Jack of Spades has a little trick or 2 up his sleves.
Lord Warzin Ozol has interviewed Jack of Spades.
1. Jack Of Spades how long have you been doing magic tricks for?
That's actually sort of hard to pinpoint actually. I made a first attempt when I was really young. Probably at about age eight or so. However, when you are that young you really need to have a teacher or mentor of some sort in my opinion. Unfortunately, I had no access to one. So it sort of went on the back burner for a few years. Then when I was maybe 13 or 14 I started toying with some really simple stuff again, but it really wasn't anything impressive so it went to the back burner again. Then around 6 years ago I started to take it quite a bit more serious. I would read every book on the techniques and theory that I could get my hands on. So, I guess the real answer to your question would depend on how you look at it. I would probably stick with 6 years though ha ha.
2.Who or what are your influences in magic?
Well, I guess I will start with the people first. One would have to be David Copperfield. He was the first magician I ever remember seeing on TV. He was always was way over the top with the stuff he did. Huge illusions and basically doing the absolute impossible. Although, I don't perform anything of this style, he probably is the reason I got interested in magic in the first place.
Another would have to be a magician known as Ed Marlo. He was a die hard with a deck of cards. He basically dedicated his life to what can be done with a pack of playing cards. He was known for creating many, many new techniques and effects as well as variations and improvements on existing ones. The methods he created can still be seen in the act of virtually any well versed card man on the planet. His theory in creating effects was basically, "Try is this way. Try it that way. Try it inside and out until you have the best possible version" I think this is a great work ethic and one reason he made the list.
One final person I would have to include is Paul Harris. I don't even know where to begin on this guy. He broke into the scene when everything was glitzy and loud and just over done in my opinion. Most people at the time had teased hair and sparkly clothes and here comes this guy in his mid 20s wearing Jeans and a T-shirt. Why? because it wasn't about the image. It was about the magic and the moment of astonishment that you feel. He does most things I have seen with a humorous tone and laid back manner. It showed that you don't have to take yourself so serious and it can just be a fun thing for people to enjoy, but at the same time can still be a very meaningful experience. His effects were always close up and right next to you. No stage acts, no elephants, no smoke, no mirrors. Just some everyday stuff like cards and coins for example. Although, he does have some odd ones too like a trick with silly putty and another with a McDonald's milkshake just to name a few. I hope this guy lives forever so I can continue to learn from him my whole life.
Now as far as other things that influence me. I would have to say that anything and everything can have inspiration in it when concerning magic. Just sit and watch something happen. Then think what could make that mundane event really impossible. Here is an example. Say you are buying something in a store and it comes out to ten bucks. You reach into your wallet and pull out a five and hold it out for the cashier. The person behind the register looks up at you and explains that it isn't enough. You insist that it is. They insist that it isn't. Without moving a muscle you just say to look again and somehow there is now a ten dollar bill in your hand. This would catch the person way way off guard and might even creep the person out a bit. Basically what I am trying to get at is that Magic is just another art form. Musicians take inspiration from life and so do comedians. I believe that it was really makes that connection between you and your audience and that's what makes it worthwhile. If you just say, "Here is a coin I have and now its gone." Big deal. Where is the connection. But if I say, "can I borrow your ring? Can I also borrow your soda while I am at it" Then take the ring and push it though the bottle so it is trapped inside. No holes in the bottle except for where the mouth of the bottle is and the ring is too big to get back out without destroying the bottle in someway. I have just take. two borrowed objects, one of which might be very personal, and made something impossible happen with them. There is a deeper connection there and that leads to a more meaningful experience. Since I brought up music I might as well touch on this idea. Well written music has a definite feel and flow to it. It might speed up, slow down, and/or get more intense at certain points. This is true with magic to. It has to all flow together. It has to have a rhythm that doesn't jerk the audience around, but lets them go where the magic is happening. It shouldn't feel forced and it should all eventually end with a resolution of some sort.
3.From what I understand you also do music.What instrument do you play? And how long have you been doing music for? What type of music do you play?
I have been playing percussion for about 15 years. I have been formally trained for 10 years of it. I play just about anything percussion oriented that I can get my hands on. Everything from drum set to marimba to hand drums, and then some. I have played in orchestra style groups, rock bands, percussion ensembles, jazz bands, marching band and I even played in the pit for a play once. It keeps things fresh and there is ALWAYS something new to learn. I like to play what has been called progressive rock I suppose but I really do like to play just about anything. My personal preference has always been drum set, but even my setup is a bit unusual. I play a half acoustic/half electric drum set. This way I am not limited to one or the other. I can easily incorporate anything from sounds effects to the standard drum and bass style stuff. Its all about what the piece calls for and not what your ego dictates you should play.
4.Whom would you say are your musical influences?
One of my biggest influences is actually my first teacher. He was a total perfectionist and that taught me a lot of discipline. He made me feel the music so it wasn't a mechanical thing. He taught me how to let the music breath and give it a sense of life. That's easily one of the best things I ever learned. As far as other bands go, I have a ton of influences and many are varied. Tool, Primus, Pantera, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Nine Inch Nails, Aphex Twin, Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Frank Zappa, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Green Jelly, and Alice in Chains. I could go on and on but I think you get an idea of what I'm into. They have all been big influences for different reasons, but The whole Seattle grunge scene is what I first started playing on drum set. It taught me a lot of things such as faster or more complicated isn't always better. It has its time and place but if a song is just lightning quick from start to finish it doesn't really do anything interesting in my opinion. I think that is overlooked a lot by some of today's musicians. Tool has been my biggest influence in the last 10 years. They prove that you can make something really complicated, and if its used in the right context, the average listener can still get off on it. Some of their stuff is just over the top with many poly-rhythms and odd time signature while other stuff is very simple and direct. Its all about what the general mood is and the best way to convey it to the audience.
5.Besides doing magic tricks and music what do you like to do for fun and excitement?
I love to play poker when I get the chance. I usually just play with a group of friends but I would love to go to Vegas someday and see what I can do. I used to paint a lot but I haven't really done that in quite sometime. Perhaps I'll pick it up again one day. Generally, I just like to go party with friends, have a few drinks and just kick back and be social.
6.Where do you hope to see yourself in magic and music lets say from five years from now?
Honestly, I never look that far ahead. I don't know where I will be one week from now, let alone 5 years ha ha. That's just how I am. Live in the moment and try to enjoy every second of it. I see magic as always just being something I do for fun. Primarily for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of my friends. Things could change though. I might wake up one day and decide I want it to be more than that. I prefer to just have fun with it for now though. Music, Who knows? I always meet new musicians so I could be in a new band tomorrow for all I know ha ha. I would love to be a musician full time. That would be amazing. Like I've said though. I just go with the flow and see where life takes me.
7. Is there anyone that you would like to thank for all your achievement and success?
Honestly, I don't think I've had a lot of success. Granted, people always seem to enjoy watching me perform in one way or another, but it has basically always been for personal enjoyment and recreation. However, I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time and patience to teach me anything. I know it can be hard to get ideas into my stubborn head sometimes but I think it was worth the effort ha ha.
I want to thank you Jack Of Spades for your time and i would like to wish you the best in all that you decide to do and thank you for the interview and I hope we can do another interview in the future.
