Recent Lectures

October 20, 2011
Doug Anderson

Several of our ring members have had dealing with Doug Anderson in the past and they were thrilled at the opportunity to host one of his lectures. With 25 years aboard cruise ships, 10 years in amusement parks, and a host of corporate trade shows, restuarant performances and hospitatily experience, Anderson didn't dissappoint. The lecture lasted well over 2 hours with a brief break in the middle. The materials included effects with several items most magicians already own, such as color changing knives, thimbles, chop cups, and sponge balls. Anderson didn't simply "tell" the group how things were. Each effect that he demonstrated and explained was also a lesson in how to book a job, handle the audience, draw a crowd, etc. He had multiple DVDs and a handful of effects for sale, all of which were reasonably priced. After the lecture, he hung around and chatted and assisted anyone that had additional questions. Several ring members could be heard commenting on how enjoyable and practical the lecture was.

November 16, 2010
Magic Ian

Magic Ian may not have invented the professor's nightmare, but the effect he started his lecture with could have fooled people into thinking he had. Ian's re-use of existing props makes his lectures extremely valuable for anyone with a junk drawer full of "magical" items. Ians lecture demonstrated new purposes for such props as rope, sponge balls, ring and spring, and even the crystal ball tube. The majority of his effects were practical and easy to perform. Ian took the time to explain how each effect was accomplished and allowed for questions and a hands on approach for learning. The material he had for sale was nicely packaged and offered at more than fair prices. Additionally, Ian joined ring members before and after the lecture for food and fellowship.

September 23, 2010
Paul Hallas
http://www.paulhallas.com/7155.html

When our club voted to book Paul Hallas for his lecture, the first thing Paul assured us was that he does not give a dealer's lecture. We were asked to bring pen and paper to the meeting and write our own lecture notes. He presented our ring with a depth of tricks and knowledge that would be impossible for anyone to capture in a single setting.

One of the first things that set Paul apart from many other lectures was his ability to name the sources, origins, and variations of all of the effects that he presented. His two and a half hour lecture focused on packet tricks and card magic, but also included effects with a copper-silver-brass coin set, and a coin box / coin to bottle effect. Paul did not simply present his effects then explain how the effect was accomplished. With each explanation Paul provided a variety of resources for exploring the effect further. Paul also provided explanations for many utility moves (such as false shuffles, counts, and displays) that could be used in a variety of effects. His packet tricks were straight-forward enough that magicians at almost any level could perform and highly adaptable for almost any audience.

July 15, 2010
Marcelo Insua (Mr. Tango)

Mr. Tango presented a dealer demo of his Tango Ultimate Coin. He presented more than a dozen effects that could be performed with the different gimmicks. The TUC comes in many sizes including half and quarter dollars. Each gimmick also contained additional materials to expand the number of effects that could be performed. The demonstration lasted just over an hour and many of our members were eager to handle and purchase the coins afterward.

October 5, 2009
Michael Ammar
http://www.ammarmagic.com

On October 5, 2009 master magician Michael Ammar visited Knoxville as part of his lecture tour. Ammar started off his almost 3-hour lecture with a 20 minute show that included among other effects, a fire effect and a few card tricks. The show ended with Ammar’s world renowned cups and balls. The final load on the cups was a lemon containing the borrowed $100 bill he had torn to pieces to start the act.

The lecture material covered the principles as well as the mechanics behind the various tricks in the act. Ammar demonstrated the use of the Topit device and gave tips for learning how to use it properly. Right before the break, Michael went through what he called the Lightening Round. He discussed the principles and ideas behind the Bunny Cannon, Handkerchief on Curtain, Winding up the Deck, Vanishing a Glass, Coins Through Pocket, Cut and Restored Silk, Sheer Surprise, and The Little Hand.

During the lecture, Ammar also demonstrated a few tricks that can be done with an I-phone and the photo application, talked about the wallpaper tear principle and how it can be applied to magic, demonstrated the Albo card, explained the bill to lemon effect and briefly covered his cups and balls routine. The lecture was both entertaining and informative. Ammar’s relaxed style allowed him to concoct a mixture that contained just the right amounts of performance, humor, and instruction.

June 25, 2009
Axel Hecklau
http://www.axelhecklau-shop.com/index.php?currency=USD)#uage=en

Axel was making a few stops in select cities before going to the I.B.M. convention, and we were glad we could have him visit in Knoxville in addition to his stops in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Louisville.

Just to warm up the group, his lecture began with a fast way to fold a shirt. It was a whimsical way to start, and our group enjoyed this seemingly magical effect. Next up was his highly acclaimed News Flash.

His Spoon Around effect showed his personality, and the magic as the spoon turned into a fork in his mouth caught us all off guard. Throughout the lecture to this point, Axel used music that was controlled by his own wireless transmitter.

While most magicians are familiar with the Chop Cup, Axel’s handling of “Just a Cup” had us bewildered and impressed. His Out of This World Extreme was a great version of the classic that could be done standing up and surrounded. To end the lecture his Cola Cap effect was a giant “Wow!” for our Ring. His creativity and thoroughness of development of routines was very impressive.

April 16, 2009
Mark Leveridge
http://www.markleveridge.co.uk/display.htm

It's always a treat to have lecturers visit your ring. It's a great opportunity to learn a few tricks without having to travel any farther than your local ring meeting. Anyone looking to learn a few tricks from Leveridge got more than their gas money's worth. Mark demonstrated and explained how to create the props and perform the effects for over a dozen different tricks. For those without good note taking skills, he offered the entire lecture on DVD with videos at a fair price as well. In addition to showing a couple different utility envelopes, Mark explained some very intertaining tricks including 1-2-3 Jumbo Cards across, Risky Business, and Spot the difference.