Mr Bean's Christmas

Focus is a must

To be a success you must have focus.

One of the hardest things is to stay focused on one task at a time and get it done. I do not know if I have A.D.D but I feel like it sometimes. I am one of these kind of people that just keeps going and moves on to the next thing as quick as I can. I am working on getting focused and be more about task. I have a blackberry and have a bunch of different applications for it but I forget to use the task list sometimes.

Here is what I have found out though. When I do get focused on things I get all kind of things done and I feel better about myself at the end of the day and because of that I am ready for the next day. Every time I get into the office with focus on the brain I get all kinds of shows booked and am just must happier when people turn me down.

So if you are like me this takes training yourself and that is hard work. But once we get it believe it works great. Those are my two cents today. Let me know how this works for you.

As always enjoy magic and enjoy life.

Success is in the Mind

In this new year I am going to start sharing with you some secrets of success that I have found and wanting to help others with it. I will also be sharing my thoughts with you sometimes in a video that I will post on here. Well with that out of the way here we go.

Success can only come from your mind

In my line of work (being a Comedy Magician) there is a lot of people being so negative about things. Here is the thing that I have found out. You can only be a success if you think you are. Zig Ziglar once said " Look in the mirror everyday and tell yourself how great of a person you are".

I do not do this everyday but every show I do. I will find a mirror someplace where I am and tell myself that I am the best at what I do. Since I have been doing this every show my shows and attitude has changed. I do kind of the same thing everyday here at my home. Since most of my work is working at home where there is a dog and other things to do I have to put myself in the focus area. I have a time to go to work (walk into my office) and a break time and most of the time I dress up. All of these things have helped me have a more successful look on the things that I do.

So stop wasting your time looking at web sites that will take you far from where you want to be and start setting your mind with the idea that you are a successful person and I can tell you that it works. It has for me and I know it will for you as well. Let me know if it does work.

Go out and enjoy magic and enjoy life.

Roy Benson a great magician

So the other day I was looking around youtube and found what I have needed to. Roy Benson was a great magician. Not a lot of people know him besides the Benson bowl. He is a very funny magician. I love how he know s who he is, His character is perfect. He loves what he does and you can get that through his act.

Finding your character is something that all magicians need to do. Most magicians just buy a trick and there you go. There is so much more to being a magician then buying and doing the effect. You have to know who you are and what you want your spectators to feel during your act. Roy does all of these and he is perfect. We will miss him.

Meltdown is out

Wow this is my favorite effect that I perform. I always have it with me in my car ready to go.

Take a borrowed quarter
Have it signed --- You shatter it into pieces.
The pieces are clearly visible in your hand or on the table. Using no covering you immediately make the quarter whole again and return the quarter to the spectator. It's just that simple and direct. The performer picks up the pieces and 'melts' them together right in front of every one's eyes. They see the pieces fuse back together.
This valuable video will give you step-by-clear-step the secret and handling of this most unusual trick

You will love this effect. If you are looking for an effect to perform that looks like real magic then meltdown is for you. Click here to pick yours up today.

New Store

So I have been working on getting a store up and running and I now have one. If you would like to check it out go to www.matthewhampel.com and click store. I have all of my DVDs on there and will be uploading some more of my products in the next few days. So to find out when they are put up make sure you keep coming by here to see when they are launch. Thank you.

Imagine, having a spectator select a card. The card is placed back in the deck and lost. An attempt to produce the chosen card fails, only to have it discovered in your mouth by the unsuspecting audience member!
Matthew Hampel performs and teaches this reputation making effect.
You will learn:The Classic Card to MouthExtreme Card to MouthandMatt’s own H.B. Card to Mouth

Frosted Pip

Fantasize the most baffling Card to Impossible Location and you just might get the sense of the power of Frosted Pip. The pip of a selected card appears inside of an ice cube. The pip is really inside and not on the bottom for an optical illusion. Add this to the effect that the performer melts the ice cube in a hand! This effect will be your closer for years to come!

Restaurant worker

What’s harder than getting a Restaurant gig?
Keeping it!
Restaurant worker, Matthew Hampel will not only teach you his real world tested routines, but, in an in-depth interview, with Steve Branham, he will reveal the “how to” of getting the gigs, building an entertaining routine and then keeping the gigs.
You will learn:
Sponge Balls
Waiter
The Rings
Coins
The Ropes
In addition, Matt will teach you two bonus routines
that will make you a hit at every table every time!

Sorry So Sorry

Hello everyone It has been a long time for me. I have been so busy the last few months that I have not had anytime for blogging. I hope that you have all had a great few months.

I have been working alot and performing and having a great time.I have worked the last few months on a brand new show that I am so pleased with .

I also have been shooting some brand new DVD's . I have released three and have many more coming your way.

Well I will post the video for those and let you know where and when you canget those from me for a cheap price for one week only.

9/11 Have You Forgotten?

Have you forgotten that morning?I woke up today remembering my dad waking me up and telling me what happened. For the next three hours I sat on the steps in the basement just thinking to myself O my God. So what about you? Do you remember where you were at . That was the day that for me I sat back after it was all done and said to myself that I am going to be true American.

Never forget that day and the people who lost there father,daughters, mothers and sons. And also do not forget why we have troops fighting for us in war everyday for our freedom. To me that is true magic.

May God bless you and may God bless America.

A Super night

Well what can you say about a master magician? Mike Super is a great entertainer. It is great to finally get to see someone who gets that the magic effects are just tools and we are supposed to entertain first.

I was really looking forward to seeing his show last night. I have never seen him live only on TV. I was hoping that his hole entertainment feel was not just for TV but in his show as well. Let me tell you it was. I do have to say that he is the first magician (expect for Copperfield) where I just sat back and enjoyed myself. There was a few hundred college kids there last night and they we entertained and at the same time in Ah of Mike's magic with everything from making a bowling ball appear to his voodoo effect. If you ever get the chance to get to see his show I really think you should make the time.

Mike it was great to meet you and keep up the good work.

Mike is a man who I can tell enjoys magic and life and so I will leave you with this like I always do. Enjoy magic and enjoy life.

Flourishers must grow up

So I have noticed that magic is all focused on nothing but card flourishes right now. Do not get me wrong I do and like doing card flourishing but it does not pay the bills. To me there are so many kids that just because that can hold 18 packets of cards in between there fingers they think that they are just like me. I hate to tell you that YOUR WRONG.

I really do think that someone should teach on how to use the flourishes in the right way instead of standing at a table in a restaurant just showing off. PEOPLE do not care about how you are in love with the buck twins. So do flourishes but do them in the way that they should be used and that is to just dress up your card magic and that is it.

Remembering A Master Magician: Harold D. Russell

So what do you say about a great magician, friend and man? Harold D Russel was one of the best guys I have ever known. Last week while I was gone Harold passed on from here to a better place.

I love it when I hear all kinds of stories about Harold. Sometimes I feel that I have known Harold forever just because of the stories. Harold gave me one of my first big breaks in the St Louis market with close up magic. I will always thank him for that.

Harold always went out of his way to help others and was just a great guy. You can click here to hear more about one of the biggest nights in his life and what others had to say about a great man.

Harold you will be missed here but I am sure that were ever you are at you are making people laugh and amazing them all. Thanks for all of the good times and memories.

It is because of him I say Enjoy magic and Enjoy life because Harold always did that.

IBM / SAM Convention

WOW what a great long week. The IBM/SAM have not had a convention together in 35 years. This was such a cool thing to find out. Well what do I say about a long week. If you can think of someone they where most likely there and I hope you were. The very first show that I saw in my first 30 min of being there was with MAc King as the MC and then from there it was game on. I did not stop until 10 o'clock at night when I finally went to my car and got my stuff. There was so much going on that I did not want to miss anything.That night and I think only that night was an early one I went to bed around 1 in the morning.

In the next few days I will be putting more info on my blog about what happened. I have got some great pictures as well. I am just putting a few on here today.

Picture number one is me with John Racherhaumer after his lecture on Ed Marlo. He was such a nice guy and to see some of his card stuff afterwards that night was so cool.

Well on Monday I was walking around and talking with my friend Michael Finney and look who walked by . Can you saw Marshall Brodien. It was great to get to talk to him about some of the past.

Well around 12:30 Tuesday night I was walking around and saw a family friend. Bev Bergeron.

So I see this guy walking around with a rubber maide with some fur sticking out of it and I was wondering what it was.Well it was Mr Morris (from Morris costumes) showing the original Bigfoot costume and telling some stories about it for 45 min. I will post more on this later. The head in his left head and the costume i am holding is the original and the head in the center is the new head.

Well after the lecture about comedy magic David Williamson was hanging out with me and Micheal Finney. What a great guy he is. I really love to see him showing some great card stuff at 3:00 in the morning to a bunch of kids. He loves to take time for them. You go Williamson.

Well this is just the start of some great posts I will be sharing with you all. If you have any pictures or anything about the convention make sure to send it over to either me or Justin Robert Young at itricks.com

helping others

So I just got done talking with a friend and he told me that he is leaving for good.I am sad by this because he was one of the best minds in magic. The thing to me is instead of being a jerk we as magicians need to be there for our brothers and sisters in magic in times like these. So I will not say who because he asked me not to. Just when you are praying just say one of my friends and God will know who.

Enjoy magic and enjoy life.

Respect for the art

As I sit here watching the show on NBC called UUMMM what do you think Celebrity Circus and I really do not know what to think. I was in the circus for 15 years and I have seen some amazing circus acts and these are not it. But this blog is not about that. I am posting because of something that has been bugging me.

No RESPECT. A few weeks ago this show had a women on it and the whole time she was all about her self and not the art. I do not think I have to say but she was booted off the first week. Last night on America Got Talent was the same thing. They showed some of the magicians that went for it and let me tell you there was this one ( I believe the first magician they showed) that really ticked me off. He came out with his shirt untucked and looked like a bum on TV. His act sucked and should never have even thought about being apart of what that show can do for people. To me he showed no respect for himself , the show or the most important his art form.

When you look at some of the best in this biz they only have respect for themselves and they put the art first and form most. So do me and all of us in this art a favor and respect the art before you go out and make us all look like a bunch a stupid dorks. Thanks

Enjoy magic and enjoy life.

Why O Why does it happen?

So This post will be a short one but something I wanted to put out there. I am starting to get really upset with magicians who are backing out of being a full time magician. All I hear is how bad things are so I have to. I do not know about you but I am working more then I have in a long time.There are other magicians who have and are working more but the are just backing down. I just do not get it.

So I guess you have to think about how much work and guts does it take to make good money at this. It takes a lot. I am not going to sugar coat it . It is not easy but instead of going to get a job I am working harder then I have and it is paying off.Well I said that this was going to be short and it is.

Enjoy magic and Enjoy Life.

Stick to your guns.

So a few posts ago I told you about someone talking trash about my act. Normally I am OK with that if it is from someone who knows what they are talking about. (This person did not)

So I was watching this clip and noticed something. What I saw was someone that knew what is best for there own act and stuck to there guns about it. I want to tell all of you who have been working very hard on your act and have had some trust worthy people judge it and you have fixed it and now it looks great.That you need to stick to your guns about your act. Now do not get me wrong. I am not saying that if someone (let's say like Copperfield) comes to you and says I think you should Whatever that you do not listen to him. You should always be open for things like that.

All I am saying is if the act that you have right now is your best and you love it and so do the people then you need to have full convince in it as well. If you do not then you might be heading down the wrong road. Just thought that I would let you know that .
Enjoy Magic and Enjoy Life.

ITricks new group on facebook.

As part of itricks.com we have started a new group on facebook. Itricks.comis my cult is the brand new group. which will be focused on all things related to the Magic Week in Review podcast.

You can comment on Justin Robert Young’s wry cadence, talk with other fans of the podcast and even get a drop on who will be our special guests in the coming weeks.
Check it out.