Dai Vernon Seminar by Roberto Giobbi

Roberto Giobbi Lecture – Chicago, IL 3/7/09 Roosevelt University

I met Simon Aronson, John Bannon, Benjamin Barnes, Eric (Bluefield, WV), David Kovac, and then of course the man of the hour Roberto Giobbi.

Before we start the lecture Roberto is beside of me speaking to a gentleman about how to take out the cards. Bending the flap back to break it in. Establishing eye contact first. Saying something of importance while you get the cards out into your hand THEN look at the cards, do a thumb fan, introduce the deck.
He was questioning the gentleman’s handling of the faro shuffle. Roberto asked was he left or right handed. Roberto said that this is a very important question regarding the sleight. And then he mentioned about a bread cutter. When you purchase, it comes for right handed people or left handed people.
I’m sitting there doing flips inside as Giobbi creates these wonderful life analogies. He went straight from the bread cutter to the Japanese sword. He said that you can’t see it unless your very close, but the swords are designed specifically for your strength, right hand or left.

Now the notes:

Japanese saying: In a small world there is a big world
Giobbi- 1982 sons were born
Dai Vernon, people produced info about him, Faucett Ross, Lewis Ganson, Stephen Minch, David Ben
Dai Vernon maybe the first magician to introduce a lecture to magicians as we know it today.
Learn from the masters. Study, Practice
Structure:
Method-Technical Execution
Dramatic- See and Hear
Psychological-an intelligent mind can’t penetrate
“I’m going to teach you” is so much better then saying I’m going to “show” you. Show you is exposing yourself…low, teaching…that’s when the fingers touch…the great painting of God and Adam.
Cups and Balls clear symbols in magic
Psychological construction
Great thinker of magic—Ascanio
Establish a Theme
Classics repeat a trick over and over, but they add something to enhance
Theatrical Challenge is accepted where as Physical challenge is not.
Perfection is in the details
Geniuses will identify problems
Pop Kreeger and Max Malini were the first to get the fruit out of the back pocket. Before then it was from a servant or belly pocket.
Be careful of the “word pictures” you create in someone’s mind. Don’t work against the magic but with it.
Fake fruit use it
Use the pendulum move for fruit production
Sherlock Holmes, “you look, but you don’t observe”
Don’t pause in between the fruit production, but once at the end let the audience assimilate. Quote “Wonderment is the first step of wisdom”
Get Dai Vernon video “Spirit of Magic”
Youtube Expose of Magic
Stars of Magic- 5 card mental-a beautiful psychological construction (push off move)
Vernon said, “box the double lift on the deck”
Argentina has the highest level of magic
Dan Garrett’s banana trick. Roberto does this for luggage inspectors. If they open his luggage, they are on top of everything. He sheepishly tries to place it in his pocket with no success; it repeatedly keeps coming back in his hand. Paul Potassy said” Put your promo photo on top of your cloths in your luggage and if checked, it helps with you getting through.
Roberto likes sophisticated looking pens
Masterpieces: slow-motion aces, triumph, all backs, cups and balls,linking rings.
Roberto “Please yourself first, so you have something to give your audience”
Mark of a genius is to be complete
Roberto “Juan Tamariz is a universal genius”
Tricks should have emotional appeal
“dead mans hand” Henry Christ
Beg. Establish Plot… define the character
Mid. Conflict
End. Resolution
Find the plot
Define the plots to your magic and how that relates to life
Vernon was a perfectionist
Roberto wanted to use a prism of university knowledge to look back to magic and how it was constructed
Max Maven said “Whatever Dai did it was NOT trivial”
Magic was his vocation
He made his living by cutting little silhouettes
Ball and Cone was designed for large crowds, where the cups and balls would not play well.
Dai Vernon said “ When problems come, adjust, and don’t worry”

South Bend Symphony Concert

Today (October 26th Sunday, 2008 @ 3:00pm)I performed two magic routines with the South Bend Symphony at Bethel College in Mishawaka, Indiana. They were holding their annual family series concert under the direction of Maestro Tsung Yeh.

This event was two years in the making for me. Why is that, you may ask. Well, a good friend of mine (Dawn V.)has connections with the Symphony. She introduced me to a director. We had a good meeting but did not hear anything back from them for that year. The following year I got a call about maybe doing something. Then as time got closer for the October Family Concert, they made the decision to put me in the 45 minute show with two quick routines.

So there I am standing in the wings, beside the thick curtain, in the dark. As I look out onto the stage I see the Orchestra positioned and ready. I see Maestro Yeh standing on his riser with baton in hand waiting for my arrival. The lights are shining bright with warmth. My heart beats faster as Michelle the host finishes her wonderful and humbling introduction for me. I step into the lights and am enveloped in the applause. I come out smiling looking directly at the audience. I get half way to my mark on the stage and I look at Maestro Tsung Yeh. I smile at him and nod my head. I stand on my mark, look back to nod that I am ready.

The music starts, the magic begins.

When I am done...I smile. Again I am washed with the sound of applause coming from the theatre. I bow humbly accepting their approval. I turn and look at Tsung Yeh, who is smiling, giving me an open gesture with his hands. I slightly bow towards him and then turn to walk off stage.

I walk back into the darkness. I breath deeply, thinking about what has just happened. I can say that those 3 minutes on that stage were the highlight of my performing career.

Magic is something that should bring you to a sense of awe, a wonderment, bordering on inspirational. Music meets that criteria for me. So to put the two art forms together is inevitable. Another characteristic that goes with these two art forms is beauty. Music is beautiful! I see Magic the same way. When DONE RIGHT! Both are beautiful! Both should be self-expressive, emotional, colorful, passionate, and somewhat cathartic.

It was a pleasure working with everyone from the South Bend Symphony. Everyone was very respectful and attentive to what was needed for the performance to go well.

Our Magic

Our Magic. This remarkable work was written by Nevil Maskelyne, of the world-famous "England's Home of Mystery," and David Devant, who was unquestionably the greatest of English magicians.
Professor Hoffmann makes this statement "It is not merely a book without which, in popular phrase, no conjuror's library is complete, but it deserves the place of honor on his shelves."
Ellis Stanyon said this,"Beyond doubt, the most important conjuring book ever written."
So...I got the book!
Paul Fleming in his preface made this powerful statement, "In this volume, one may read the most scholarly presentation of the theory of magic that has yet been written." WOW!
The book is seperated into three parts: The Art In Magic, The Theory Of Magic, and The Practice Of Magic
Here is Maskelyne's words "Our present object is to disclose these secrets-to explain the real basis of the magic art, and the principles upon which magical effects actually depend.
So, it's not an easy read. But one that should be set as a priority.
Whether you like it or not, let the words get in you. Try to think, absorb, and see what is being set before you.

Magic Meeting

Check the local IBM (International Brotherhood of Magicians)
email me at steve@steve-magic.com and i can get yu some info.

People wonder, how do you learn magic?
Well this is one way. You attend meetings with other magicians.
This local meeting is the third thursday of every month at Ryans Steakhouse in Mishawaka, Indiana, starting time 7:00pm

My Work

So my work is magic.

Oh, but what does that mean. Well, I support my family of three (wife and two daughters) performing magic shows. I do a little normal hourly work on the side, but the bigger money comes from my company Idea, Inc. I specialize in creating magic that will fill the room with surprise, laughter, and delight. I hold the art of magic in high regard. I want to express this art form to the public in an excellent way. When I look around, I'm disappointed at the way I see some magicians being used. I see some shows or demonstrations and they seem cheap, shallow, unorganized, lazy, take your pick.

So my pursuit is to do the best that I can do to help people see the beauty in magic. The depth that can be found in magic. And the ART in magic. Sure there are many things that I do in performance that would seem main stream or commercial, but I AM slowly evolving and changing the material that I use to conform more with how I see my magic.

So each week I'm performing 4 nights out of the week at Ryan's restaurants. I specifically do close-up magic during those nights. Then on weekends I will do private shows, which usually consist of children's birthday parties. I work through the day going to schools presenting my reading show "Flying High With Reading". There is always miscellaneous shows coming in as well. I was on a children's TV show recently. I will be with the South Bend Symphony in October. During the summer I also teach children magic at magic camps which last most of the summer. So throw in that mix family time, family events, house maintenance, business marketing and paper work, as well as developing new material...WOW!!! It's alot! The advancement of magic could be my life's work!