Applied Magic
By Michael Kett
()
About this ebook
The author, Michael Kett, has been a physical therapist, as well as a magician, for more than 20 years. His therapy background includes working with neurologic, pediatric, orthopaedic and sports medicine patients. As a magician, he performs regularly at community festivals, restaurants, and private events. Michael's book, Applied Magic, is a blending of his passion for magic and his physical therapy experience.
Applied Magic is more than a beginner's magic book. Each of the 52 magic effects and activities was specifically chosen for its therapeutic potential. Specific therapeutic considerations and difficulty level are suggested for each effect. The 93 illustrations make learning easy. Also included are chapters that discuss basic magic principles, how to teach magic, and using magic to tell a story. This book is an outstanding resource for any therapist, teacher or parent looking for innovative methods to improve gross and fine motor control, self-confidence, and social interaction skills.
"Applied Magic is a creative addition to any therapist's repertoire.
- Peggy Stell, pediatric physical therapist
I think the idea of using magic in a classroom setting to develop social and presentation skills is fantastic.
- Colleen Lundell, special education teacher
"Applied Magic is a great resource for therapists looking for new and interesting ways to make therapy fun."
- Melinda Buehring, physical therapist/certified Feldenkrais practitioner
The magic effects are explained step by step with great illustrations. I recommend Applied Magic to anyone inquiring about a beginners magic book.
- Tim Hannig, childrens entertainer/magician
Related to Applied Magic
Related ebooks
Smart Course in Magic: Secrets, Staging, Tricks, Tips Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHoudini in the Classroom Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMagic trick compilation: Compilation of magic tricks Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsListen to Us!: showbiz interviews Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Magic For Children: Tricks top magicians use to entertain children Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGo On Show Us a Trick - Magic Tricks Perfect for Impromptu Occasions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBusking as a Mercenary Art: or How to Hustle a Bar, Restaurant, or Street Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsYour Own Touring Show Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings71+10 Magic Tricks For Children: Entertain children and adults alike Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMental Card Mysteries - Thirty-Five Weird And Psychic Effects Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMagicdotes - A Book of Anecdotes and Stories About Magic, Magicians, and Mentalists Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMagic: How to reproduce classic illusions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFinancial Savvy For Magicians Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNew Era Card Tricks - Magic with Cards Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Seven Decks You Will Never Play Poker With Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPresto! Laughter: More Than 2,800 New Laugh-Lines for Your Favorite Magic Tricks Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBecome a successful magician: For fun or profit! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Series of Stage Illusions Perfect for Amateurs - Magic Tricks for Those Ready to Step on Stage Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Expert Cigarette Magic - An Original Treatise on the Art and Practise of Cigarette Necromancy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Annemanns Card Miracles And Annemanns Mental Mysteries Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5SandorMagic E104: Contagion Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEntertaining Adults & Kids at Birthday Parties Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStreetwise Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Magical: How Magic and its Star Performers Transformed the Entertainment Economy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEveryday Magic - Magic Tricks to Shock Using What is in Your Pocket - Coins, Notes, Handkerchiefs, Cigarettes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMagician's Magic Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Magic and Showmanship: A Handbook for Conjurers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Peerless Prestidigitation Being a collection of entirely new ideas and effects in the fascinating art of modern magic Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Games & Activities For You
How to Draw Anything Anytime: A Beginner's Guide to Cute and Easy Doodles (Over 1,000 Illustrations) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Thinking, Fast and Slow: By Daniel Kahneman (Trivia-On-Book) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Study Chess on Your Own: Creating a Plan that Works… and Sticking to it! Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/51001 Chess Exercises for Beginners: The Tactics Workbook that Explains the Basic Concepts, Too Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl (Trivia-On-Books) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bullet Journal Method: Track Your Past, Order Your Present, Plan Your Future Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Chess Tactics - Vol 1: Daily Chess Training, #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The 4 Hour Body by Timothy Ferriss (Trivia-On-Books) Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5How To Beat Anyone At Chess: The Best Chess Tips, Moves, and Tactics to Checkmate Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unlimited Memory: Moonwalking with Einstein Steps to Photographic Memory Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Chess Openings: Traps And Zaps Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Chess: Chess Masterclass Guide to Chess Tactics, Chess Openings & Chess Strategies Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Learning the Chess Openings Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mental Math Secrets - How To Be a Human Calculator Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Bored Games: 100+ In-Person and Online Games to Keep Everyone Entertained Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5My Best Mathematical and Logic Puzzles Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Harry Potter & The Prisoner Of Azkaban: The Interactive Quiz Book (The Harry Potter Quizbook Series, #3) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Chess For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (Trivia-On-Books) Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder (Trivia-On-Books) Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5All the Light We Cannot See: A Novel by Anthony Doerr | Conversation Starters Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Everything Lateral Thinking Puzzles Book: Hundreds of Puzzles to Help You Think Outside the Box Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChess Pattern Recognition for Beginners: The Fundamental Guide to Spotting Key Moves in the Middlegame Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Game Changer: AlphaZero's Groundbreaking Chess Strategies and the Promise of AI Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Man for All Markets: Beating the Odds, from Las Vegas to Wall Street Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Quiz Master: 10,000 general knowledge questions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Secret History by Donna Tartt (Trivia-On-Books) Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Everyone's First Chess Workbook: Fundamental Tactics and Checkmates for Improvers – 738 Practical Exercises Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Times How to Crack Cryptic Crosswords: Hints and tips to help every solver Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Reviews for Applied Magic
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Applied Magic - Michael Kett
Copyright © 2000 by Michael Kett.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
To order additional copies of this book, contact:
Xlibris Corporation
1-888-7-XLIBRIS
www.Xlibris.com
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 Basic Magic Principles
2 How to Teach Magic
3 Icebreakers
4 Magic With A Purpose
5 More Magic With A Purpose
6 Mind Bending Magic
7 Fantastic Fun
8 Magic That Tells A Story
9 Final Thoughts
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
This book is dedicated to my dad, for kindling the spark of magic within me.
Applied Magic is a result of my more than 20 years as a physical therapist and a magician. Many people influenced me along the way. Jeff McBride shared with me his philosophy of blending one’s passions with his magic. This book is a result of that philosophy. Joel Davenport, the other Houkali Wizard and lifelong friend, has always shared my passion for magic. His enthusiastic support and insights have been an inspiration to me. A number of professionals, Melinda Buehring, Peggy Stell, Lee Phelps, Colleen Lundell, Ann Swiderek, Chet Wolkowicz, and Tim Hannig, were kind enough to review this book and provide feedback. My son Bryan provided off-the-cuff ideas and comments that contributed to this book, as well as my ongoing development as a magician. My wife Nancy not only illustrated this book, but without her encouragement and love, this book would still only be a dream.
Introduction
Let me start by explaining what this book is not. It is not strictly a magic book with the end result of fooling your friends and family.
Rather, it’s a book that applies magic to various fields, such as therapy, teaching, and public speaking. It is also an excellent beginner magic book for parents wishing to spend time interacting with their children.
In 1981, David Copperfield developed Project Magic, in conjunction with an occupational therapist. This program was designed to teach basic magic tricks to patients of occupational therapists. Over the years, I have come to realize that magic has many additional applications. Magic can also be used as a therapeutic tool to enhance motor and speaking skills in physical and speech therapy. Furthermore, teachers can incorporate magic into storytelling and directed motor activities, as well as encourage its use by students as a less intimidating means of public speaking. Performing magic builds self-confidence, whether it is in a classroom, in a clinic, or in front of an audience.
It is up to the individual therapist, teacher, parent, or activity director to choose the appropriate magic effect or activity from this book. To some degree, all the magic in this book addresses eye-hand coordination, motor planning, sequencing, gross or fine motor control, visual and auditory attention, creative thinking, and social interaction. The book is divided into five major sections: IceBreakers, Magic with A Purpose, Mind Bending Magic, Fantastic Fun, and Magic That Tells A Story.
Each magic effect has a difficulty rating. When appropriate, other variations are suggested. The difficulty level of each magic effect can be altered in a number of ways, such as changing postures or using the opposite hand. By combining two or three magic effects, a number of therapeutic goals can be achieved.
I purposely avoided including any card magic because I prefer to use everyday objects. I also purposely avoided using the term magic trick
throughout the book. The word trick
can establish a win/lose or puzzle attitude. It is my hope that both the performer and the spectator are viewed as equals.
The effects taught in this book can be found in various versions scattered among numerous beginner magic books. Some of the activities in this book may even be considered stunts or jokes. A number of therapists and magicians have helped review the specific magic effects and therapeutic considerations. Therefore, while this book can be used as a beginner magic book by anyone, what makes it unique is that it gives magic a purpose beyond basic entertainment.
1 Basic Magic Principles
It is not only the secret that makes a trick appear to be magic. It is also the attention to detail, the story behind the effect and some basic principles of magic. There are many magic principles, but I feel these are the most important ones for a new magician.
Eye Power
One of the most basic magic principles is that The audience will look where you look.
If you pretend to put a coin in your left hand and you concentrate your gaze on the left hand, the audience will also look there. As an experiment the next time you are shopping, stop and stare at the ceiling. In a few seconds I bet you won’t be the only person staring at the ceiling. Another application is looking into the spectator’s