Tannen's Magic Camp a.k.a. Hogwarts

Aug 13, 2009
67
0
30
So after taking a week to assimilate myself back into the real world I figured I would take the time to talk a little about the most amazing week of my life. I spent a week at Tannen's Magic Camp and it was amazing. I made numerous friends many of which I am keeping in contact with and feel like I will keep in contact with for a long time to come. Many of the counselor's there are also very helpful. I made friends with quite a few of the counselor's there and developed some very good relationships. I got a LARGE amount of help too! Seeing as it was my first year I did more absorbing than I did performing during off times. I now have a binder with pages upon pages of information. And not just effects but so much more!

My daily schedule looked like this -
Wake Up
Breakfast
Classes
Lunch
Lectures
Practice Time
Workshops
Dorm Time
Dinner
Show
Bedtime

So during Morning classes you would go to your assigned level class. The day you get there you are evaluated and put into a skill level of beginner, intermediate, and advanced. I somehow, miraculously, got into an intermediate class, even though I've only been intensively into magic for about a year to a year and a half. So during classes we would go over techniques, effects, sleights, and different technical aspects of magic. We worked on a lot of rubber band magic in my class. We also worked on cards and coins and bill switches and many other things! WE had many different people lecture for us. Some of these were Mark DeSouza, Kostya Kimlat some of the counselors at camp and it was just an absolutely awesome experience! We then also had an option of five different workshops to choose from. The one I chose is generally intended for people who have been at the camp and into magic for a few years, however due to my theater experience I managed to get in. And boy was it amazing! It was led by Hiawatha Johnson Jr. He was an absolutely inspiring teacher, and very strict! It was a good way to work on our discipline. A large focus of the workshop (called UP) focused on expanding and working on parameters. Then for the shows each night, well that was out of this world! We had so many different people perform, it was phenomenal! One of the very good people I remember seeing was Bob Little, who did an absolutely hilarious act. Also Devlin, The Matador of Magic did an absolutely BEAUTIFUL act. Then we also saw the Show Off Show.Almost all of the counselors at the camp performed and there were many guest performers. There was a kit included with the camp for all campers and wow is all I have to say. The kit was supposed to be worth about 100$ but looking at it, it was worth a lot more than that! Plus the had their store open (anything that could be bought on the website could be bought from them) and there was a 10% discount. The surprises kept coming and it turns out that all campers get a 10% discount for the rest of the year! Plus we get discounts on lectures and shows that they hold at the Tannen's Store. And they gave out prizes for winners of theme nights and for winners of the talent competition. The Talent Competition was amazing. There were four categories junior close-up, junior stage, advanced close-up, advanced stage. I competed in the advanced close-up. I thank my 7 years of theater experience for how well I did. I actually ended up lacing fourth! Being my first year I was thoroughly surprised. it was an overall amazing experience. Just out of this world. Although once in a while there was an occasional joke or bash directed at Ellusionist, I overlooked that and had the most amazing week of my life. It has encouraged my love of magic and gotten me back into the style magic that got me interested in magic (coin magic). This is a camp is on a beautiful campus, and was just overall amazing. I can't describe it other than the best week of my life. I just wanted to share with you the amazing magical experience I had!
 
Jun 10, 2010
1,360
1
So after taking a week to assimilate myself back into the real world I figured I would take the time to talk a little about the most amazing week of my life. I spent a week at Tannen's Magic Camp and it was amazing. I made numerous friends many of which I am keeping in contact with and feel like I will keep in contact with for a long time to come. Many of the counselor's there are also very helpful. I made friends with quite a few of the counselor's there and developed some very good relationships. I got a LARGE amount of help too! Seeing as it was my first year I did more absorbing than I did performing during off times. I now have a binder with pages upon pages of information. And not just effects but so much more!

My daily schedule looked like this -
Wake Up
Breakfast
Classes
Lunch
Lectures
Practice Time
Workshops
Dorm Time
Dinner
Show
Bedtime

So during Morning classes you would go to your assigned level class. The day you get there you are evaluated and put into a skill level of beginner, intermediate, and advanced. I somehow, miraculously, got into an intermediate class, even though I've only been intensively into magic for about a year to a year and a half. So during classes we would go over techniques, effects, sleights, and different technical aspects of magic. We worked on a lot of rubber band magic in my class. We also worked on cards and coins and bill switches and many other things! WE had many different people lecture for us. Some of these were Mark DeSouza, Kostya Kimlat some of the counselors at camp and it was just an absolutely awesome experience! We then also had an option of five different workshops to choose from. The one I chose is generally intended for people who have been at the camp and into magic for a few years, however due to my theater experience I managed to get in. And boy was it amazing! It was led by Hiawatha Johnson Jr. He was an absolutely inspiring teacher, and very strict! It was a good way to work on our discipline. A large focus of the workshop (called UP) focused on expanding and working on parameters. Then for the shows each night, well that was out of this world! We had so many different people perform, it was phenomenal! One of the very good people I remember seeing was Bob Little, who did an absolutely hilarious act. Also Devlin, The Matador of Magic did an absolutely BEAUTIFUL act. Then we also saw the Show Off Show.Almost all of the counselors at the camp performed and there were many guest performers. There was a kit included with the camp for all campers and wow is all I have to say. The kit was supposed to be worth about 100$ but looking at it, it was worth a lot more than that! Plus the had their store open (anything that could be bought on the website could be bought from them) and there was a 10% discount. The surprises kept coming and it turns out that all campers get a 10% discount for the rest of the year! Plus we get discounts on lectures and shows that they hold at the Tannen's Store. And they gave out prizes for winners of theme nights and for winners of the talent competition. The Talent Competition was amazing. There were four categories junior close-up, junior stage, advanced close-up, advanced stage. I competed in the advanced close-up. I thank my 7 years of theater experience for how well I did. I actually ended up lacing fourth! Being my first year I was thoroughly surprised. it was an overall amazing experience. Just out of this world. Although once in a while there was an occasional joke or bash directed at Ellusionist, I overlooked that and had the most amazing week of my life. It has encouraged my love of magic and gotten me back into the style magic that got me interested in magic (coin magic). This is a camp is on a beautiful campus, and was just overall amazing. I can't describe it other than the best week of my life. I just wanted to share with you the amazing magical experience I had!

Wow, that sounds really cool. Love the harry potter reference in the title, by the way.

Incidentally, what sort of skill level/type of magic is this geared towards? Like beginners, intermediate, or advanced? Card, coin, bizarre, stage, mentalism, etc.?
 
Aug 13, 2009
67
0
30
Wow, that sounds really cool. Love the harry potter reference in the title, by the way.

Incidentally, what sort of skill level/type of magic is this geared towards? Like beginners, intermediate, or advanced? Card, coin, bizarre, stage, mentalism, etc.?

This camp is geared towards almost everything. There is stage and close-up categories to compete and take classes in. We had lectures on a wide range of things - from billiard balls to making goals! There are beginner intermediate and advanced classes in both stage and close-up and they suit your needs as best as possible which is usually pretty well! There were some of the people there that did more bizarre and mentalism style magic, but there was a lot of card and coin and 'generic' style magic. However one of my good friends is a large fan of Dan Sperry and bizarre magic, and another person I met was all mentalism.. as in he did a phenomenal body reading and muscle reading routine and freaked me out!

The Harry Potter reference had to do with the fact that it was at Bryn Mawr College which is very old and looks like Hogwarts does!

And Magic Newswire, no I was not but one of my good friends who was in the same dorm wing as I was was interviewed!
 
Dec 20, 2009
672
9
Massachusetts
Cool, but do you think it was worth everything? Worth the money? The trip to Pennsylvania (i think that's where it its)?

Also, what did you need to bring? Clothes (obviously), magic stuff, a notebook?

I was thinking of doing it this year, but didn't get to it... So yeah...
 
Aug 13, 2009
67
0
30
Rneogy - It was worth every cent and then some. I am literally making sure that I can go net year by saving the whole amount instead of part so that if my mom won't pay part of it next year I can just pay for it myself. And I live in Upstate New York so the trip wasn't too horrible, but it was definitely worth it. Next year if you can go, you should. Without a doubt. And you need to bring clothes, a notebook, any magic supplies you feel you need, performance clothes (if your in the competition), bed sheets, comforters, pillow and theme night clothes which they announce in a letter to you. So all in all.. Do it! It is so worth it!
 
Dec 1, 2009
6
0
Ah, yes... I also attended Tannen's Magic Camp this year. One of the coolest experiences of my life, by far. And kingkid is right, the campus did look a lot like Hogwarts. It was amazing, even though the theater had room for improvement. They spent something like $18 million on it, and had no air-conditioning.
 
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