised when he opened his hands to find an entire family of sponge rabbits!), and the suggestion of "Abracadabra, hey presto!" as a magic "word" by a grade-school student.

I'm sure a number of you have some juicy tales to tell though, and I'd love to hear them!

I'll let James Alan start you off with this video from his Reality Based Magic post, "The weirdest thing to ever happen to me on stage."




And now, over to you. What's the strangest thing that's ever happened to you during a show?

Random thoughts on "Outerbridge Clockwork Mysteries"

I recently had the pleasure of seeing Marion and Ted Outerbridge perform their show "Clockwork Mysteries" last month.  They had just completed a 5,500 mile US lecture tour.  I caught them at the Milton Centre for the Arts.

[As an aside, I encourage you to go and see a show at this fabulous 500 seat theatre.  It's approximately 25 minutes west of Toronto's western border.  The facilities are modern and spacious.  On the lower level, it appears that all seats have amazing sight lines.  (I didn't venture up to the balcony.)  The seats are a little bit wider than standard theatre seats, which makes them very comfortable!  They offer amenities like a coat check (by donation) and the ability to pre-order intermission refreshments.  Best of all, parking is free and plentiful.]

Here are some random thoughts that came to mind while watching their amazing time travel themed show:

• A fast paced, extremely entertaining, high-energy show.
• All illusions, big and small, were masterfully performed.
• Greta the Psychic Goose earns her keep.
• There is a nice ratio of grand illusion, intimate magic, and mentalism.
• I really enjoy watching "assistants" do magic in their own right.  Marion owns it!
• Those of you who know me well, know that my opinion of magicians is heavily weighted on how they treat their audience members.  One of my favourite moments in the show, lasted no more than 2 seconds.  Ted walked into the audience to select a volunteer.  He found someone he wanted to bring on stage.  She said, "no."  Instead of cajoling or otherwise pressuring her, he simply moved on and found someone else.  That's how you make the audience feel like you can be trusted to treat them right.  Show people respect from the get go.
• Ted has a knack for picking awesome audience volunteers.  Six year old Archer was a really good sport and owned that stage!
• Nine year olds can't be trusted to count down from 90.
• Ted's disco ball jacket is a thing of sheer beauty!
• I love that audiences in 2016, still enjoy watching someone get sawed in half, into halves, into two pieces.  
• Among other wonderful pieces, we were treated to: "The Psychic is Right,"  "The Time Machine," "Alarm Clock," "Floating Barricade Light," "Outside of the Box," and their elegantly performed "Levitation."
• The biggest mystery of the night for me:  How does Marion manage all of those costume changes?

If you get a chance to see them perform their show "Clockwork Mysteries," go and see it!

(If you're at the upcoming CAM convention, you'll get a taste of their show in the Grand Gala performance at the CAMaraderie Convention/Festival de magie de Québec on April 23, 2016.  They're also scheduled to perform at SAM New York's "2016 Salute to Magic" on May 7th.)

To learn more about this fabulous duo, listen to the Scott Wells' podcast 278: The Inner Secrets of the Outerbridges or visit their website at www.outerbridgemagic.com.

Disclosure:  My family and I were guests at this show. The opinions expressed above are entirely my own. I did not receive compensation for the writing or the publishing of this article.

Monday musings: Popcorn and milk

I wonder if anyone has ever incorporated this into their act? A fun experiment for little hands during March break!

"You can fill a glass full to the brim with milk, and fill another glass of the same size brim full of popcorn, and then you can put all the popcorn kernel into the milk, and milk will not run over. You cannot do this with bread. Popcorn and milk are the only two things that will go into the same place."[1]

I wonder, does it really only work with milk?  And if so, why?


From Peter Brown's YouTube channel:



--

[1] Wilder, Laura Ingalls, and Garth Williams. "Winter Night." Farmer Boy. New York: Harper & Bros., 1953.

Monday musings: Search engine optimization

It's time consuming to become a master of manipulation.  I get that.  On top of that you're trying to grow your business.  One of your tactics, you're told, should be harnessing the power of your website through search engine optimization.

"Search engine optimization" as defined by Wikipedia:

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of affecting the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine's unpaid results—often referred to as "natural," "organic," or "earned" results. In general, the earlier (or higher ranked on the search results page), and more frequently a site appears in the search results list, the more visitors it will receive from the search engine's users.

But you find the tubes and gears and pulleys of the interwebs overwhelming.  So you decide to outsource this task to people who know it better than you.  This makes perfect sense.

What do you really know about these people who promise you high search ranking for your money?  Does it matter?

Yes.  Yes it does matter.

When you hand over the promotion of your internet identity to the lowest bidder, some interesting things can and do happen.  The people doing the work may be located in a different country and may not have a great handle on the English language.  The people doing the work may use the strategy of comment spamming any semi-related website they can find.


Why should this matter to you?

How do you think it reflects on you if the people who are promoting you uses spammy language?  It's a red flag for many people, who view paid comments as meaningless.  (If you're a believer that any publicity is good publicity, then maybe it doesn't matter.)

As for comment spamming to impact SEO, not only does it not work, it can work against you.  It doesn't work for one or more of the following reasons: a) the comment section of many websites are coded so as to not pass on "Google juice," b) comments are sometimes left on untended sites which don't have high PageRank, and c) when comments are left on actively managed sites like this one, the spam comments are deleted within 24 hours  (you've paid good money for something that gets permanently deleted in less than a day!!).

Worse than that, some SEO organizations will target blogs of potential clients, and leave comment spam representing themselves as you and your brand.  These can hurt both you and your SEO in the long term.

When I get those types of spam comments, it's annoying to be sure -- and I remember who you are because you're wasting your money and my time every time I have to cleanup the spammy mess you paid for.  However, when potential clients get those kinds of spammy comments, they often black list you and share your name around with all of their contacts as people to avoid.  It happens.  I've seen it.  It's not pretty.


What should you be doing?

You know your business best.  You know your budget.  I can only suggest to you that you do a quick search for "things you should ask before hiring seo company," and that you remember you pay for what you get.

Monday musings: Tom Mullica

A Tom Mullica moment from the first CAM convention:

Monday musings: Windows 10

We seem to have a case of #Windows10NotWorkingProperlySyndrome that's taking longer to resolve than we had hoped.

We're keeping the lights on here as best we can.  Please note, however, that there may be delays in responding to e-mail and social media until a definitive cure can be implemented.

Thank you for your patience and understanding!

The Browser's Bash 2015 in Vanish Magazine

Updated August 23rd to add:

• With thanks to Lee Asher for his collaboration and editing.
• And also thanks to Paul Romhany for publishing!

The August/September 2015 edition of  Vanish Magazine has a write-up, by yours truly, about this year's Browser's Bash.

From page 74 of Vanish Magizine's August/September 2015 edition:

“I’ve never attempted to do anything like this before! Save this date – April 12, 2015.”

That’s the message that Jeff Pinsky, owner of The Browser’s Den of Magic in Toronto, sent out last December. Whatever could it be, I wondered? I read and reread the small amount of text, searching for clues or hidden meanings. Would it be preparation for a Flash Mob? A marriage proposal? The filming of a movie or television show?

Read more.

Random thoughts from Sorcerers Safari 2015

• Mike and Jen Segal are totally awesome and inspiring people!
• It is tremendous that organizations such as Ellusionist support Sorcerers Safari. (Kids, did you remember to send a quick "thank you" e-mail to them for the generous gift you received?  Do it now!  -- Mom)
• The safety and welfare of the children is an absolute priority.
• Spotted: Mike and Jen Segal, Dan Wiebe, Eric Leclerc, Aaron Fisher, Dave Mitchell, Carey Lauder, Lee Asher, Dick Joiner, Steven Kline, Lisa & Michael Close, Shawn Farquhar, Ben Train, Chris Mayhew, Rosemary Reid, Marc Chalmers, Jonah Babins, Joan Caesar, Philip DaCosta, Mark Correia, Chris Westfall, Sheldon Casavant, Scott Hammell, Greg Frewin, Neil Croswell & Ashley Da Silva, Loran, Marion & Ted Outerbridge and special guest Daryl ... I'm sure there were more and I'm sorry if I missed you!
• If you haven't met Daryl yet, get thee to the Browser's Den for the Daryl Workshop or get to the Daryl Lecture.  He is fabulous.  You're welcome.
• Epic staff lip sync battle: Eric's "Blank Space" (Taylor Swift), Mark's "Independent Women" (Destiny's Child), Chris Mayhew's "Single Ladies" (Beyoncé), Rosemary & Chris Westfall's "Cheerleader" (Omi), Jonah & Jonah's "Love Is An Open Door" (Frozen), Michael's "Whip My Hair" (Willow Smith), Scott's "Ice Ice Baby" (Vanilla Ice), The Farquhar's "You're The One That I Want" (Greece), and Mike, Chris G, Steph, Jen & Lisa's "Mahna Mahnam" (Muppet Show).  Need I say more?
• Grand stage shows nightly including doves, big box illusions and multiple champions of magic!
• Beach party, cook outs, relay races, Food Chain, Capture The Flag, Dealer's Day, wrap party  fireworks, and swimming, swimming, swimming!  (Jumping in the lake is an experience like no other.)
• Carey Lauder is an incredible photographer. 
• Chris Mayhew shot some fabulous footage – I can't wait to see this year's camp video!
• Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp really does get better every year!
• Jen, Christina, Stephanie, Lori, and Lisa work super hard behind the scenes making sure that everything runs smoothly.
• Mike Segal and Mike Toal should be very proud of what they started together over 19 years ago.
• Sorcerers Safari is full of super nice, caring, talented individuals!

Don't just take my word for it, here's what other people had to say about this summer's magic camp experience:

Goooooooood morning campers! First full day, let's rock it! #magiccamp #camplife #ss2015 pic.twitter.com/1aP7IsPvHu

— Sorcerers Safari (@SorcerersSafari) August 15, 2015

Camp life is calm. Oh, there's a lot of card tricks too. #bestyearever #Farquharfun #sorc… http://t.co/Xw5qMt09eU pic.twitter.com/vDBl17TTbv

— Shawn Farquhar (@magiChampion) August 15, 2015

Show ended a bit early tonight so managed to get my first real sunset of Sorcerers Safari 2015 Day 3 #bestyearever
Posted by James Carey Lauder on Sunday, 16 August 2015

Yesterday was Dealer Day at Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp. A great way to see a lot of magic and we had so much fun to...
Posted by Marion Outerbridge on Tuesday, 18 August 2015

We are officially over 1000 likes on this page! We had a $10 000 prize for our thousandth liker but unfortunately you're...
Posted by Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp on Monday, 17 August 2015

Camper: "I wish I could sleep for 360 days. So I could miss the school year and when I wake up it would be time for camp again."

— Sorcerers Safari (@SorcerersSafari) August 19, 2015

Today marks the last day of the 19th year of @SorcerersSafari. I'm sad to be leaving but I'm excited to get home and share what I learned!

— Ben Train (@ErdnaseinTO) August 20, 2015

Browser's Magic Bash 2015 recap

As many of you are aware, I live-Tweeted and live-blogged the first annual Browser's Magic Bash last Sunday.  In this post I've consolidated (and edited) the blog posts and Tweets, and included many of your Tweets tagged with #BrowsersBash2015 . (For the complete list of Tweets and photos check out this Twitter link to #BrowsersBash2015 )  It's a very long post.  Click "read more" below to view it.  Thanks for joining in.

I hope you all had as much fun as I did!

Thirty seconds with Steve Valentine

This is the last in my baker's dozen of "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews, so called because I approached the interviewees at Sorcerers Safari Magic and Performance Arts Camp last summer with the idea that I would interview them for 30 seconds. It didn't always work that way.


Professional actor and magician Steve Valentine was born in Scotland and currently resides in LA. Love and happiness are the things that come to his mind when he thinks of Canada; his wife, Inna, is originally from Toronto. Steve met Magic Mike Segal at a chance encounter at The Browser's Den of Magic. After hearing Mike talk about Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp, Steve said that he'd "like to help out if he could in anyway." And so, Steve attended magic camp last summer.

FUN FACT:
Steve would rather watch Dr. Who than either Star Wars or Star Trek.

DID YOU KNOW?
- Steve's life motto: "Always do everything you want and love to do, to live a fulfilling life. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
- Steve was named the Magic Castle's Close-up Magician of the Year two years in a row.
- You may have seen Steve in on TV on shows such as Crossing Jordan, House, NCIS, and The Big Bang Theory.

Here's what Steve had to say about Sorcerers Safari: "It's fun! It's a bunch of magic nerds getting together." He also expressed a little bit of jealousy. Like many of the adults who have been to magic camp, Steve wishes something like this was available to him in his youth.

Steve's first memory of magic has him at six years of age in a playground in England and involves a vanishing knot. It was around that time that he also learned an important show business reality – if there's no publicity, no one will show up.

It's Steve's observation that the kids today are learning at an exponential rate given the easy availability of magic videos to consume. He hopes these kids will also make a point of exposing themselves to more of the history of the craft and rounding themselves out as individuals. Steve thinks that we're at a great place in magic, in that there's a new generation of audiences available who are not jaded by the "old shtick." He's especially happy that audiences are really accepting and enjoying close-up magic. Steve's advice for aspiring magicians: "Learn and read as much as you can – old books especially (fewer people know about this stuff)."

When Steve's not being magical, he loves being an awesome dad to his beautiful daughter, Evie. (Evie is a celebrity in her own right at magic camp. As near as anyone can tell, she never had to stand on her own because all of the campers were lined up to carry her!)

Visit Steve's website at: SteveValentine.com


From the Fireside Productions Facebook page:

Steve Valentine kills ...
Posted by Fireside Productions on Friday, 5 September 2014

Previously published "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews:

Dan Wiebe | Eric Leclerc | Lisa Close | Alex Seaman | Ben Train
 Lorena and Trevor Watters | Mark Correia | Carey Lauder
Michael Close | Chris Pilsworth | Chris Mayhew | Simon Waring

From the Sorcerers Safari Twitter feed:

Guarantee your spot at #MagicCamp Aug.15-19 2015. Tell your parents registration is on your wish list - it's now open at sorcererssafari.ca
— Sorcerers Safari (@SorcerersSafari) December 22, 2014

Thirty seconds with Simon Waring

This is the twelfth in a series of "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews, so called because I approached the interviewees at Sorcerers Safari Magic and Performance Arts Camp last summer with the idea that I would interview them for 30 seconds. It didn't always work that way.

I remember sitting at the Pinetages Theatre waiting for the evening show to start.  Lee Asher's "B4" card class was tasked with approaching people in the audience (before the main show) and performing some close-up magic for them, while paying close attention to audience reaction.  While the majority of the class made a beeline to their friends, Simon made his way to me. I had the pleasure of watching him perform three wonderful card tricks.  Keep up the great work Simon!

Simon Waring is an aspiring magician from Gerogina, ON.  He thinks Canada is the best country in the world because it's such an accepting place, there is so much freedom and it's home to many great accomplishments.

FUN FACT:
Simon prefers chocolate chip cookies to Oreos.

DID YOU KNOW?
Simon's biggest influences are his parents, "the two best people in the world.

Simon's first memory of magic dates back to when he was six years old.  He remembers performing a children's vanish with Playmobil and a Toys'r'Us magic kit.  Simon first heard about Sorcerers Safari Magic and Performance Arts Camp at Morrissey's Magic shop in 2009 when he was ten years old.  Simon's attend camp as a camper for six years.  He comes back to camp because the activities are so unique and interactive.  He hates the thought of missing out on something wonderful.  He's made great friends at camp and keeps in touch with them throughout the year.

Simon hopes that magic isn't losing its roots and that that people realize the value of reading books, going to lectures, and learning in person.  He suggests that young performers "practise, practise, practise."  He also encourages them to be creative and think about what enhances effects.  One last tip from Simon: "Take good care of your cards."

Simon's favourite non-magic activity is talking with friends about history.





Previously published "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews:

Dan Wiebe | Eric Leclerc | Lisa Close | Alex Seaman | Ben Train
 Lorena and Trevor Watters | Mark Correia | Carey Lauder
Michael Close | Chris Pilsworth | Chris Mayhew

From the Sorcerers Safari Twitter feed:

Guarantee your spot at #MagicCamp Aug.15-19 2015. Tell your parents registration is on your wish list - it's now open at sorcererssafari.ca
— Sorcerers Safari (@SorcerersSafari) December 22, 2014

Thirty seconds with Chris Mayhew

This is the eleventh in a series of "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews, so called because I approached the interviewees at Sorcerers Safari Magic and Performance Arts Camp last summer with the idea that I would interview them for 30 seconds. It didn't always work that way.

Professional magician Chris Mayhew, originally from Calgary but now living in Toronto thinks that Canada is a friendly place to be.  He first came to Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp in 2013 with the task of creating the official camp video.  He did such a great job, that he was back in 2014 as official camp videographer.

FUN FACT:
Chris prefers Oreos to store-bought chocolate chip cookies, but would take homemade chocolate chip cookies over Oreos any day!

DID YOU KNOW?
Chris considers himself to be shy.

Chris' first memory of magic is as a young teenager of 13, seeing the sign at the Vanishing Rabbit Magic shop in Calgary.  It's not surprising that when he thinks about Sorcerers Safari, he thinks of magic!  Chris encourages performers to take the time to make routines their own, and wishes that there weren't so many people out there spreading bad magic.  His advice to aspiring magicians:  "Learn what you can and make it work for you.  Be sure to add yourself."

When not thinking about magic, Chris is likely thinking about videography.

Chris contributes to Five Academy Magic, has a solo lecture / show "MAYhew, MAYhem" and is also part of a comedy duo show "Sketchy Magic" with Chris Westfall.  You can catch Sketchy Magic every Tuesday in April.

From Chris Westfall's Facebook page:

The best way to love is to laugh together. It's not a magic show, it's a #sketchymagic experience. Save a date. April 7,14,21 or 28! An amazing deal from feb 1st-14th. Stay posted for info #saveadate
Posted by Chris Westfall on Thursday, 29 January 2015

Visit Chris' website at: ChrisMayhewMagic.com .


From the Fireside Productions Facebook page:

© Rebecca C. Wells 2014
Posted by Fireside Productions on Wednesday, 3 September 2014

Previously published "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews:

Dan Wiebe | Eric Leclerc | Lisa Close | Alex Seaman | Ben Train
 Lorena and Trevor Watters | Mark Correia | Carey Lauder
Michael Close | Chris Pilsworth

From the Sorcerers Safari Twitter feed: 

Guarantee your spot at #MagicCamp Aug.15-19 2015. Tell your parents registration is on your wish list - it's now open at sorcererssafari.ca
— Sorcerers Safari (@SorcerersSafari) December 22, 2014

Thirty seconds with Chris Pilsworth

This is the tenth in a series of "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews, so called because I approached the interviewees at Sorcerers Safari Magic and Performance Arts Camp last summer with the idea that I would interview them for 30 seconds. It didn't always work that way.

Professional magician, Chris Pilsworth is from Ottawa, Ontario.  Magic Mike Segal, Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp founder, put the magic camp bug in Chris' ear some time ago.  Finally Chris' curiosity got the better of him.  He loves the positive atmosphere of camp and that it's not too intensive (it includes playtime!).  He thinks it's especially great that the kids get to rub shoulders with high quality performers. He has attended Sorcerers Safari for four years.

FUN FACT:
Chris prefers chocolate chip cookies to Oreos.

DID YOU KNOW?
Chris is really happy that magic found him and / or he found magic!

Chris' first memory of magic involves his brother and magic books from the library.  Chris is fascinated to see the evolution of magic.  When asked his thoughts on the current state of magic he replied, "The world is changing and magic is changing.  Magic's been around for a long time and will continue to be."
When asked about advice for aspiring magicians, Chris replied, "Enjoy the process.  Be curious about becoming better.  Be original.  Try your best to express who you are through the medium of magic – don't be a direct copy."

When not immersed in magic, Chris enjoys reading, movies, volleyball and ultimate Frisbee.

Visit Chris' website at borntoamaze.com .

From the Fireside Productions Facebook page:

Post by Fireside Productions.

Previously published "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews:

Dan Wiebe | Eric Leclerc | Lisa Close | Alex Seaman | Ben Train
 Lorena and Trevor Watters | Mark Correia | Carey Lauder
Michael Close

From the Sorcerers Safari Twitter feed: 

Guarantee your spot at #MagicCamp Aug.15-19 2015. Tell your parents registration is on your wish list - it's now open at sorcererssafari.ca
— Sorcerers Safari (@SorcerersSafari) December 22, 2014

Thirty seconds with Michael Close

This is the ninth in a series of "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews, so called because I approached the interviewees at Sorcerers Safari Magic and Performance Arts Camp last summer with the idea that I would interview them for 30 seconds. It didn't always work that way.

I remember sitting at a picnic table outside the Mess Hall.  Michael was chatting with a group of campers and showing them some fabulous effects.  He then kindly agreed to let me interview him.  At the conclusion of the interview he said, "I've given you my time for your interview.  In return, you need to give me some of your time so I can show you something."  (A price I was only too happy to pay!)  Michael illustrated for me the interconnectedness of all things as not one, but two decks of cards mysteriously divined a card I'd previously selected.  Our time ended with a delightful discussion of probability and statistics. 

Professional magician Michael Close was born in Cleveland, raised in Indiana, lived and worked in Las Vegas for twelve years, and now lives in Toronto.  Michael first learned about Sorcerers Safari Magic and Performance Arts Camp from his wife, Lisa.  He enjoys the location of the camp, the relaxing environment and especially that the instructors are always available to interact with the kids.  He likes how the camp setting breaks down barriers and gives kids access to the pros.  Teaching at Sorcerers Safari gives instructors a chance to offer to the young magicians, viewpoints grounded in classic principles.

FUN FACT:
Michael prefers "The Lord of the Rings" to "Harry Potter" and the original "Star Wars" movies (IV-VI) to "Star Trek."

DID YOU KNOW?
Michael is currently the editor of M-U-M, the magazine of The Society of American Magicians.

His first memory of magic is as a five year old.  He still remembers every trick Dick Stoner performed at his school in Fort Wayne Indiana.  Michael is concerned that the approaches and principles of magic are being forgotten because the kids today aren't being exposed to them.  He hopes the young magicians of today will learn to value secrets, respect history, and to value the experiences of those who came before them.  His advice for aspiring magicians:  "1) Don't forget that magic performance requires engaging people, it's not just performing for a camera. 2) Be well rounded and interesting to people outside of magic. 3) Learn to be engaging without doing a trick. 4) Read."

What is Michael's favourite non-magic activity?  Being an awesome dad, of course!

Visit Michael's website at MichaelClose.com .


From Sorcerers Safari's Facebook page:

Post by Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp.

Previously published "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews:

Dan Wiebe | Eric Leclerc | Lisa Close | Alex Seaman | Ben Train
 Lorena and Trevor Watters | Mark Correia | Carey Lauder

From the Sorcerers Safari Twitter feed: 

Guarantee your spot at #MagicCamp Aug.15-19 2015. Tell your parents registration is on your wish list - it's now open at sorcererssafari.ca
— Sorcerers Safari (@SorcerersSafari) December 22, 2014

Thirty seconds with Carey Lauder

This is the eighth in a series of "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews, so called because I approached the interviewees at Sorcerers Safari Magic and Performance Arts Camp last summer with the idea that I would interview them for 30 seconds. It didn't always work that way.

Carey Lauder, is a magician from Winnipeg, Manitoba.  He likes that Canadians, in general, are nice and willing to share.  Carey is an executive member of the Winnipeg Society of Young Magicians (SYM) which is the youth program (7-16yo) for the Society of American Magicians.  He's been involved with the SYM for 20 years.

FUN FACT:
Carey prefers Lord of the Rings to Harry Potter.

DID YOU KNOW?
Carey's favourite non-magic activity is photography.  You can see his photos over at MyToba.ca .

He first learned about Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp from reading an article about it in IBM's Linking Ring magazine. Carey is a talented photographer, and a natural fit to be the official camp photographer when he's not teaching magic.  He's spent 16 years at camp as a magic camp instructor.  When asked his thoughts on Sorcerers Safari, Carey highlights the niceness of the participants, and thinks all of the sharing, jamming, and supporting is fabulous!  I asked what brings him back to camp year after year, and without hesitation he replied, "How can't you come back?"

Carey's first memory of magic is as a pre-teen (10-12 years of age) seeing Martin Nash at the Edmonton Klondike games.  He hopes that in spite of the volume of magic out there, people still remember that the magician needs to be part of the magic.  Carey recommends aspiring magicians read as much as they can and they find themselves a mentor.  He has one more piece of advice, "Don't be afraid to take risks and try new things."

Carey teaches photography at the high school level and is delighted that his photography is able to both benefit the camp and help to showcase kids to promote themselves.

From the FiresideProductions Facebook page:

Post by Fireside Productions.

Previously published "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews:

Dan Wiebe | Eric Leclerc | Lisa Close | Alex Seaman | Ben Train
 Lorena and Trevor Watters | Mark Correia 

From the Sorcerers Safari Twitter feed: 

Guarantee your spot at #MagicCamp Aug.15-19 2015. Tell your parents registration is on your wish list - it's now open at sorcererssafari.ca
— Sorcerers Safari (@SorcerersSafari) December 22, 2014

Thirty seconds with Mark Correia

This is the seventh in a series of "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews, so called because I approached the interviewees at Sorcerers Safari Magic and Performance Arts Camp last summer with the idea that I would interview them for 30 seconds. It didn't always work that way.

Professional magician Mark Correia from Toronto, Ontario is probably best known for spending two weeks inside a straitjacket last summer, to raise awareness for Parkinson's Disease.  In November 2014, Record Setter recognized Mark with a World Record for the "Longest Time Wearing a Straitjacket."  Mark raised over $15 000 through his efforts.

FUN FACT:
Mark performed for Usher at The Magic Castle.

DID YOU KNOW?
- Mark's pre-show routine involves rolling up his pant-legs an hour before show time, and then rolling them down right before the show starts?
- Mark is also working on a book and documentary about his experience with the Escaping Parkinson's straitjacket endurance stunt.  Keep an eye out for the book as early as this summer!.

Three year old Mark was bitten by the magic bug when "The Wacky Wizard" performed his (Mark's) birthday party.  Mark started performing professionally at the age of five.  He was at The Browser's Den of Magic when he first heard that Sorcerers Safari Magic and Performance Arts Camp was "the" place to be if you were a young performer interested in magic.  One of his favourite things about camp is that you get to spend time with the people that literally wrote the books he reads.  In fact, when Mark thinks about magic camp, it's the amazing special guests that come first to mind.   Mark's spent seven seasons at Sorcerers Safari, two of which have been as a counsellor in training.  Needless to say, camp feels like family to him.

When Mark's not being magical, he's probably treading the boards in the Dramatic Arts Program at The National Theatre School of Canada or acting professionally in Toronto.

From the Fireside Productions Facebook page:

Post by Fireside Productions.

Previously published "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews:

Dan Wiebe | Eric Leclerc | Lisa Close | Alex Seaman | Ben Train
 Lorena and Trevor Watters

From the Sorcerers Safari Twitter feed: 

Guarantee your spot at #MagicCamp Aug.15-19 2015. Tell your parents registration is on your wish list - it's now open at sorcererssafari.ca
— Sorcerers Safari (@SorcerersSafari) December 22, 2014

Fun Family Day at Dave and Busters

Ontario's Family Day long weekend was just over a week ago.  (As a bonus for the kids it was an extra long, long weekend because of a school Professional Activities day tacked onto the Friday before.)  Going into the weekend, I had high hopes for a low key, low stress relaxing weekend that would include outdoor activities such as skating and tobogganing.

The Universe had other ideas.  To be fair, there was lots of sleeping in and it was very low key and low stress.  (Thank you to the public library for letting us borrow from your DVD collection.)  The weather outside, however, was close to minus 400 degrees with the windchill and I am not a fan of doing anything in that kind of cold.

On the weekend a Tweet from Bill Abbott caught my attention:

"CHICO IS BACK!!! 2 shows only. This Monday 2pm and 4pm"

How could I resist?

We arrived at Dave and Busters an hour before showtime and were warmly greeted at the door by Ben Train.  After we bought our tickets (bring cash), we went into the theatre to find our seats and settle in.  I was very impressed to find that the theatre was almost half full already.  We ordered some yummy food and passed the time by teaching Kidlet how to do a Bruce Posgate knot with the table decor.

Some notes on the show:

• About 10 minutes before showtime, the room was completely sold out.  
• Bobby Motta did a great job of warming up the crowd.
• Bill Abbott was in fine form.
• Kidlet has seen an effect created by Bill, performed a number of times by people who have purchased his product.  It was very educational for Kidlet to see Bill perform it himself!  (And it's always entertaining.)
• It was a delight for me to finally see Bill live, performing someThing I had only seen him do on video.  (And it looks great live!)
• After all these years, Chico is just as precocious as ever.
• Some magical items were on sale after the show ... parents bring some extra cash.
• The show was very entertaining and well worth the ticket price!

As a bonus, on your way out after the show everyone receives a game card which gives you unlimited play on all the non-ticketed games in The Midway.  Needless to say we spent a good chunk of time exploring all the offerings!  (And got some virtual snowboarding and skiing in to boot.)

Thank you Ben, Bill, Bobby and Dave & Busters for being a part of such a fabulous Family Day outing!


From Ben Train's Twitter feed:

Every Fri & Sat at @DnB_Toronto, come see @bobbymotta and @billabbottlive! 2 shows a night, 8 & 10:15- $20 per show (includes game cards)!
— Ben Train (@ErdnaseinTO) February 22, 2015

Thirty seconds with Lorena and Trevor Watters

This is the sixth in a series of "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews, so called because I approached the interviewees at Sorcerers Safari Magic and Performance Arts Camp last summer with the idea that I would interview them for 30 seconds. It didn't always work that way.

Lorena and Trevor Watters are professional magicians from North Delta, BC.  They both love the beautiful scenery and friendliness of Canada.  They first heard about Sorcerers Safari Magic Camp when Magic Mike Segal and his wife Jen approached them at the World Magic Seminar.  This was  Lorena and Trevor's third year as camp instructors.

FUN FACT:
They're both big fans of the original Star Wars trilogy..

DID YOU KNOW?
- Lorena's most embarrassing magic moment was at the West Coast Fair when wind blew her skirt up!  (Apparently they had a much bigger audience the next day!
- Trevor's pre-show routine involves him doing push ups against a wall for 10 seconds to help him relax and psych himself up.

The Watters, like so many of the adults who pass through camp, wish that something like this was available to them when they were growing up.  When they think of camp they think of amazingly talented kids, fun times and unforgettable memories.  To them it's the perfect place to learn "magical performance arts."  They've loved camp since the first day and look forward to it yearly.  Lorena sums up one of their favourite things about magic camp, "It's awesome to watch how much kids grow (both physically and magically) in a year."

Trevor's first memory of magic goes back to the age of 12.  He remembers his dad coming home from Las Vegas with some magic tricks.  That's when Trevor fell in love with the craft.  As for Lorena, her first solid memory of magic was in the very early days of dating Trevor.  Trevor asked her if she'd like to come back to his place to see an illusion.  Lorena added, "He asked if I could fit into a box on the floor.  Then he said he was going to put 12 swords into it. The rest is history."

Lorena wishes that more people would think of magic as an art form.  Trevor agrees and would like people to respect magicians as much as they respect actors, or lawyers.  Both of them have the same advice for the young magicians out there:  Practise makes perfect.  Don't be afraid to fail; some of their best material comes from epic fails.

We wish them all the best as they represent Canada in the FISM World Championship held in Italy this July!

Visit their website at TrevorWatters.com .

From the Fireside Productions Facebook page:

Post by Fireside Productions.

Previously published "Thirty seconds with ..." interviews:

Dan Wiebe | Eric Leclerc | Lisa Close | Alex Seaman | Ben Train

From the Sorcerers Safari Twitter feed:

Guarantee your spot at #MagicCamp Aug.15-19 2015. Tell your parents registration is on your wish list - it's now open at sorcererssafari.ca
— Sorcerers Safari (@SorcerersSafari) December 22, 2014