|
|
harris Inner circle Harris Deutsch 8812 Posts |
Besides magic and flowers, kids love music.
After seeing many versions of the Harlem Shake (including our own K.U. Basketball team), I have been using the Dr. Laugh Shake. Kids get up and have the freedom to dance while I provide some rock music on my electric/acoustic ukulele. Anyone else using dancing with music?
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
drlaugh4u@gmail.com music, magic and marvelous toys http://magician.org/member/drlaugh4u |
harris Inner circle Harris Deutsch 8812 Posts |
Those workers out there, know the value of raising and lowering energy levels of the kids.
Getting them back into a "listening mode".....Priceless Harris still 2 old to know everything.
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
drlaugh4u@gmail.com music, magic and marvelous toys http://magician.org/member/drlaugh4u |
TonyB2009 Inner circle 5006 Posts |
I am tone deaf, so I wouldn't dream of using music in my shows. To me music is just another noise, and I want nothing to do with it.
I have been experimenting with doing my adult hypnosis show entirely without music. It is working well too.
Check out Tony's new thriller Dead or Alive http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alive-Varrick-Bo......n+carson
http://www.PartyMagic.ie |
george1953 Inner circle Mallorca (Spain) 5943 Posts |
I think where kids are cocerned, music is a great help for filling in time, and the kids like to dance about.
By failing to prepare, we are preparing to fail.
|
arthur stead Inner circle When I played soccer, I hit 1773 Posts |
Music is woven into the fabric of our lives. Our whole society is saturated with it! There's music in your home, on your TV, in the movies, in your car, on elevators, in coffee shops, stores and malls, in restaurants, and at your work site. There's music at the gym, at the dentist, in the doctor's office, in bars, in nightclubs, in church, on your computers, cellphones, iPads and iPods. People everywhere work, drive, eat, sleep, dream, and even make love to music. And it's no secret that music can affect us emotionally.
That's why, when you use music a magic act , you're adding a very powerful and compelling force. (Incidentally, music is also a great control device for kidshows). The secret is in HOW you use music. You can't just slap on any old piece of music. You have to really think about it, and understand how to choose the right tracks and incorporate them properly. Because the proper use of music will make any magic act more professional, more wondrous, and more memorable. In effect, it will turn your act into a real theatrical experience. And therein lies the Magic of Music! http://www.arthurstead.com |
RealityOne Loyal user 227 Posts |
I agree that music sets the mood My show is aide at older kids (6 to 13) and their parents . I use Black Eyed Peas - Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night as an opener with the kids tossing around a beach ball. I use an an orchestral version of Fireflies for my Cups and Balls routine as background. I use a snippet of Who Let the Dogs Out for the the theme song for my dog puppet ("what, do you mean you need your theme song? I didn't know you had a theme song. Can I ask what you theme song is? Oh, we'll that does make sense." Cue music). I use a snippet of Queen's Under Pressure when Emerson is about to perform his second magic trick (after the first one wasnt too good). I use a song called We Bought a Zoo from the soundtrack for the movie of the same name when having a child perform a card to nest of boxes routine. I use a Eric Bazillian (anyone else remember the Hooters?) song called Dragonfire for my linking rings. Note that all of those routines won't go into the same show.
I'm working on my sponge bunny finale which uses a snippet from Barry Manilow's Copacobna ("I picked out another bunny to keep Harvey company..." Cue music. "As you can guess her name was Lola..."). Finally, I'm working on a variation of the Benson / Wakeling billiard ball routine. Thinking about using U2's Mysterious Ways, but worried it is a little too edgy for the younger kids... Second choice is Jim Jackson's Upside Down (from the Curious George Movie Soundtrack). The snippets of music work on two levels - the kids think it is funny because of how I react (as if the music comes out of nowhere and interrupts my performance) and the parents crack up because they know the songs in the first three or four notes.
~David
Any perception of reality is a selection of reality which results in a distortion of reality. |
arthur stead Inner circle When I played soccer, I hit 1773 Posts |
RealityOne,
First, let me clarify that I am not the "music police." I also realize I am treading on dangerous ground when mentioning copyright law. I'm not telling anyone how to run their life. But I do feel obliged to add a word of caution for all my magic colleagues: Unless you never aspire to become anything more than a "living-room performer", you could get into trouble for using copyrighted music without permission. Certain other venues may have a blanket Performing Rights license from BMI or ACSAP to cover the music you use in your show ... but not all of them do. I could tell you some horror stories of folks who rehearsed and perfected a routine to a certain piece of music, and were then invited to perform on TV. Since they didn't have the legal rights to use that song, something else had to be substituted at the last minute ... and the result was a disaster. Not only was the musical mood wrong, but their own timing was thrown off, because they had become so used to performing to the copyrighted piece of music. All their "hits" and visual cues were off, and none of the "magical moments" were highlighted by the new piece of music. Another example is an early performance by The Pendragons on America's Got Talent. They did not have a license to use their music of choice for their Metamorphosis illusion. And, unfortunately, the music they ended up performing to (probably chosen by the show's producers) was simply awful! It did not compliment the dramatic nature of the routine, nor did it enhance any of the "magical moments." Finally, this story concerns a friend who does hypnotism shows at festivals and fairgrounds during the summer. He does 3 shows a day, averaging about 1,000 people per show. For years, he used copyrighted music without permission, by simply playing tracks from his favorite CDs. The thought of copyright law never entered his mind. But a couple of years ago, during one of his performances, he was confronted by an agent from a Performing Rights Organization. He was told that if he continued his show, his show would be stopped and he would be heavily fined. He asked how much it would cost to obtain a license so he could continue playing copyrighted music at festivals. The fee he was quoted (for outdoor festivals) was 50 cents per head. Multiply that by 1,000 spectators, at 3 shows daily, and that adds up to $1,500. Per day! Just imagine the cost he would have incurred for a whole summer's worth of shows! Our friend stopped using commercial music immediately, and has now very wisely turned to royalty-free music sources to enhance his programs. Again, I'm not trying to start an argument. Just pointing out that it's all very well to use mainstream music for your shows. But just make sure you are legally allowed to use that music, in all the different venues you perform in. Record labels and PRO's are not happy with all the money they're losing, and they are clamping down. For me personally, I prefer to use my own royalty-free music. Because I can't afford to lose my house. |
harris Inner circle Harris Deutsch 8812 Posts |
I like the idea of creating theatre. This can be true in the living room or fully equipped stage.
Arthur S. knows his music! One of the perks at work, is having an office between broadcasting, art, music and band classes. One of our perks here is folks like him that share and give back what they have experienced. Books are great, especially if they go along with getting out there and experiencing! Sometimes when I play a standard chord sequence, people come up after and name several different styles or songs. Even Happy Birthday is copywrited. Harris I love to read and "right"
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
drlaugh4u@gmail.com music, magic and marvelous toys http://magician.org/member/drlaugh4u |
TonyB2009 Inner circle 5006 Posts |
Quote:
On 2013-03-29 15:54, arthur stead wrote: As a professional author I appreciate the importance of intellectual rights. However the Performing Rights people are engaging in robbery with those extortionate rates. In that man's show the music was background - adding to the effect, but of no greater significance. In my early days - before I ditched music - I used to use music. I inquired, and was told how much they wanted to charge me for what was only incidental to the show. So I didn't register and didn't pay. One night I was doing a show in a nightclub, using an amazing version of Carmina Burana. At the end of the show a guy came up to me and told me that he was the artist who had recorded that. I was waiting for a lecture on rights - which I would have accepted as I was in the wrong. Instead he shook my hand, and said it was great to see his music being used in a completely new context. He was delighted! I find that having eliminated music makes my show that bit different from my rivals.
Check out Tony's new thriller Dead or Alive http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alive-Varrick-Bo......n+carson
http://www.PartyMagic.ie |
RealityOne Loyal user 227 Posts |
Quote:
On 2013-03-29 15:54, arthur stead wrote: Arthur: I appreciate the advice and understand your point. I don't have any 1,000 person shows or television appearances scheduled in the near future. If I'm fortunate enough to get there, then I'll either get the rights or change the music to something that is custom composed. Magic is not my career. If it was, I suspect that I would use the royalty free music.
~David
Any perception of reality is a selection of reality which results in a distortion of reality. |
Mr. Pitts Inner circle David Pitts 1058 Posts |
Kids sometimes get up and dance when I do my opening warm-up bit on my concertina. It's a composition of my own called "The Itty Bitty Ditty" - although I'm not sure it's actually a ditty. It may be a jig. It might be a reel, heck, it may be a shanty! I also do a duet for kazoo and squeaky toy in some of my shows. Occasionally I throw in a little Beethoven on my harmonica.
|
arthur stead Inner circle When I played soccer, I hit 1773 Posts |
Hey David, I'd love to see the duet for kazoo and squeaky toy!
|
Mr. Pitts Inner circle David Pitts 1058 Posts |
Arthur, I'd love to show you but I am in desperate need of videography! One of my friends, not a magician or show business person, told me that when he showed my website to other people, they always asked if I had video of the act. I just don't have quality video, and I think low quality video may do more harm than good.
|
arthur stead Inner circle When I played soccer, I hit 1773 Posts |
|
harris Inner circle Harris Deutsch 8812 Posts |
Awesome ideas David.
It is great to mix classics with silly stuff. I go from Jeopardy to Ode to Joy. (both on the harmonica) Sometimes I play the last note of a "sewious" song with my nose.
Harris Deutsch aka dr laugh
drlaugh4u@gmail.com music, magic and marvelous toys http://magician.org/member/drlaugh4u |
Mr. Pitts Inner circle David Pitts 1058 Posts |
Ode to Joy is the Beethoven I do on the harmonica too! I was thrilled to figure out that it could be done on a basic harp. The song I'm currently stuck on is the them to the "Our Gang" movies. Most of the notes I can hit, but there are a couple I just can't find on the harp.
|
Dick Oslund Inner circle 8357 Posts |
A most interesting and worthwhile thread. My thanks to all who have commented.
As a very young and relatively inexperienced magician, (mid '40s)I had read about suave and debonair magicians in the TOPS and SPHINX magazines. My first show wardrobe was white tie and tails! (and top hat) I took our family portable 78 rpm record player to dates and wss trying very hard to be 'swaybe and deboner'! The act ran about 15 minutes, but records ran about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes! I didn't have an assistant! You can picture it!!! I joined the Navy (1951) and was stationed in Norfolk VA. I called on an agent, and he gave me a 'showing date'. (A Kiwanis luncheon club in a restaurant dining room) There was no facility to play records. I couldn't change into my tie and tails. I did the whole act: white gloved card fan productions, Misers Dream (downs p**m and a glass, 5 coin stars-both hands, multiplying balls, sympatheic silks, blendo,etc., wearing a sport coat and slacks,in pantomime, sans music! Miraculously, the audience liked what I did. The agent, after the show, said, "Can't you make 'em laugh?" I said, "I guess so." He said, "Make 'em laugh, and I'll get you work!" After that, I did, and he did. Now, they can't shut me up!
SNEAKY, UNDERHANDED, DEVIOUS,& SURREPTITIOUS ITINERANT MOUNTEBANK
|
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » The little darlings » » Music and kids (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.07 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |