To whom it may concern:
Close-up Clinic in Philadelphia last weekend was, to say the least, inspiring. Jamy Ian Swiss and David Ben were extraordinarily open and giving with their knowledge, energy and enthusiasm for magic. Two very passionate men who know their stuff and held nothing back. They gave 110%.
Three days that will change your magic forever is not just the tag line. Its not to just put butts in the seats. Jamy means it. If you show up with specific questions or issues, if you come to it with specific goals, whatever they are, you will not be disappointed. I wasnt.
Do you want improve your magic? Do you want to change and grow as a magician? Then my advice to you is: bug Jamy. Pester him to organize another Close-up Clinic. Then show up. You wont be sorry.
Close-up Clinic
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Dennis Kyriakos
- Posts: 45
- Joined: January 30th, 2008, 12:00 pm
- Location: New York City
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Richard Kaufman
- Posts: 27065
- Joined: July 18th, 2001, 12:00 pm
- Favorite Magician: Theodore DeLand
- Location: Washington DC
- Contact:
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Guest
Re: Close-up Clinic
Yes Jamy's Mom did pay Dennis to say that but I have got to second Dennis's comments also 110%. I was there and it was the best magic weekend I have experienced...that covers 20+ years. It was intense in the most positive sense. Jamy and David were totally focused on meeting our needs. They provided a great balance between performance, theory, and practice. BTW intense also means 24+ hours of formal class room work and for the die hards who stayed up until 4AM, they added another 8 hours with Jamy and Ben there for most of those extracurricular 8 hours!
Bill B.
Bill B.
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Bill McFadden
- Posts: 621
- Joined: January 17th, 2008, 12:00 pm
- Location: Villesville-on-the-Chesapeake
Re: Close-up Clinic
Okay Forum kats & kitties . . . I should have attended to this a whole lot sooner, but what, with the baseball playoffs, the Roy tragedy, the pervasive screed of Mark "Sybil" Lewis, and Sandy Singer's channelling Sinatra's dark side, I simply could not concentrate long enough to report on Close-Up Clinic.
Having participated in the inaugural Card Clinic, let me just state that the learning experience has been brought (nearly) full circle. I echo all of the sentiments previously expressed by Dennis and Bill (as instructed by Ma Swiss). If you went to David Ben's lecture at the 2002 SAM, think of that event expanded over three days. Here's David demonstrating and commenting on so much of the material learned first-hand from Ross Bertram! There's Jamy Swiss tipping and teaching moves, AND providing individual hands-on attention. In walks Scotty York :D to do a morning-long lecture (and hangs out with the group through the next day)!
Plus, there's the collegial environment among a diverse group of serious magic enthusiasts of every stripe. It was great to spend time with (among a select few others) Forumites Dennis Kyriakos (who courageously performed a nifty version of Cigars from Purse), my homey Nathan Marsh (who boldly performed a terrific complete act comprising coins, ropes, and cards), wcb39 (Bill B.), Marty Kaplan, and the indomitable Noah J. Levine.
Naturally, we spoke of Malini and Leipzig, Vernon and Charlie Miller, Ross Bertram and Stewart James, Derek Dingle and Slydini. But just as gratifying was talking about guys like Norm Houghton, Mel Stover, and Earl "Presto" Johnson.
I could go on indefinitely, but the meter's running out. What a tremendous, well-planned, comprehensive learning event. Save yer dough, and maintain hope that Swiss and Ben do another one! :cool:
Having participated in the inaugural Card Clinic, let me just state that the learning experience has been brought (nearly) full circle. I echo all of the sentiments previously expressed by Dennis and Bill (as instructed by Ma Swiss). If you went to David Ben's lecture at the 2002 SAM, think of that event expanded over three days. Here's David demonstrating and commenting on so much of the material learned first-hand from Ross Bertram! There's Jamy Swiss tipping and teaching moves, AND providing individual hands-on attention. In walks Scotty York :D to do a morning-long lecture (and hangs out with the group through the next day)!
Plus, there's the collegial environment among a diverse group of serious magic enthusiasts of every stripe. It was great to spend time with (among a select few others) Forumites Dennis Kyriakos (who courageously performed a nifty version of Cigars from Purse), my homey Nathan Marsh (who boldly performed a terrific complete act comprising coins, ropes, and cards), wcb39 (Bill B.), Marty Kaplan, and the indomitable Noah J. Levine.
Naturally, we spoke of Malini and Leipzig, Vernon and Charlie Miller, Ross Bertram and Stewart James, Derek Dingle and Slydini. But just as gratifying was talking about guys like Norm Houghton, Mel Stover, and Earl "Presto" Johnson.
I could go on indefinitely, but the meter's running out. What a tremendous, well-planned, comprehensive learning event. Save yer dough, and maintain hope that Swiss and Ben do another one! :cool:
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NCMarsh
- Posts: 1223
- Joined: February 16th, 2008, 12:00 pm
- Favorite Magician: Devant, Wonder, Richiardi, Benson, DeKolta, Teller, Harbin, Durham, Caveney, Ben, Hoy, Berglas, Marceau
- Location: Orlando, FL
- Contact:
Re: Close-up Clinic
My thoughts as a Clinic Attendee:
I am a college student on a very limited budget, Close-Up Clinic cost me about 1/2 of my bank account -- and the lion's share of my summer paycheck. It was a major investment for me and the decision to attend was a serious one. Was it worth it? Was the oppurtunity to work with Jamy and David for three days worth eight weeks of labor?
It was not only worth the investment, in the end it turned out to be a bargain. These gentleman are both conjurers in the richest sense of that word; they understand their art on every level -- technical, theatrical, and artistic. Many of the insights that they freely shared would have taken me years of hard work to come to on my own -- if I would have come to them at all. Both men were extremely generous with their expertise; both shared insider technical information that has not been published and may never be published. But, more importantly, both were equally generous with their time and patience -- they were always availible and would answer any question.
On the last night of the clinic a visibly exhausted Jamy Ian Swiss treated me to a one-on-one session. I was sitting across the table from an expert -- one who had every right to be sleeping instead of working with me -- and I was receiving expert advise that was precisely tailored to my needs. Where else can you have that kind of experience? Where else will a performer of this caliber give so much of his time and energy solely to make you better?
It was this generosity and dedication to the student that was the hallmark of Close-up Clinic. I cannot guarantee that you will have an exceptional experience if you attend the clinic, but I can assure you that you will get out of it as much as you are willling to put into it. Books and DVDs will always be availible, an oppurtunity of this kind probably will not be.
I wish there were some way for me to adequately articulate the kinds of discoveries I made and the nature of the riches that were handed to me. Suffice it to say that I have made a very serious study of magic these last few years -- but that I probably learned more about magic in those three intense days with Jamy and David than I had learned in my life to that point. I have spent a lot of time studying the writings of folks like Eugene Burger, Tommy Wonder, and John Carney; but it was over this weekend that I finally "got it." Watching and studying with David and Jamy -- and particularly getting their feedback on my performance -- made all of the pieces come together and now, at least at the intellectual level, I think I really understand conjuring and the proper role of the conjurer. It will literally take me a lifetime to apply this understanding to my work -- and there is certainly always more to learn -- but Jamy and David have given me a rock-solid foundation to build upon, they have pushed me off on an exciting journey of self-discovery and, hopefully, eventual excellence in the performance of magic.
You may never have a chance like this, take it if it comes!
best,
Nathan
I am a college student on a very limited budget, Close-Up Clinic cost me about 1/2 of my bank account -- and the lion's share of my summer paycheck. It was a major investment for me and the decision to attend was a serious one. Was it worth it? Was the oppurtunity to work with Jamy and David for three days worth eight weeks of labor?
It was not only worth the investment, in the end it turned out to be a bargain. These gentleman are both conjurers in the richest sense of that word; they understand their art on every level -- technical, theatrical, and artistic. Many of the insights that they freely shared would have taken me years of hard work to come to on my own -- if I would have come to them at all. Both men were extremely generous with their expertise; both shared insider technical information that has not been published and may never be published. But, more importantly, both were equally generous with their time and patience -- they were always availible and would answer any question.
On the last night of the clinic a visibly exhausted Jamy Ian Swiss treated me to a one-on-one session. I was sitting across the table from an expert -- one who had every right to be sleeping instead of working with me -- and I was receiving expert advise that was precisely tailored to my needs. Where else can you have that kind of experience? Where else will a performer of this caliber give so much of his time and energy solely to make you better?
It was this generosity and dedication to the student that was the hallmark of Close-up Clinic. I cannot guarantee that you will have an exceptional experience if you attend the clinic, but I can assure you that you will get out of it as much as you are willling to put into it. Books and DVDs will always be availible, an oppurtunity of this kind probably will not be.
I wish there were some way for me to adequately articulate the kinds of discoveries I made and the nature of the riches that were handed to me. Suffice it to say that I have made a very serious study of magic these last few years -- but that I probably learned more about magic in those three intense days with Jamy and David than I had learned in my life to that point. I have spent a lot of time studying the writings of folks like Eugene Burger, Tommy Wonder, and John Carney; but it was over this weekend that I finally "got it." Watching and studying with David and Jamy -- and particularly getting their feedback on my performance -- made all of the pieces come together and now, at least at the intellectual level, I think I really understand conjuring and the proper role of the conjurer. It will literally take me a lifetime to apply this understanding to my work -- and there is certainly always more to learn -- but Jamy and David have given me a rock-solid foundation to build upon, they have pushed me off on an exciting journey of self-discovery and, hopefully, eventual excellence in the performance of magic.
You may never have a chance like this, take it if it comes!
best,
Nathan
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Guest
Re: Close-up Clinic
The future of magic is safe, with young men like Nathan!
I did not get to attend, wished I could have, but very glad to see someone (as I am sure many others did too) actually LEARN something from a gathering, instead of just trying to see what they could "steal" for their own acts and take home with them...
Congrads Nathan! Keep the magic alive! :genii:
I did not get to attend, wished I could have, but very glad to see someone (as I am sure many others did too) actually LEARN something from a gathering, instead of just trying to see what they could "steal" for their own acts and take home with them...
Congrads Nathan! Keep the magic alive! :genii: