Music, Magic & Me, page 3

"MUSIC, MAGIC & ME" BY BEN ROBINSON PAGE THREE

I've continued to develop the synthesis I began in the 1970's in coffee houses, just as Doug Henning had done in the late 60's (which he told me about). Lately I have had a blast working as an opening act and road companion doing magic in all sorts of places with Matt Turk, and appearing at The Knitting Factory (a live shot at right) in New York with Rebecca Moore and her 9-piece band Prevention of Blindness. When Rebecca invited me to perform, it reminded me of Dan Seiden's initial offer, "You perform, we'll play, OK?"

The grand culmination of this work came down to three minutes of performance at the famous Naumburg bandshell in Central Park in August 2001. Surrounded by the horse shoe of 9 players, headed by the veteran performance artist, Ms. Moore, I reprised illusions from my 1988 show for Music-Theatre Group during Rebecca's song "This Past." Later in 2001 I made Rebecca float in the air while she played her trademark instrument.

A few souvenirs from experiences with great musicians. Left, a backstage pass to visit with my friend Jamie Masefield of the Jazz Mandolin Project. At this particular killer JMP gig,in Battery Park a hurricane whipped up just as the band left the stage (and canceled the rest of the festival's artists). Jamie saved me and my wife by pulling us in the tour van as trash cans flew through the air, and announced, "OK, the real show is about to start" and I did 15 minutes of magic in the crowded bus. Above: I am flanked by Marina Belica and Matt Turk at Marina's 3DCD debut party.

Walter B. Gibson, who wrote more than 29 million published words in his life, including 283 novels centering on his creation The Shadow, wrote in his 1978 Book of Magic: "(Nevil) Maskelyne compares magic to painting, and states that a true artist originates his ideas and that while an inferior artist may copy the works of old masters, the true art lies in the execution of the originals. Such an analogy is erroneous. As an art, magic has nothing in common with painting. Its real parallels are found in music and drama. The public does not expect a great singer to write his own songs and make his own musical instruments. The aim of the singer or actor is to sing his song or play his role more perfectly than any one else has ever sung it or played it. So it should be with the magician."

I am not the first to mix magic and music by any means.

John Calvert, seen here in 1988 at age 77, now (in 2005) age 94, and still traveling and performing, has (for 30 years) levitated his wife Tammy while she plays a pipe organ. Musical master magician Norm Nielsen (right) has made a violin float that plays unaided by human hands. Nielsen took his concept to the nth degree when he made a white grand piano float while he played.

The act of meshing music and magic is not new. The tribe who beat drums and played flutes while the ancient medicine men and women danced, shook their rattles and made charms and amulets appear is the genesis for all illusionists who mix music and magic.

The senior craftsman looked me in the eye. "You sure you wanna go on the road with this stuff?"

"Yes," I replied, "I've got a gig tonight."