Friday the 13th

How appropriate! Today’s performances were really strange. I’ve been working on “Expansion of Texture” from “The Dai Vernon Book of Magic”. Over 100 years ago T. Nelson Downs credits this effect to Jose Antenor de Gayo. aka: L'homme Masque. It is also generally accepted that it was none other than de Gayo that taught the "Downs Palm" to Downs himself. Imagine that. The effect is also described in "Modern Coin Magic" by JB Bobo as "Silver or Copper Extraction". But it was Dai Vernon that improved the effect with his brilliance in simplicity and naturalness.
I really like the audible component of the effect. In fact, I changed the handling just a bit to capitalize on this aspect of the routine.

I have also been working on David Roth’s copper/silver routine.
I thought I’d do both of these effects today. I have been practicing the palm to palm change for months. I worked the Copper/Silver routine until I had it down. Or so I thought. Like many people, I get nervous when I perform. This usually goes away after a few minutes or until I start getting positive audience feedback. Anyway, I didn’t count on sweaty palms. The English Penny kept slipping during the effect. There were a couple of audible clicks (which I clumsily covered by making it seem like the coin struck my wedding band). After two less than thrilling performances of Copper/Silver I decided to cut it from the day’s program and just do the “Expansion of Texture” routine. Three groups seemed to accept the performance of “Expansion” as adequate. Another group was bored with it while the 3rd group was flabbergasted by it! Thank goodness for that! I've never seen the effect performed so at least now I know the effect CAN look as good to an audience as I imagined it would. The challenge is to be consistent about it.

As for the under-whelming response of the other groups, the common denominator is me, so I can only blame myself. I will spend time this weekend analyzing the effect and my performance of it. And more practice of course. I believe in the effect and I am confident I will be able to perform it beautifully and consistently. I am determined to make it my own and perform the routine as well as it can possibly be done. It just requires more work.

Note to self: This is new. In the past I would have been discouraged by a limp performance and given up on an effect. But now I am simply resolved to whip the effect into submission until it begs for mercy. Where was this determination when I was young?

As for Copper/Silver, I will try writing my own script for it and continue working on the palm to plam change and practicing it ad nauseam. To the degree that even the sweatiest palms will hold fast to the little buggers.