The President’s Message
Now that the new year has settled in, I hope your goals are firm and you are ready to focus your time and talents to achieve them. If you haven’t thought about doing so, I suggest you give some thought to entering the TAOM contest next September. Whatever your age or brand of magic, I encourage you to compete. While the 2009 TAOM convention is celebrating the new breed of magicians, traditional magic never goes out of style.
Stage contestants will have the added advantage of a real stage and a full audience. Their acts will be part of the Friday night show. The deadline to enter any of the contests is August 1. See full details
at http://www.taom2009.com/contest2.htm
Every one of the top names in our business got a boost to his career by winning a magic contest. You will be proud to add the fact to your resume.
The trophies awarded by the Texas Association of Magicians for the talented winners are works of art. The statuette of Willard the Wizard is cast in bronze and will become the centerpiece of your trophy cabinet.
While adding another award to your shelf may not be such a noble ambition in the overall scheme of things, the skill and dedication it takes to win a magic contest will stand you in good stead to further your magic career the rest of your life.
Scott Hollingsworth, 2009 TAOM President
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Kevin DeRita, TAOM’s Official Videographer, is a native Texas and has lived in North Texas most of his life. He got an introduction to magic in grade school when Santa brought him a magic kit for Christmas. He practiced for a week and performed every trick for his parents. Unfortunately, it didn’t take and he lost interest until he was grown when a friend returned from a TAOM convention with several interesting tricks he shared with Kevin. Firmly hooked again, Kevin joined the Dallas Magic clubs, I .B.M. S.A.M., and TAOM. Kevin’s interest lies in performing close -up magic. He enjoys the audience reaction and likes to see their eyes after a baffling routine.
He started his own video production company when he graduated from college. His wife Pamela and daughter Isabella are the light of his life. In 2002, the TAOM Board of Directors asked Kevin to take over the duties of official TAOM videographer when, after more than a quarter century, Ramon Galindo decided to hand over the role of recording the evening shows for the TAOM archives. Kevin said, It has been a real honor to follow in Ramon’s footsteps.
We are grateful that Kevin puts aside his personal pleasure to record the events on TAOM stages for posterity. It’s difficult to completely enjoy a stage production from behind the lens of a camera. Give him a hearty handshake the next time you see him and let him know we appreciate his dedication.
Richard Turner, member of Austin S.A.M. Assembly 206,has been selected by the Society of American Magicians to represent that organization in competition at F.I.S.M. in Beijing next July.
Richard has dedicated his life to mastering and demonstrating the moves used by cardsharps, old and new, to cheat the uninitiated. Richard’s educational, yet entertaining, demonstrations have been featured on dozens of television programs in countries around the world, including “That’s Incredible”, “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not”, The 700 Club, five appearances on Japanese programs, including World Geniuses and on Great Britain The Paul Daniels Magic Show. The most amazing and inspiring element of Richard’s career is that he auditioned and was hired by his employers without revealing his visual impairment, and never informs his audiences that he is blind!
Richard’s unique card handling ability and incredibly sensitive fingertips so impressed the United States Playing Card Company that they employ his services as a touch analyst to evaluate the texture, flexibility and cut of their cards.
The Lone Star Magic Auction will be held on Saturday, February 21, at the Magic Etc. and Fort Worth Costume shop beginning at 8 a.m. The auction is not an official function of the Fort Worth Magicians Club, but it is hosted by former club member Derek Kennedy and Trustee Arthur Emerson. For detail, go to http://www.lonestarmagicauction.com
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David Copperfield in Texas — Boy, are we lucky! Copperfield’s Texas tour includes some cities that seldom get the big names. He will in at the Abraham Chavez Theatre in El Paso on February 22, the Heart O’ Texas Coliseum in Waco on February 24, the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio on February 25 and 26, and the Julie Rogers Theatre in Beaumont on February 27.
Jamie Salinas, TAOM 2009 Contest Chairman, is a native of the Houston area and has been intrigued with magic since, at age 20, he saw Lance Burton perform his F.I.S.M. act on the main stage at Magic Island. Then, in the close-up theatres, he watched Richard Hatch, Scott Hollingsworth, and Banachek entertain and amaze. He said that seeing some of the best magic in the world in person was his inspiration to become a magician. Close-up is his first love, deriving great enjoyment from the interaction with a small audience. He has also become very skilled and is well known for stand-up and stage magic, trade shows, birthday parties, and, more recently, bizarre magic in the form of theatrical sances. He and business partner Scott Wells are writing a book on creating, marketing, and conducting theatrical sances. The book will be available for Halloween 2009.
Although Jamie’s day job as manager of technical support in North America for Stanford Financial is demanding, he spends time with and shares his passion for magic with his former high school sweetheart, to whom he has been married for seventeen years, and their two children. And for his next trick…in his spare time, Jamie is learning to play the guitar. He says the task is challenging, but he enjoys it and is seeing positive results.
Jamie will be Houston TAOM 2009’s contest master. He’ll guide the close-up and stage aspirants through the intricacies of competition. We’re pleased to have his skills for this important aspect of a successfu convention
You’ve heard the rumors….you’ve heard the whispers.. .something exciting is in the air…and it’s here at last! TAOM’s exquisite gold and diamond ring give-away has a webpage of its own: www.taom2009.com/ring.htm Master jeweler Don Billings created this work of art as a special gift (certified value: $1200) to TAOM 2009.and… the most exciting part of all is that YOU could become the proud owner of this special ring. Buy as many raffle tickets as you like at the reasonable price of five tickets for $20.00. Order online from the webpage or send your check and contact information to TAOM, 2111 West Bayshore Drive, Palacios, TX 77465 -1469. The winning ticket will be drawn at intermission of the Sunday night stage show at the convention September 6, 2009. You don’t even have to be there to win…but we hope you are!
On the Road Again…
Out where the West begins — Fort Worth is our destination on Thursday, March 5, for a Fort Worth Magicians Club meeting at Discovery Theatre in Central Public Library, 500 West 3rd Street in downtown Fort Worth. I’m pleased club president Bruce Chadwick has asked me to speak about magic and then tell about the benefits of being a TAOM member and attending the 2009 TAOM convention in Houston. All area magicians are welcome. Please come!
And then…we’re off to our neighbor to the east, Louisiana. I.B.M. Ring 268 President Perry Vincent and former Houstonian (and current S.A.M. 19 Treasurer) Chris Williams have invited me to venture across the state line for their club meeting on Monday, March 16. If you will be in the area, please contact me for details about location and time. I’d love to see you there.
Final final thought…if you haven’t registered for the convention yet, DO IT NOW! The sooner you register, the better your reserved seats in the theatre. You can register online or print a form to mail in at www.taom2009.com If you like, call 361-972-3430 and I’ll mail you a copy. Just do it!
Scott Hollingsworth, PresidentTAOM 2009 scott@taom2009.com