By: Kelvin Kwong
Hyo! I'm making a new music act, and I was wondering if anyone knows
of any good music for magic. I'm looking for something with a bit of
base and attitude, but would still be right for more formal
situations. I'd also prefer if there were no lyrics, but that isn't
very important. I've looked around for music like this, but its hard
to find. I was thinking of using hip hop or rock, but I was afraid
that it wouldn't fit for a formal venue like a wedding or an
anniversary. I was thinking of doing card productions, with popping in
the beginning. (note: Popping is a form urban dance, i.e. the robot)
By: Michael Sibbernsen
You may wish to check out the Gary Ouellet book "Music and the
Magician" which covers everything from how to mix, where to find
music, and most important- copyright law. Book also includes sample
tracks. Gary also produces a "textures" CD as well. Look here for
info...
http://home.earthlink.net/~gouellet/music/music.html
A number of very affordable high quality "Royalty Free" soundtracks developed specifically for magicians are readily available. Ones I recommend include...
"Sounds of the Sorcerer" by Opus 1. My fav. Their second CD "Illusionique" is OK.
http://www.opus1productions.com/opus1108001.htm
"Magician's EZ Edit Music Kit" Vol. I and II. by Richard Wayne Productions.
http://members.aol.com/ComposerRG/magic_music.htm
"White Magic" by Bill White
http://www.purelymagic.com/vagabond
There are many others including Vienna Magic's Music for Magicians I and II, Music Magic by Richard Allen, and Magical Melodies by Alan Skogerbo among others. Check the above sources first.
By: Jered S.
I just happen to be working on some music myself and have listened to
a lot of the music on the Pure Moods CD's by Robert Miles. The music
is a mixture of Techno, ethnic i.e. Native chanting type stuff, Jazz,
etc. Most of the songs are lyric-less and are great for magic. If you
want a quick preview of these CD's get on Napster and search for Pure
Moods or Robert Miles, I am sure you will get a list of stuff.
By: Billy James
I make my living as both a magician and a MUsician. I never do both in
the same show though, I always thought that if I came out singing a
song in my club show and then went into the magic that it might dilute
the magic a little, I'm usually stuck between a couple of singers or a
singer and a dancer in the clubs anyway. About a month ago I was on
with a guy who is quite well known across the club circut here in
Australia and he just about pounded me for not singing and playing
some instruments as part of my magic act,'show them everything' he
said. Since then I've given it a great deal of thought but I'm finding
it hard to make a call on it. Anyone here have any experience of
combining, singing and playing with magic, or do you simply have an
opinion. I'd love to hear it.
By: rawdawg
I like to beat box during my ambitious card routine.
Anyways, there was an article in Genii on Amazing Jonathan about him using music, lights, the whole dog and pony effects and having those additions really zing the show up, or something like that. It allowed him to get real money for his act from corporate clients or something like that. You may want to check out the article. It's the one with Jonathan on the cover posing something geeky.
By: Jason Y-H
One time, at a party, I was being paid (however, this was more of a
favor thing) to perform with a "band" (they were all studio musicians)
singing and playing the piano. It was about as casual as it could get
to still call it a formal event. One of the guests decided he was good
enough to perform some magic in the middle of one of my songs. I
started to see a loose circle form around one guy, I wasn't quite sure
what was going on as I was playing a slower song and no one could have
possibly been break-dancing. I kept through the song, and was just
finishing up when I saw a deck of cards go flying through the air and
flutter down to the ground around the room. He had timed it so that
the finale of his trick would be at the moment my song ended. I
glanced at one of the bassist and stood up to see a guy standing in
the middle of the circle looking like a dumba$$ realizing that he had
tried card to ceiling in a room where the ceilings were quite a bit
higher than you could possibly do the trick with, he was also doing it
wrong. I wasn't overly pleased. Okay, so this isn't the kind of mixing
of music and magic you were talking about... but the story
continues...
So this guy is standing in the middle of a room with a completely failed trick. I was smiling widely trying to hold down a laugh. The guests were throughly dissapointed. The hostess ran up to me, and asked me to do a few tricks to quench the need (the referring person had mentioned my being a magician). I told her I'd think about it, but to get a pack of cards, some clothesline and some coins. As I watched the guy try to find all his cards, I looked at the other guests and decided that there seemed to be a need for some closure to magic and the fun would be sucked out of the room if I didn't do something little.
So I decided to do some stuff. I did rope through body, a coins across, and two or three card tricks meshed into one short routine. As the applause started I bowed quickly and sat back down at the piano and started into a JB's cover to keep the energy up. It worked out pretty perfectly and I got a lot of calls from guests wanting me to perform for their events. I did let them know that the magic and music was a particularly special case and I wouldn't do both unless asked specifically. Most of the gigs were for one or the other, the ones that wanted both I either turned down or convinced them that separate musicians and magicians was the better way to go.
I don't believe that it is a good idea to mix the two. It isn't a downright sin to do it either, but I would avoid doing it at all costs. Special circumstances and situations may lend themselves to exceptions but don't go to a gig or an act or a performance thinking that you will do both. It just doesn't fit well in most situations. I don't advise it. I think the guy you talked to didn't quite have a grasp on what music and magic together entailed, it sounds like he didn't really know a whole lot about playing music.
Hope you take a little bit from this... they are just my thoughts.
By: Thegreatgreg
Well I think it would work. I am working on a stage show. And my idea
is i walk out on stage. I play a song on my alto saxaphone. Then i
reach into the bell of the saxaphone(ya if you didn't know it is the
large part. Abd i pull out a dove or a mouth coil. Then i would put my
sax on its stand and i would start the show. I gusse i would then do a
vanishing dove. I think it would work pretty well.
By: Jason Y-H
It might work okay. But it won't make your magic or your music any
stronger to combine the two. Personally, I believe strongly that the
same person doing magic and music detracts from both disciplines at
that show.
There is something incredibly corny about singing a song while producing cards, or making a candle float or dissapearing a tiger.
It doesn't add to anything to do both. Reserve each of your talents for appropriate specialized instances. Most audiences will be caught off guard in the "What int he name of the lord is he doing?" way than the "Oh WOW, I wasn't expecting that" way. Not to sound arrogant but believe me, I do have some experience with this.
The people that DO do this maybe aren't hurting their act too much, but contrary to what they may believe they are not adding much either.
Of course, including music in the form of a background soundtrack to your music is fair game. But I sincerely believe that most audiences are not impressed with the dual talent of musician-magician. It may sound odd, but if you think about it it makes good sense. Most performers have different personas for their individual talents. You don't become more amazing, you just turn into a trick-touting-musician, or a singing-magician. Neither are really overly appealing characters.
Sorry to be the crimp in the card...
By: "TheDean" DeanHankey.com
Interesting...
YES the idea of music and magic works incredibly well!
No need to take my word for it, just ask Bernie Yuman, Sigfied and Roy who are producing Darren Romeo's "Voice of Magic" show.
There are soooooo many folks (Most of whom you WOULD recognize) who have dabbled with this idea with monstrous success! Some folks right here on MT do this very thing!
Fortunately, it's one of the reasons I get to make my living in this wonderful field of entertainment... not just magic... not just music...
I DOES work... and very well!
By: Dr. Who
I hit upon the use of music and magic some time ago, and it has been
great.
I took the song, "My favorite things," (from Sound of Music) re-wrote it to be "My Favorite Tricks." I got the Karaoke (sp?) tape, and had a great opener. As I sing, I show my favorite tricks.
Then I did a duet with my son, where I was the master, he was the apprentice (I am 16 going on 17, same show). The audience, in this case professional magicians, loved it. Just this last June I re-wrote Shania Twain's "Feel like a Woman," to be "Feel like a Magician."
OK it bombed . . . but that was because the tune was not in my range, not that the idea was bad.
Do a routine to a song you can sing. Re-write the lyrics to suit your personality. And most of all have fun with it.
By: Bill White
I've performed music and magic side by side for the past 17 years very
successfully. As a multi-instrumentalist and composer, I always took
the time to customize music for all of my magic acts. Many people are
under the assumption that music is strictly limited to a stage. I can
assure you it is equally beneficial to the close-up worker as
well. This is not limited to just playing pre-recorded music during a
magic act. I currently perform at a large music theatre. On stage, I
will play piano, then pull my props out of it to go into the
magic. Close-up, I play guitar, then flip it over and use the back as
a table including stuck on close up pad. People respond very well. The
use of my own music had been so successful that I chose to share that
option with my fellow Magi. Whether you use one of my Royalty free Cds
for magicians, have me write custom music for you, or just take the
time to find something out there that fits you...I highly recommend
the use of music as the powerful tool it can be.
By: Jon A. Hand
Works for me! I am a saxophonist and a magician, and I have done many
club-type shows where I play with a quartet and then do magic
in-between sets. If you do them both well, why not do both? Makes you
more memorable, too.
Big Daddy Cool, who posts here frequently, has a whole show just like you are musing. He does a 1940-1950's Swing Review with much magic worked into the show.
By: "Big Daddy Cool"
Darren Romeo does this very well. He is a Broadway actor who was also
a magician. Most magicians use music in their act, and he just decided
to sing the vocals live himself! His show is apparently a big draw in
Vegas right now.
What I do is use parts of my club magic act to fill the space between set and costume changes. As of this moment, I don't perform magic while signing. I would love to, but the right inspiration hasn't hit me yet...
Another MTer doing the Swing thing with his magic is Andy Pascual from the Atlanta area. From my conversations w/ him, he does sing and magish at the same time.
By: Shane Cobalt
How can I find the price to pay for royalties on using music? I have a
bunch of songs that I am pretty sure aren't royalty free. How can I
find out how much and who I have to pay to use the song and what are
the conditions??
By: Eric Henning
In general, when using recorded music, unless the CD or other
packaging specifically says that the recording is royalty-free, it is
covered by one of the major licensing organizations. In the US, these
are BMI and ASCAP, and in Canada, SOCAN. If you see these acronyms on
your CD package, then royalties are due.
Contrary to popular opinion, if the music itself is in the public domain (such as Bach or Mozart) that particular *recording* of that particular *performance* is still copyrighted and protected by license. Since copyrights last a long time, it's going to be a while before *any* recordings are in the public domain.
The good news is that, in most cases, you the performer are not the one who will have to pay the royalties. In the case of music used as background to an act (like a magic act), BMI and ASCAP license the venue or performance site, not the performer. You are responsible to make sure that your site is licensed. Major hotel chains, restaurant chains, nightclubs, concert halls, convention centers, movie theaters, live theatres, etc. normally have an annual license fee that they pay base on the number of people they hold.
If you are performing in a church as part of a religious service, no licensing is required. If you are performing at a private party at a private home where no admission fee is charged, no royalties are required.
The problems come up in the following sorts of situations: a town festival where you are performing outdoors for pay; a banquet for a non-profit group at an unlicensed church hall or lodge; a charity dinner at a private home; or any other performance at a venue that's unlicensed or at which any sort of admission fee is charged.
Contrary to popular opinion, it does NOT matter whether you are getting paid or not. The unlicensed broadcast or public playing of copyrighted recorded music or voice is illegal. Period. Make sure you don't get on the wrong side of this.
There are three easy ways to do this:
I am not an attorney, but the information above is from BMI and ASCAP. If you need legal advice, see an attorney licensed in your state of residence.
By: Shane Cobalt
That was the most helpful post I have ever read! Thank you sooo much!
But one question (I know I shouldn't begin a sentence with but) What
if you are renting out a school and you want to use music for your
show?
By: Eric Henning
Hi Shane:
Glad you found it helpful. If you are renting out a school, you need
to make sure that the school has BMI and ASCAP licenses. It's likely
that they have them through the local school system, such as a county
system. Call the school office and they may direct you to the county
school board.
Otherwise, you'll need to get a license and that's a real pain.
By: Magic Duck
If you do need to get a license, I know you can find every song ever
licensed to BMI by doing a song search at their website. I think you
can do the same at ASCAP. I believe it would be to your advantage to
determine which license would be most economical and then pick all
your songs from that company. Both have such large catalogs that it
should not be too difficult to do.
I think that, for a small time performer, the license fees may not that steep. But then again, if you are a local performer, working as a hobby, even a couple hundred dollars each year is pricey.
By: "Big Daddy Cool"
Ditto what they said. This is why I have been peforming only in venues
that have a blanket license. It cuts wayyyy down on paper work for
me. But regardless, do your homework to know what songs are licensed
to whom. You never know when you'll need it...
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