The Blackstoneian 
The official newsletter of I.B.M. Ring 200
Volume 4, No. 11, November, 2008 Editor, Eugene Raymond Soucek
JIM ANGELO COMPETITION WINNERS;
KYLE AND KELLY PERON LECTURE;
FRANKLIN MAGIC SHOW
FIERCE COMPETITION MARKS CONTEST
The Jim Angelo Card and Mental Magic Competition has become a very tough contest for all entrants. Each year the contestants have shown great skill and creativity. This year was no exception. Although there was only one first place winner, Ryan Murray, there was a three way tie for second place and a two way tie for third place which caused the judges to hold a tie breaker run off of magical showmanship. The results of the tie breaker competition gave second place to Conrad Colon, and third place to Norman Rosen. Congratulations to all of the winners and thanks to all the participants for a really fine job.
NOVEMBER LECTURE BY KYLE PERONE
This month Ring 200 is hosting:
Kyle Peron presents.. Encore!. A full lecture and hands on workshop on the use of creativity in the art of magic.
So who is Kyle Peron?
Kyle is both an S.A.M and I.B.M Stage Contest Assembly Winner numerous times, and a respected Performer. Author of articles in relation to various aspects of the Performance & Presentation of Magic. Based on his own childhood and personal experiences, he is acclaimed as a Story-Telling magician. Graphic Designer and Illustrator. Expert on Logotype Design. Highly experienced in creating designs for business cards, letterheads and Promotional leaflets and brochures. Mentor and SYM leader. Recipient of The Charles Hopkins Award for Magical Excellence. Co-Performer and Co-Producer of a CD pertaining to the usage of music in magic performances. Highly skilled in the areas of Children's magic, manipulation and Open-Air performances. And, as of last month, Kyle has become a monthly contributor to this newsletter.
FRANKLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL SHOW
By the time this month’s meeting takes place we will have presented the Magic show/fund raiser for our friends, the PTO at Franklin Middle School. The show is scheduled for November 14, Friday, at 7:00 p.m. This has been an annual endeavor by the PTO and Ring 200, and has been most successful for all concerned. We appreciate the help given by the members of Ring 200 in the past and of course we need your help again. Performers, stage, close-up, behind the scenes workers, all are needed. You know who to contact Ray, Eric, Norm or Gene.
FOURTH ANNUAL HAUNTED HOUSE
We have been voted the best Haunted House in New Jersey!!!
We increased the size of the HH this year from 12 rooms to 18 rooms. An ambitious project to be sure, and a lot of work. Was it/is it worth it? That all depends on how you measure it. If you weigh the amount of work versus the financial return in a straight dollar per hour figure, probably not. If you measure just the dollars going into our treasury, the answer would be yes. If you add the fun/scare quotient into the equation, much like seeing the look of awe and disbelief on someone’s face when you stun them with a killer trick, the answer is a definite yes. Finally, if you add into all of this the un-measurable side benefits we all, as both a group and individuals, receive from doing this, such as recognition, side jobs, and perks from the Edison Rec Board, then the answer is a resounding YES.
So, if you have helped us in the past, we thank you again and again. If you have not helped in the past then next October you will have another chance to do your part. Thanks also to Marisol Garcia who donated a TV to Ring 200 for use in the Haunted House.
KYLE’S KORNER
Creativity in Magic: Throw The Directions Away! Kyle Peron
Directions: instruction or guidance for making, using, etc. To tell someone how to do something and the way in which to do it. By now you are all probably wondering what this has to do with anything and how it is even remotely related to creativity. Allow me to explain if I may.
In this day and age of mass marketing of magic effects, the magic dealers and manufacturers do a great job of putting out on the market effects that any magician can buy. However what they also are doing is creating effects that are more then just effects. Instead, you as a consumer have the ability to buy an effect that tells you how to perform the trick, what to say, what patter to use, how to move and even comedy lines to enhance the routine. In fact you now even have the power to buy a DVD that shows you the full routine word for word.
Now what is wrong with this picture? What is wrong is the simple fact that this hinders creative thought. It stifles magicians and forces them into a one way street. It is basically like putting blinders on someone and forcing them not to see.
Throw the directions away. Sounds harsh now doesn’t it? I am not saying to not learn to do the effect you bought. Everyone needs to know how the trick works. I think that is safe to say. What I am saying is after you learn how to do the trick, throw out the rest of it.
Why do you need someone else telling you what to say, how to say it, how to move or what comedy lines or props to use? You don’t need it. A creative thinker is one who strives to look beyond the obvious to create something unique and special to him or her.
There are several reasons why magicians are attracted to this thinking of buying not only an effect but an entire routine. First, magicians are, here’s that word again, LAZY! Face it folks we are lazy. The reason why magic dealers and creators are packaging effects as full routines is because we as magic consumers want it that way. We are a lazy bunch. We realize that being creative takes effort. Why work hard at being creative if I can buy something that tells me everything to do.
Secondly, there is that false belief that the effect and routine you are buying will actually work and play for you just as it plays for the person who created it. We are all under this false assumption that every routine we buy can be great for us if we just follow the directions it gives us.
But what is really happening here folks? Well for starters, you are unique. Every performer reading this article has a unique character on stage and a unique way of presenting their magic. It is what makes us human and what makes our magic so much different and a part of who we are.
Our magic and the routines we create should be as unique as we are. Why would I want to take something someone else created and try and force it and do it in their style or their patter? It doesn’t work that way. What works for one person may not work for another. In many cases the patter just is not right or feels awkward or out of place. So why do we try and force it on ourselves to think this way?
Why? The reason is that it is so easy for us to fall into the trap of being another magic clone. Creativity takes effort and hard work. No one said being a creative thinker of magic was going to be a piece of cake. It simply is not.
However, every single one of you has the ability to be as creative as you want to be. The problem is that you have to be willing to work at it. The first step is to break down the barriers or traps that so many of us fall into. That is being too lazy and just doing what has been done before. Demand yourself not to think that way. Tell yourself to throw the directions away and to rework the routine so that it fits who YOU are on stage and how you perform.
You are unique and your magic needs to reflect that. Start to open your eyes and look past the obvious solutions. Refuse to do the effect the same way everyone else does. Find out how to make the routine fit who you are and the style you present.
So I ask of you to start by throwing those directions away. By doing so you open yourself up to a world filled with creativity and opportunity that will take your magic farther then you ever thought possible. Sure it will take hard work and it will take time, but masterpieces of art always do. Besides, doesn’t your audience deserve that from you?
As always, I encourage you the readers to let me know your thoughts. So if you have any thoughts on my articles or suggestions or comments, please feel free to e-mail me directly at magic4u02@aol.com. I would love to hear from you.
Kyle Peron
WORDS OF WISDOM:
"I found there was only one way to look thin - hang out with fat people."
-- Rodney Dangerfield
SCHEDULE FOR THE YEAR 2008
November 18th - Lecture by Kyle Peron / Nomination of Officers
December 16th - Holiday Party / Initiation Performances
We meet at: The Stelton CommunitWe Community Center, 328 Plainfield Avenue, Edison, NJ; on the third Tuesday of every month; doors open at 6:30 p.m. – Meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. You are invited to join us for coffee at the Duchess Diner in Metuchen after the meeting.
A TIP FOR EDISON RESIDENTS
For a great place to catch a superb cup of coffee or an excellent sandwhich, try Kim’s Kafe! Coffee made fresh every twenty minutes, fresh rolls, pastries, and home- made salads. I eat there and love the coffee. No, this is not a paid advertisement. I just want to pass on a good thing. Kim and her brother just opened up the Kafe a few months ago, tell them I sent you.
SILLY BILLY
Silly Billy will be lecturing at SAM #161 in Greenbrook on Monday, November 10., at Charlie Brown’s Restaurant on Rt. 22.
KYLE AND KELLY PERON
Robert Houdin once said, "A magician is an actor playing the part of a magician". If this is true, then what character are you playing on stage and how are you playing it?
A magician in essence is an entertainer first and magician second. You are there to entertain the audiences that you perform for. Possessing technical skill and ability is certainly necessary but it really is not enough. To be an entertainer one must learn to be and think creatively.
This lecture/workshop is about learning how to be creative, think creatively and how to apply direct exercises and techniques to allow your own creativity to grow with the magic that you perform. Every single person possess the ability to be creative. This lecture teaches you techniques and exercises that you can use to unlock the doors to your own creativity. Thus making your magic better and you a better magical entertainer.
What makes this lecture so different is that it is not just a long speech where people sit, watch and listen. It is much more then that. Kyle believes that the power of learning anything is in the act of doing. That is why Encore is both a lecture and hands on workshop experience.
In the first part of the lecture, Kyle discusses the reasoning behind why creativity is so important, why people have a hard time being creative and how to break down those barriers. He then goes on to show you a few brainstorming techniques (derived from Kyle also being an artist) and walks you through how these techniques can be used as creativity tools. A wealth of information is shared that anyone can freely apply immediately to the magic that they do.
The second part of the lecture is a hands on workshop where people from the audience take a direct part in a series of fun and engaging exercises that promote creative growth. Each exercise teaches the participants and the audience how to be and think creative in new ways. Not only does the audience learn through this process, but it makes for a very fun-filled time.
Kyle and Kelly have won numerous awards and honors for their variety of magical entertainment performed in the Philadelphia area, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland.
MEMBER OF:
Society of American Magicians - The oldest magic organization in the world.
Magician's Alliance of Eastern States
KIDabara International - The Association of Family and Kid Show Performers
CO-LEADER OF:
The Philadelphia Chapter of the Society of Young Magicians - An organization that teaches kids between the ages of 7 and 17 the art of magic and performance.
