I've already voiced my many compliments in the F/X section to Arthur Stead for the royalty free music he offers to magicians but I really wanted to add some thoughts about the great advantage his music adds to performances for children and families.

Effectively using music in your shows really takes your performances to another level and Arthur Stead is an extraordinary resource for music. He provides music specifically written for magic at a really economical price. I've always admired performers that use custom music in their shows but the cost of that is really high, which is why I've never gone that route.

With the knowledge I've gained from watching a lecture by Arthur and purchasing his lecture notes (not to mention most of his "Make It Magic" CDs), I've been able to more effectively add music to my shows and add professional touches that take my show up another notch.

In particular, I am really excited about using Arthur's "Make A Splash" theme song for the Summer library program. The librarians really like it! The branch manager at the first library I performed for this Summer asked me if I had commissioned someone locally to write the music! She was very impressed with it.

If you've ever considered adding music to your performances, you should really check out Arthur's CDs and lecture notes:

http://www.arthurstead.com

Michael

I agree

I have several of Arthur's CDs and although I've only been able to incorporate a few of the tracks in my show, even those have added a new level -- even in the regular birthday show.

There is a fanfare snippet that I use when introducing each child. I performed last week at a party with about 20 kids in the family room and about 20 adults loudly talking in the open and adjoining kitchen/dining room area. Despite my attempts to get them to hold the noise down they kept at it. But I found that each time I blared the fanfare to introduce a new child, the chatter subsided for a while. It also becomes a running bit of business through the show.

I'll say one more thing about Arthur. I purchased a CD from him at the Kidvention in DC. Unfortunately, it was defective. Arthur mailed me a new copy immediately, no questions asked.

I love Arthur's music AND he is a great guy! The lecture he gave at Kapital Kidvention was amazing, it was one of my favorites. He showed a magic trick without music, then with the wrong music, then with the correct type of music. It really was amazing to see.

Louis

Yep, that's the lecture I saw on DVD and it was very inspiring!

There are enough of Arthur's Audio-Enhanced routines, that one should try it and find out for themselves how powerful they are.

Hi Fellas,

Thanks for your great comments about our music. Glad it works for you and makes a difference in your shows.

Kudos shared with Leslie Stead ... my creative partner and co-writer/producer. She's a pro and deserves the same billing.

Arthur Stead

Arthur does have great stuff, I use lots of music in my shows and in my videos (as you can see on my online videos on my site.) I really liked the library clip btw Arthur, I am not sure I have enough Library shows these days to justify buying it but it is a great clip.

Keir

I do a more "vaudeville" type act, and I love Arthur's selections that reflect that era! I use his music quite a bit. One of the best investments I've ever made in this business since music can be very important to a show!

I have some of his material and really love it.

I use Skullopini all the time. His music and routines are top of the line

I purchased Skullopini back in 2006 and used it many times over the years. Recently, I was planning on doing the routine and realized it had been so long that I couldn't remember the patter. My original copy of the CD was destroyed in a fire. I still have the performance music, but not the routine or demo.

All this to ask if anyone has a printed copy of the routine you wouldn't mind sharing. I tried reaching out to Arthur, but his site is 'on hiatus' at the moment.

Scott, you may want to pm him here on the Café. He posts frequently.