Magicians Chat with ...
Adam Grace
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Adam Grace is in high demand for Magic Shows year round! He’s headlined at the world famouse Magic Castle in Hollywood, The Mirage in Las Vegas, Broadway in New York City, and dozens of the top venues around the world. His magic has been featured in TV shows, movies, and he's entertained top celebrities like Cameron Diaz, Pamela Anderson, Harrison Ford, and many more. Adam is constantly performing for Fortune 500 companies and private events.
Adam offers a variety of shows that will entertain almost any audience.
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Wilm Weber: Today we are chatting with Adam Grace, the creator of “Glass” and other amazing miracles; Adam also appeared as a magician in the movie “Shade”. Thank you very much for taking the time.
Adam Grace: Thanks for having me. I always feel honored when I do these types of interviews. I'm glad you mentioned SHADE. That movie was a blast to do. Mainly because there was a ton of magic people in that film. On days that we were shooting, it was non stop fun. Like a magic convention with movie stars.
Wilm Weber: Adam, you seem to pursue a variety of different venues. What do you enjoy more, magic, acting, something else? Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Adam Grace: I'm a renaissance man. I do a lot of things including acting, magic, writing, music, singing, and a few others. This can be a curse and a joy. There's never enough hours in the day to do all things. Just think... most people are pursuing one talent and spending all their time pursuing that ONE thing. I am trying to be a pro in four different fields of performance. So, my time has to be very well spent and I must be very critical of the projects I undertake. If you've ever heard the old saying, "A jack of all trades but a master of none". This is how I feel sometimes. I have a system that seems to work well for me: Whatever is bringing me the most attention/money is the thing I focus on. When the time comes that that thing slows down, I move on to the next profession. I skip around a lot but I have a lot of fun. I really enjoy my life, now. An average day in my life will be like this.
9am- audition
10am- Mail out the tricks I sold from my website the day before
11am- Photo session for some new trick I'm working on
noon- another audition
1pm- Studio session with a band or songwriter
4pm- Prepare for magic show
6pm- walk-around magic show
9pm- band gig at Viper Room in LA
11pm- Writing on a new script or screenplay
4am- go to sleep
This is a typical day for me. It would drive most people crazy but I love to push myself too hard. I figure I can sleep when I'm dead!
As far as what I like the most... that's a tough one. Music brings me a lot of joy. Performing on stage in a band gig is the most rewarding.
Imagine a group of people hanging onto every note you play, the lights flickering, beautiful women dancing around you, playing music with your pals... sounds fun, right? There's a similar feeling when I'm on stage at the Magic Castle. There's one thing for sure... I like to live on the edge and let people watch. I like to let magic breath and seem fresh every night.
Magic has been the thing I've done the longest. I started young... like five years old. So I have to give it the number one spot in my life. At least right now. Ten years from now I want to be doing the same thing I'm doing right now. Unless I'm retired by then.
Wilm Weber: Reviewing the effects you created, I saw a wide variety. What type of magic effects do like most and why?
Adam Grace: For me EFFECT is everything. I'm not one of these guys who hangs onto methods and lets them rule my decisions. The most impressive effects are the ones where few props are used. I fancy card tricks... who doesn't? The reason why my creations are so varied is because I only think in terms of effect. Many people think in terms of methods and that gets them stuck in a certain genre of magic... what they are comfy with. I just pretend that there are no restrictions on methods and that anything is possible. That really opens my mind. I dwell in the mysterious world of effect. Once a great effect comes to mind, I then search for the method.
Wilm Weber: Now let's talk about some of your creations. Can you provide us with some background on your hit effect GLASS and if you can, also share some details about your new creations 'Titanic' and 'Frostbite'?
Adam Grace: My first creation was a trick called Death Breath. In this effect you can take an ordinary mint (the flash strips that melt quickly) and cause it to animate in your hand. Then, when the spectator tries to do it they cannot. It's an impromptu type effect and I always carry it in my pocket. People always have those mints in their pocket and you can really fry them with it. I also have additional routines with the mints in a booklet called, "Death Breath Notes". You should have those as well.
GLASS is a DVD, available at Ellusionist.com, that has 15 routines with Glass. Most people may think, "What can I do with Glass?" Well, glass is always around you. There's always a window around and I give you many ideas to blow people away. It all started with the effect I put on the market a few years ago called,"Stained Glass", which is a little pane of glass, marker, and two powerful routines. Sometimes people get confused but "GLASS DVD" and "STAINED GLASS" are two different products. I recommend that people start with Stained Glass and if they like the ideas then move on to the DVD. The idea behind the tricks is this: You can cause your writing to pass through a pane of glass... melt right through. It's not your ordinary trick and it's only for people that want to stand out...do something different than your regular card tricks.
Titanic Cards is a complete routine with a deck of cards. It's a new version of "Cards through Table" where the deck melts through the table in three phases...with a punch ending! This is another one I always do. In fact, I did it at the Magic Castle all week long...last time I performed there.
Frostbite is a yet to be released item. Imagine having the power to freeze things with your mind.
Some of my other products include my lecture notes, "Magical Graffiti". The notes have some real crazy ideas and routines. One of my favorites is the "Card Stab"...with your foot.
Wilm Weber: How do you decide on effects for your program from your repertoire?
Adam Grace: I have a staple of a few tricks that I always do because they are my strongest tricks. Other than that I let the situation determine what I do. I use my environment a lot. To me a magician should be able to do anything. And that changes depending on where you are.
I'll tell you a secret about my magic. I never script my tricks. I know that people tell us to script every word and rehearse the patter. I don't. I always let the situation and environment determine what I say. For me magic is just like music. I'm making it up as I go...I'm in the middle of the jam... I'm playing jazz with cards or coins. It's a fun way to work because I always surprise myself with what comes out of my mouth. And just like music, sometimes I hit a bad note. I live or die on that stage every night.
Using your environment means that your magic is more personal. I always listen when I'm at a party performing. I use the information I get to make my effects better. Once I found out that the client has an orange in their fridge. I set up the card in orange and put it back. When the time came, I ask her to go to the fridge and get me ANY piece of fruit. She brought me the orange! When you use the environment, the magic seems more real... more spontaneous.
Wilm Weber: Who influences / has influenced your work most and how so?
Adam Grace: Mainly, my friends influence my work the most. It also depends on what book I'm reading at the moment. But things are different now than when I was a kid. As a kid I only had a few books like Tarbell. So, I had a classical approach to magic. I know my classics. I can do the rings, Misers Dream, Six Card Repeat, Cards Across, Salt Pour, and just about every classic effect there is. It's really important to understand the classics and know WHY they work. I think everyone should learn a classic routine or two and do them often. It gives you a real sense of the past... and THAT will have the best influence on your magic. When I was a kid I didn't have access to magicians in my area... and there was no internet. I was a teenager before I met my first mentor, Frank Brents. Once I turned 18 and moved to New York City, I was surrounded by magicians every day. That's when I really started to soak up new ideas. But I am really glad to have a working knowledge of the classics.
Wilm Weber: What tips can you give fellow magicians who want to improve their audience management techniques and presentation styles?
Adam Grace: The first thing you should do is put away your magic and just learn to connect to people on a basic level. Humans have a need to connect with one another, to share experiences, and make emotional bonds. Once you understand this basic need of every human, it makes performing a lot easier. Secondly, don't try to copy other magicians and their performance styles. Everyone is so unique, you don't have to copy. YOU are very interesting. Finding your unique style takes some time but it's not as hard as people think. Try this:
Watch the way you brush your teeth. Just watch and observe yourself in the mirror. Everyone does it differently. Something as basic as brushing your teeth is a representation of your style. Then, just observe your own rituals and patterns every day. Pretty soon you will see that you have a unique way of doing things. Then, bring that into your magic.
Try to connect to people and ask questions while performing. Try asking people about themselves. People love to talk about themselves. Make eye contact and look for moments to create wonder, laughter, mystery, love, and meaning. Break your tricks down into moments and examine what makes each moment cool. Before long you will realize that your presentation depends on the way you see the world.
Audience management is not hard. Just befriend them and they will follow you down any path. Let them into your world and they will respect you. Audiences already respect the time and energy you have put into your craft. But the minute they smell BS, or don't see a human being inside, they will fight against you. Find truth in performance and the audience will eat out of your hand. That's all there is to managing them.
Wilm Weber: How were you able to make magic your main profession? Is it? Did you have any other job before you went "professional"? If so, how did you get to be successful enough to quit your day job and follow your passion?
Adam Grace: One day I decided that I was a full time magician. I was 22 years old. I quit my job and just told everyone I knew that that was the case. As soon as I did that, the universe just responded to that and started giving me work.
So the answer is... Just do it and watch what happens. Just make a choice to be a professional magician. Put that energy out into the universe and watch what happens.
I haven't had a "day job" in years. I'll never have one. I don't even think about it. I've been close to being broke a few times but something always worked out. There's a certain amount of trust you must have...
Wilm Weber: When you speak about 'putting energy in the Universe' it sounds very much like the concept discussed in the well known movie 'The Secret'; the understanding that the visualization of positive things brings these into your reality; simplified - the power of positive thinking. I have heard other successful people (i.e. Scott Adams the creator of Dilbert) following and applying these concepts to their life. Is this something you actively/consciously do or did you discover this philosophy independently? Have you ever seen the movie 'The Secret'?
Adam Grace: I finally watched THE SECRET the other month. Everything in that DVD is something I already knew on some level. I didn't find the DVD that earth shaking because I've read similar ideas in books. But... for someone who has never heard the information before... I guess the film would be great.
I have always used the power of positive thinking in everything I do. When I said "putting energy in the Universe" that is exactly how I meant it. Ever since I was young, I have always visualized how I want things to be. I've always put positive energy out there and I have gotten almost exactly what I want back. (Weird, huh?)
There's one thing that THE SECRET didn't go into that much. That is the fact that it also takes hard work to get where you want to be. I don't think that positive thinking alone will do it. Part of me telling the universe "I'm now a professional magician" also meant that I worked on it every day. I told everyone around me that it was true. I called in favors and kept myself busy working toward a reality that I wanted for myself. Positive thinking is not enough... it takes determination. It also takes a little luck! However, the first step is to trust that it will work out, and make the decision to BE WHAT YOU WANT TO BE.
Wilm Weber: What kind of performance venues do you enjoy most and why? Where can we see you next? Any appearance at the Magic Castle planned?
Adam Grace: On my personal website www.gracemagic.com you can see a list of clients that I have performed for. The majority of those people hired me to do walk around magic. There's something I really dig about "commando style magic". But I have to say that the Magic Castle is my favorite place to perform. The audiences there LOVE magic. They expect to be fooled and there are no hesitations on their part. It's the coolest place to do a show in the world! BTW...I'm performing there August 20th - 26th 2007. It's right around the corner.
Wilm Weber: What's next for Adam Grace? Any new books, DVDs or other projects coming up? Anything you can share?
Adam Grace: I'm releasing Frostbite finally. I have a new audio CD..for free. I like doing those free CD's. I think people appreciate free information. If you go to my magic store www.adamgracemagic.com you can already get a free CD about marketing yourself. So... part two is coming soon.
I have 3 new effects coming out very soon. They are very cool tricks. People are going to love them. My site will get an overhaul and I'll add those new tricks at the same time. Look for all this in the next 2-4 months.
Wilm Weber: Thank you very much for this interview and continued success!
Adam Grace: My pleasure... and make sure you guys check out my websites. Also, continue to support independent magicians and their tricks. Guys like Lee Asher, Aaron Fisher, Nate Kranzo, and myself all appreciate having an outlet to share ideas and make a living doing what we love. It's only because of YOU!
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Interview Date: 07/26/2007
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