For all those kids out there, here's a suggestion...... put your iPod to work!

Most of us 'older' folks are often talking about scripting your routines, learning your lines. If you are using accompanying music, put it on your iPod. Instead of just zoning out to your tunes--- play your background music instead, and run your lines. Get them memorized to perfect your performance. You may have to adjust your timing a bit, but it will help you to learn your lines.

This will give you the opportunity, even when not at home actually practicing your magic, to still be working on your routine!

Just a suggestion and food for thought! Think how much easier it will be during actual rehearsal to work on your magic-- if you already have your lines memorized!

~ Kristen

Kristenal, this subject has been well discussed by the Axtell vents because a number of Steve's routines use sound effects. Before I started my goal was to do radio with vent which means really tight production using non-royalty sound effects. Accordingly, since I am a fanatic for good sound; it took two years to assemble and pay for what I want. Anyway, my vent routine is backed by boings, creaks, sirens etcetera.
My first, fumbling efforts were of a rank beginner with the effects on CD, using play,,,forward and pause and play. Now p[lease remember at the same time I am talking in two voices and manipulating my vent figure constantly. So I switched to a one gig IPOD and used Gold Wave to dub the effects. Now I use my Florida Magic 767 mini-PA for my wireless mike governed by a magician's 4 channel mixer which is a rectangular cube smaller than a big paperback book. My IPOD and my effects use another wireless system so I have two remotes clipped to my belt. So I have my figure on his stand; my magic table beside me and my IPOD in my left hand. I can sit at my kitchen table and flawlessly progress from cut to cue. yet when the balloon is up I find I'm really busy. ron0

So Kristenal I find get at least the first two effects , but then I either hit pause for play or vice versa. Dive, dive..dive! Plan B is to do creak sounds myself which is an easy doddle. Yet the background music for my figure's many songs is crucial to the vent show. Yesterday at a nursery show in a kindergarten classroom I didn't use my sound system. I had my combination CD/MP3 player on the table and I used my left hands to progress through the IPOD. I also had cued up the CD player through the first few effects to serve as a backup for the songs. Yet the IPOD(or I) worked perfectly and it came off.
Now the obvious answer for big time vents is one's own soundman.I will not back off..I shall practice and practice until I get this, but at times I feel like the one-armed wallpaper applier!
Excuse my rambling but you touched on a crucial challenge I now have. Of course, we vents also have to specialize in a lot of one handed magic so we're always exchanging ideas on this additional challenge. Thank you for allowing to write about something I'm working on. Ron0

Rono, sounds like you have your hands full-- no pun intended! Okay, maybe a little.

You are giving a prime example of how important it is to practice. Whether magic or vent, there is always a challenge. It is better to be as prepared as possible for those challenges before your show so that you can minimize any problems that occur. Does that mean we won't have mishaps, heavens no! There will always be mishaps. My hope is that the kids will learn that by preparation and rehearsal, you will be able to overcome these problems on-the-fly when presented. To do that, there is only one option.... practice, practice, practice.

Thanks for sharing your experience. Its comments like yours that help everyone to see that performances are not as easy as one might think and a lot goes into preparing for them.

Happy day,

Kristen

PS, my daughter and I are using a different soundtrack for a routine we are working on right now. However, once she has this one memorized and accomplished, she be heading off to work on one of Steve's tracks she received for Christmas. She is going to be trying to adapt it to work with the drawing board. It was actually a routine that wasn't meant for the drawing board, but we're trying to work it into the routine because we like it. Otherwise, we might see about having a custom track done if it doesn't break the bank!

She has a character she talks about throughout her performance, and this will be her chance to 'bring him to life. She does an adorable drawing of him. Hopefully, the track will work like we want.

I think this is a good idea, practicing your lines and all, but I would much rather be able to do it with my props. I think when I'm practicing without them, I would sound bored, and that boredom would be drilled into my head from practicing so much, and therefore I would be boring in an actual performance. But I haven't tried it, so that may not be true. That's just a prediction for myself.

I've been using my iPod as part of my sound system for about a year now. I've put all the songs I use as background music on it, as well as my "Vanishing Bandana" recording, and I've created playlists for various shows and routines. I use an iPod docking station that came with a tiny remote control, so that, in best-case scenarios, I don't have to actually handle the iPod during my shows.

Caffinator, thanks. I appreciate; understand and commend you for the classic use of background music. Did you dub the tunes off one of the magic CD's?
My background is talk mixed with commericals which often have sound effects so it's what I know. I still must progress to the effects' music cuts which I intend to do in about two months.
By the way, tough news about Regina and Saskatoon stats. We listen to the CBC radio network..Toronto 26th? Saskatchewan..who'd a thunk?
While I'm with you, could I please get some suggestions for one handed magic? Tony Borders uses a push button change bag. The winner at the big Blackpool show last week did vent and a rope trick(collapsing one)? I have to open with magic funnel (& tot volunteers) before I put Bern on my arm. Which guess the card trick would be the best while doing vent..or could I have a volunteer do the legwork? Again thanks. Ron0

In the past I've used my ipod to memorize lines even if I don't use background music. I've recorded my voice onto my computer while I'm reading from the script, then imported it into itunes. I find this helpful to memorize lines and often I read along on the script as I listen. I haven't used this for anything magic-related yet, but it helps a lot for school projects and speeches.

Just my 2¢,
-Chris

Well... if you want to go for some simple card stuff, you could always fall back on the standard gag prediction using the 3 1/2 of clubs, or perhaps a "long card" pulled from a pocket or some other "orifice" on your puppet.

What's the manipulative skill level of your "free hand"? Perhaps you could work up an interactive routine using one of the stage size hot rods (or even a standard one) and some of the one-handed moves.

Maybe try some sponge work where you use a retention vanish to stuff a sponge in your puppet's mouth, then cause it to join with another in a spec's hand.

Some IT or a loop anchored to your puppet?

It might be interesting to try Vernon's "Trick That Cannot Be Explained" if you are working close-up or in a somewhat "intimate" cabaret setting. The spec does pretty much all the handling. I could see a nifty sort of interaction happening by having the puppet provide all the instructions (while the vent does the mindwork)... final revelation could be done via the puppet, perhaps. Not for every situation, but in the right one... wow!

Hmmm... what else... don't know how big you want to go, but you only need one hand to work a French Arm Chopper (maybe a Dissecto?).

My boy has a docking station with a remote, very good idea. Without a dock station can you pick up a remote for the I-pod or does it have to be wired?

I haven't seen one.

FYI, the docking station I use isn't one of those systems with built in speakers and such that is basically a boom box with a hole in the middle for the iPod. Rather, it is a gadget pack designed to enable you to connect your iPod to a television. So basically it is a small stand for the iPod, a remote that controls the iPod via communicating with circuitry in the stand, and a special cable that runs from the stand to your tv. If you don't want to use the stand or remote, the cable enables you to connect the iPod directly to the tv. In the performances in which I use the iPod for sound, I use the stand and remote but a different cable (an audio cable from the stand to the speaker system).

This is the one I use:

http://www.crazyaboutgadgets.com/detail.asp?ID=449

http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-33350- ... B000E5CZ4U


I got it at Staples for $59.99 CAD.

Note that the audio cable I use did not come with the docking station; it came with my sound system. Basically you need a male/male cable -- on one end, a jack that fits into your iPod's audio-out, and on the other end a jack that fits into your speaker system's audio-in.

Thanks for the info! I'll have that thing in my possession this week, it'll be a big help.

Yes, there are remotes for iPods that do not require docking stations. I'm not sure where to get them, but I do know they exist because we got one for my cousin a year or two back for his birthday.

Thanks Caffeinator. It's been the death of a thousand cuts this week from my vent buddies in Southern California who are pun fanatics and have been using my threads as a straight man!
Here's the situation. I generally have my left hand somewhat free unless I'm using it to play and advance sound effects. Even the new change bag is tricky because I really have to get my forefinger right under the switch. You're right it seems the mind reading stuff is doable because Bern can orchestrate all the set up and guesses. And to lob one to you..it is a bit of work to create a show and then weave the magic and vent and gimmicks into a unified theme. It'll be done.
Thanks for the ideas.ron0