Monthly Update #19 (July 2024)
Monthly Update #19 (July 2024)
Developing Daley progress, NDO Playlist and the magic of QR codes.
Well, another month has flown by. I can’t quite believe we’re already more than halfway through the year. Time seems to go much faster as you get older, and I’m not entirely sure why. Incidentally, exploring the perception of time seems like an excellent theme for a magic trick. The following article from Psychology Today, written by Steve Taylor, is worth reading in this regard:
Why Does Time Seem to Pass at Different Speeds? ⏳
This paragraph from the article struck me as particularly relevant to the practising of magic:
Another of the laws is that “time goes quickly in states of absorption.” This is because in states of absorption our attention narrows to one small focus and we block out information from our surroundings. At the same time there is very little cognitive information in our minds, since the concentration has quietened the normal thought-chatter of the mind. On the other hand, time goes slowly in states of boredom and discomfort because in these situations our attention isn’t occupied and thought-chatter flows through our minds, bringing a massive amount of cognitive information.
This idea likely explains why I like the meditative aspect of practising sleight of hand so much. Steve Taylor has also written a book called Making Time, which I’ve put on my to-read list. I anticipate that it will contain a lot of relevant information for magicians. I’ll write a book report on it if it’s any good.
Speaking of time, this month, I’ve been trying to make some meaningful progress on my book Developing Daley. With my busy schedule, finding the time to write is consistently challenging—maybe reading Steve’s book will help!
This month, I’ve also been thinking about songs that include the name of a playing card in their lyrics, prompted by my effect “Laughing Boy and Lumberjack” (see link below). I’ve included some half-baked ideas that some of you might like to develop into a fully functioning routine based on an “audio index” of playing cards.
Developing Daley Book 📕
I first mentioned in Monthly Update #3 that I was writing a book on the two-by-two transposition; that was approximately fifteen months ago! In that time, I’ve made little progress on Developing Daley, which is a source of frustration.
However, this month, I’ve taken three of the effects destined for the book, written them out in full, and included them in my regular Ruseletter column, Packet Trick Paradise 🃏🌴. Two of the tricks (“The Jaybird Jump” and “Quick Change Queens”) are only available to paid subscribers. However, everyone can learn “Laughing Boy and Lumberjack”. It’s a killer trick with a compelling hook.
These effects represent three random tricks from the book that I had already started documenting. “The Jaybird Jump” and “Laughing Boy and Lumberjack” will appear in a chapter titled “Jokers and Jacks” with several variations that use, well, Jokers and Jacks instead of Aces!
“Quick Change Queens” will be featured in a chapter called “Odd-Backed Oddities” along with three other tricks: “Black and Blue Monte”, “Jumping Jokers”, and “Ballroom Bodyguards”. The latter is a version of the plot that does not use a single double lift or turnover during the routine!
If you’ve yet to read my posts about Dr. Daley’s Last Trick, the link below will display all of them on a single page:
All Posts Related to Dr. Daley’s Last Trick
Songs Featuring Playing Cards 🎶
Last month, I shared a new trick called “Laughing Boy and Lumberjack”. It features lyrics from a folk song called “Jack of Diamonds” or “Rye Whiskey”. This got me interested in other songs that feature playing cards. There are the obvious ones, like “Ace of Spades” by the English heavy metal band Motörhead. But there are also some more obscure tracks. For example, there’s “The Five of Spades” by Gnoss, a neotraditional Scottish folk band. And there’s the 1986 high-energy EDM classic “Two of Hearts” by Stacey Q.
I’ve created a playlist of fifty-four songs in New Deck Order (NDO) to represent each card in a standard deck of playing cards. Each track either shares its title with a playing card, features a playing card in its lyrics, appears on an album or EP named after a playing card, or is performed by an artist or band that takes its name from a pack of playing cards.
I’ve tried to include a mixture of musical genres while avoiding tracks with explicit content or ones that contain lyrics that might cause offence (that’s why the list is light on rap music). I’ve also attempted to pick songs that are well-written and performed. However, I don’t particularly like a few on the list that were added out of necessity.
I’m not sure what I’m going to do with this playlist. However, I’m confident that there are many ways that these songs could be incorporated into a magical performance, especially a casual one performed in a social situation.
For example, you could use the playlist as an “audio index” in a prediction effect. A simple way to achieve this would be to print a dynamic QR code on a piece of paper as a prediction. (A dynamic QR code can be updated after the code has been generated.) Have a person freely select a card from a shuffled, secretly marked deck. Once you know the identity of the chosen card, you can discreetly copy the correct Spotify song link into the system that is generating the QR code for you (QR Code Kit enables you to produce updatable QR codes). Alternatively, a secret accomplice from a nearby location could do this for you. Once the QR code is set, turn the selected card face up, then instruct your participant to scan the QR code with their smartphone. If they have the Spotify app installed, there’s a good chance that the song will start playing automatically.
Granted, this isn’t the most practical method, but the idea has legs, especially if you can code (or even write your own mobile or web app to generate the QR code on the fly). Here’s an example QR code that links to “Jack of Diamonds” by Michael Martin Murphey.
A simpler way is to use a static QR code to link to a specific song from the playlist. Then, force that card onto a spectator.
I also like the idea of playing one of these songs in the background as you perform a card force on someone. Many songs in the playlist do not mention a card’s name until the track has been playing for a while. For example, it takes almost three minutes for the Five of Spades to be mentioned in the song of the same name by Gnoss. This situation would make for a surprising and memorable revelation. All you have to do is begin the force when the correct track starts playing. Of course, you would need to move the track to another playlist (one that doesn’t include any other songs with a card’s name in their lyrics).
While creating this playlist, I made some interesting observations. Finding thirteen tracks to represent the Ace through King of Spades was relatively easy. More of these songs also happened to belong to the rock and heavy metal genres of music. However, it was much more challenging to source tracks for the Hearts and Diamonds. Dance and rap tracks were also much more likely to feature a Heart or a Diamond in their lyrics. For example, the King of Diamonds was frequently mentioned in rap music, perhaps because it represents a successful and wealthy man. (The popularity of this card in rap music might also be connected to a now-closed strip club in Miami called the King of Diamonds, which is popular with rappers, sports stars, and celebrities.)
A few songs in the playlist would work well when performing a story deck routine, such as “Dark Lady” by Cher, “Spanish Train” by Chris de Burgh, or “Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts” by Bob Dylan. An excellent example of this is Shawn Farquhar’s card routine, “Shape of My Heart”, which he performs to the Sting song of the same name (see performance video below).
The playlist includes some songs that mention multiple playing cards. The classic soft rock ballad “Desperado” by the Eagles mentions the Queen of Diamonds and the Queen of Hearts. Similarly, “Shape of My Heart” refers to the Jack of Diamonds and the Queen of Spades but also makes numerous references to the four suits in a deck of cards. It’s a great song and could be used in the background as a subtle double audio prediction when performing for a couple.
Contrary to popular belief, “Shape of My Heart” is not a love song. In a 1993 interview, Sting explained that the song tells the story of a gambler who plays cards not to win but to explore and understand something that eludes him. According to the English singer, activist, and actor, the gambler is driven by a desire to comprehend the mystical logic of luck. He is a poker player who doesn’t express his emotions, wearing a mask that never changes.1
QR Queens 👑
Speaking of QR codes, I really like the look of a new effect called “QR Queens” by Paul Fowler. I’m not usually interested in smartphone magic because I don’t own a mobile phone (nor do I want one). However, this particular trick uses a spectator’s phone to perform a unique and memorable card reveal. Best of all, it doesn’t rely on an app that might stop working in a few years.
The effect is reminiscent of “The Fine Print” by Jay Sankey, which was rereleased by Penguin Magic a few years back.
You receive four cards with four different reveals. The cards are printed by the United States Playing Card Company (USPCC).
You can watch a full Performance of “QR Queens” on a recent episode of the Wizard Magic Review. David Penn provides an excellent alternative handling for the trick that’s worth exploring.
If I get a copy of this, I’ll write a full review on the blog.
Three Videos Worth Watching
Three more videos worth watching.
Shawn Farquhar Performs Shape of My Heart ❤
Here’s a video of Shawn Farquhar performing his signature card routine to the song “Shape of My Heart” by Sting. This Ambitious Card routine formed part of the competition act which won him first place in the Card Magic and Grand Prix (Close-Up Magic) categories at the 2009 FISM (Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques) World Championships of Magic.
Shawn has uploaded another performance of “Shape of My Heart” to his YouTube channel, which you might also enjoy watching.
Twins Performed by Allan Ackerman
Here is sleight-of-hand expert Allan Ackerman performing his version of “The Twins” by Brother John Hamman. Unlike the original, this handling uses the Rhythm Count instead of the Gemini Count. I think “The Twins” is one of the most entertaining card tricks you can perform with four cards.
If you like card and coin magic, I strongly recommend subscribing to Allan’s YouTube channel.
Street Fighter II Full Soundtrack on Electric Guitar!
This video has nothing to do with magic, but it was way too awesome not to share! If, like me, you wasted a large proportion of your youth playing this classic video game with your mates, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy the pure nostalgia of this epic electric guitar cover. Charlie Parra absolutely nails it. Hadoken!
That’s it for another monthly update.
Yours Magically,
Marty
P.S. You can read all previous monthly updates on the Ruseletter website. There’s also a complete archive of all articles published on the site.
“Shape of My Heart,” Songfacts, Accessed August 18, 2024, https://www.songfacts.com/facts/sting/shape-of-my-heart.