david hoy – MagicShow.Tips

Super Psychic: The Incredible Dr. Hoy

I took the book Super Psychic: The Incredible Dr. Hoy with me on a trip and read it on the plane. I’m not sure what this book was trying to be, was it a self help book, a biography or something else.

The book as a biography isn’t a compelling one, it’s basically David Hoy was born awesome and nothing bad happened to his life. He’s a perfect human who never messed up. To me, that’s not a good biography, I want to read about peoples challenges and how they overcame them.

Later in the book it tells you how to use ESP to meet women, be a better salesman, stop smoking, etc. The stop smoking was the funny one to me as it said David didn’t smoke, so it’s not something he used. Anyway, this part of the book feels like a self help book, except there’s really not much to it.

I have a feeling this was a book that was intended to be a pitch book to sell after speaking engagements. But it also had to look like a mass market book to give him status, which would boost his speaking/show fee.

If you’re really bored and can find the book for a few bucks, I guess pick it up. However I really didn’t think it was remotely an interesting read. It did kill time on the airplane, so there’s that.

-Louie

David Hoy Biography

When I got married 23 years ago, the lady who ran the chapel mentioned she went to college with a magicians. I asked if she remembered who it was and I got the standard, “You wouldn’t know who it is”.

Then she said the name “David Hoy!”

She told me several stories and one that stuck with me (not sure why) was about David’s cards. He always had cards with him, but no one was allowed to touch them. Everyone knew that. Then one time a new kid saw David’s cards sitting on a table and shuffled them! David blew up at the kid and it was the talk of the campus for a week!

I got her a copy of David’s mass market biography. When I bought one for her, I bought one for me. That was 23 years ago and it’s been sitting on my shelf and I’ve never read it. Well, I’m took it with me on this trip and I’m going to read it!

Hope it’s good…

-Louie

Getting It Out Of Your System…

There are ton of magic tricks, or ideas that have been in my head for years. I haven’t done them, or built them because I know they won’t fit my performing style, or because I don’t have a method that’s any good. Every now and then I try to make these tricks happen at least once to get them out of my brain.

One trick that had been in my head forever was doing a Multiplying Billiard Ball routine. Eventually I put together a routine and did it on a tour of over 90 shows. By the end of the tour the routine was really good, however I also decided that I don’t want to do that trick in my main show.

Then there are times when I begrudgingly put together a routine simply to get an idea out of my head and I end up liking the trick. A good example is my version of the “tossed out deck”. I hate the trick, however ended up coming up with a good routine and method that’s staying in my show.

If you have an idea, make it a reality, even if it’s a bad one. It will make you a better magician and performer…or at least clear up room in your brain for a new idea!

Do Something Different

I just got back from a conference in Montana that was full of people that book acts. There were a ton of magician’s there, all trying to get booked. So how did I make myself stand out? Simple, I do fairly unique tricks…well, to put it better I do tricks that have unique … Continue reading “Do Something Different”

I just got back from a conference in Montana that was full of people that book acts. There were a ton of magician’s there, all trying to get booked.

So how did I make myself stand out?

Simple, I do fairly unique tricks…well, to put it better I do tricks that have unique visuals. This gives the feeling of a unique trick. For example my “Tossed Out Deck” uses an original method which allows me to know who picked what card, however at it’s core it’s still a tossed out deck. Then I use an original way to reveal the cards, and like magic, I have a trick that no one else is doing.

You don’t need to completely create a trick. In my “Tossed Out Deck” I started with the standard frame work and then started changing things. This is also an easy way to create new tricks. Take a standard trick, change the method, then change the presentation. The nice thing about this is I can now do my version of this trick in a show where someone does the classic version and it won’t feel like a duplicated trick.

Louie