The Life of an Educational Entertainer

On the Road Again...with Summer Reading Programs!

2011-06-17T06:10:00.000-07:00

Greetings Everyone!
I am typing this while going down the interstate and using the internet on my phone. My niece Kara is my assistant for the first half of the summer and she is handling the driving for me at the moment - which can be a scary thing as she has her learner's permit and is literally learning how to drive!

The new show has received great reviews and is a blast to perform. We just go done with a week of shows down in South Georgia with shows at the public libraries in Brunswick, St. Mary's, Camden County, Folkston, Nahunta, Jesup, Darien, and Ludowici. Along the way Kara and I visited the beach, saw several of my relatives, and went on a late night ghost tour which included a stop inside the St. Simon's lighthouse - the third most haunted lighthouse in the US!

Local shows over the next couple of weeks before once again heading out of town to Rockhill, SC and then Savannah, GA!

See everyone on the road! And if you are a friend on facebook, don't forget to take a look at the wild and crazy Summer Video Journals starring Chad and Kara!

Have a great day!
Chad

Where did you find that music!?!

2011-05-20T13:30:00.001-07:00

Greetings everyone! I am constantly being asked by middle and high school students where I get the music that I use in my show. It's spooky and themed around Poe's works - and the CD cover has a secret message that you can only figure out by reading one of Poe's short stories and looking at the clues inside the CD. So, without any further delay - here is the info on the music I use - with the band's permission! The music really helps to set the mood and it goes along great with the routines in my book for middle and high schoolers - "Magic of Mystery and Horror!"

Straitjacket Photos and Tips for Aspiring Escape Artists...

2011-05-10T20:34:00.000-07:00

Helpful Tip #1

Always pick strong volunteers.

Helpful Tip #2
Always be polite and kind to the volunteer who tightens the bottom strap.

Helpful Tip #3
Make sure volunteers do not get too dizzy while wrapping chains.

Helpful Tip #4
Make sure that the chain around your neck allows for breathing.

Helpful Tip #5
Get out padlocks BEFORE you are strapped into the straitjacket.

Helpful Tip #6
Always, always, always do at least one Elvis impersonation...always.

Helpful Tip #7
At some point you have to actually try and get out. Look at the vertical leap here - awesomeness.

Helpful Tip #8
Allow for ample applause and fist pumping after a successful escape. FREEEEDOOMMM!!!

Liberty Elementary Media Center: Chad Crews: Magic Man!!

2011-05-05T20:38:00.000-07:00

Liberty Elementary Media Center: Chad Crews: Magic Man!!: "Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com. On March 24, 2011 Chad Crews, the magical educator, came to entertain students who met a..."

Awesome Mural by Hull Middle School Students!

2011-05-05T19:03:00.000-07:00

I just thought that I would share a mural that was painted by sixth grade students last year (so now they are 7th graders!) at Hull Middle school for my program. It has been on display the last two years and I have been offered it to take home and once I move I am thinking it would go great in my "theater" room on the wall opposite the tv. Yes, I believe that would be lovely. Click on the pic below to see the full size! This was taken with my cell phone, it looks even better in person! See if you can name all the Poe stories that are represented in the painting!

Middle School Photos Galore!

2011-05-01T21:46:00.000-07:00

I have several photos from different middle and high schools that I have performed at this school year. Since I don't have much space on the main website, I'll post some more here for everyone to see! Enjoy!

New Look to the Website!!!!

2011-04-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

After many, many hours the website has been updated and uploaded. It was a nerve-wracking experience as I went to hit the "publish" button and erase all the old material and replace it with the new stuff.
Thankfully only a few tweaks were needed (so far!) and everything worked the way it should.

Here's a couple of links to some nice articles on the site if you have not seen them yet. Just click on the pictures below to read the whole thing.

While doing all this, I have learned quite a few things about computer stuff in general, including how to take a snapshot of a webpage and then turn it into a picture that can be uploaded. I enjoy working on website design, although the lack of sleep with two kids 3 and under catches up to you after being up all night several nights in a row designing and editing things.

Now everyone go back over to the main website and explore and let me know if you find any strange things that need to be corrected.

Have fun!

Summer Reading 2011 Right Around the Corner!

2011-04-21T12:06:00.001-07:00

Greetings Everyone!
The end of the school year is upon us and it's just a few weeks away from the hectic (for me at least!) summer schedule. The new show is coming along nicely and it goes along with the "One World, Many Stories" theme. I'll be pulling out some classics of magic for this program - some of which have been around for thousands and thousands of years. While we are at it, we'll also learn all about their different countries of origin - including ancient Egypt and China.

This year's show will also feature a brand new comedy escape - something in a humorous way connected to my "Almost World Famous" straitjacket escape - you'll have to come to one of my library stops this summer to see it! Either that, or wait until the upcoming school year to witness the hilarity.

Also, I am excited to inform you all that we are possibly going to have a new snake added to the family. Recently one of our snakes laid an egg and we managed to get it into an incubator pretty quickly and are now simply waiting and watching to see if it will hatch. They can take around 60 days to hatch - a fact that my 3 year old does not quite grasp. She asks me every day if the egg has hatched yet. If it does hatch, we shall name the little snake Nemo.

Hope to see everyone this summer!

2011 Begins!

2011-02-01T15:04:00.000-08:00

Greetings Everyone!
After a very, very busy first half of the school year it is now time for the second half of the 2010-2011 school year. With over two weeks worth of shows in January, the year is off to a great start. I am most excited about the official debut of my new program "Something Wicked This Way Comes: A Shakespeare Experiment." It has been performed at 3 high schools during 2010 and has now been performed during January of this year and has received great reviews so far! This was designed with high schools in mind but the first folks to book the program this year was actually an 8th Grade Honor's English class at a middle school and it was a blast!

For those who know me, there are also some new pics on the "About Me" page of the website - different family photos that are fun and goofy! I would encourage you to go and take a look - but...I think I'll just post them here as well!

Summer Reading 2010 Comes to an End!

2010-08-07T12:48:00.000-07:00

Yet another summer reading season has come to an end. It was a fun, fun summer with lots of shows and lots of travel! My cousin Morgan who has assisted me for the past 4 years during the summer will now be moving on as she will be living in Valdosta as she starts her Sophomore year of college, and next summer will get a "real" job working at Home Depot. The end of an era has come!

So, to Morgan I say this: "Mo, you are sure gonna miss me next summer when you are having to work at your "real" job!" To say goodbye - I shall post a pic of Mo and myself below...word.

Now the quest begins to find a new assistant for the next four years...who shall it be? Only time will tell.

Below I will list a few links to articles that have appeared about the show over the summer! Feel free to peruse them at your pleasure!

The Verge This is an nice article from "The Verge" - a local magazine in Augusta - the story starts on page 11.

Flickr Photos of the show this summer at the Wagner Library in SC.

Aiken Standard This one is from The Aiken Standard.

High School Football Season Begins!

2009-09-05T21:34:00.000-07:00

Here are some highlights from the Burke County Bears vs. Ware County game this past Friday, September 4th 2009! Go Bears!

Summer Reading 2009 Comes to an End

2009-08-22T16:18:00.001-07:00

Greetings Educators!
Well, the 2009 Summer Reading Program has come to an end. I performed the "Creative Reading Extravaganza" in almost 100 libraries starting at the end of May until the second week of August. Now the show is ready to make it's debut in schools throughout Georgia and South Carolina. My cousin Morgan, who has been my assistant for the last three summers, played her trumpet in this summer's show to go along with part of the theme. That means that I am about to have to brush up on MY trumpet skills as she has left for college and it's now up to me to do that part of the show - thankfully I did not pick difficult songs in the routine!

For any of you on Facebook, feel free to look me up and be my friend. You can then see some crazy and silly videos that Morgan and I always make over the summer - it's what happens when you spend hours and hours and hours in the car together on the road. Just be warned - they are completely random and goofy! My facebook is www.facebook.com/chadcrews

There is also a new show in the works that will be geared towards High School audiences - it will, of course, be both entertaining and educational and pertain to a subject covered in 3 out of the 4 grade levels. More details will be coming soon!

Finally, I have a brand new book coming out called "Magic of Mystery and Horror" that contains magic routines that are similar to the routines I perform in my "Authors of Mystery and Horror" program. It should be back from the printers in the first week or so of September. I'm attaching an image of it for you here! This is for middle and high school students and I'm super excited about it!

Well, it's time for me to go jogging with my wife and little girl. Just a week or so left before the school season starts up in full swing.

Studio Statesboro Vodcast - Chad Crews Magic at the Library; Aaron Matthew's Studio Performance

2009-06-06T06:59:00.001-07:00

Studio Statesboro Vodcast - Chad Crews Magic at the Library; Aaron Matthew's Studio Performance

Shared via AddThis

Critters, Critters, and More Critters

2009-05-02T13:17:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,
I am going to post a few pics of some of my critters on here and I'll even try to post a video of a hissing cockroach having some baby cockroaches - 30 babies to be almost exact! If you can't see the video, it's probably because your school's filter blocks youtube, but you can still see it at home I'm sure!

First up, here is a picture of the hissing cockroach having the babies! Reagan and I were lucky enough to be able to see this happening in real time so I immediately reached for the camera and the video camera! The babies come out all while and then slowly turn dark like the parents after a few hours. There first meal is the egg sack that comes out after they do - then the mom finishes off what's left of it! Pretty gross sounding I know! So, without further ado - here is the picture!

Now as these guys get a little bigger, they will provide sustenance to our bearded dragon, scorpions, and tarantulas! Yum, yum! Next up, we have our emperor scorpion lounging in his cage - actually, he is not lounging, he is very unhappy that we are disturbing him by taking his photo and I'm sure he would love to get his claws on me!

For this last part - for now anyway, I am going to show you the famous Cornbread - our corn snake that is one of the main parts of the program! He is a very nice snake 99% of the time and children of all ages have petted him after his performances. However, there is one time that you do not want to mess with him - and that is the 1% of the time that he spends eating! You see, once he smells a mouse he turns into evil Mr. Cornbread and he will try to eat anything he can get to - mice, fingers, hands, etc. So, once the mouse gets in the cage it's time for some quiet time for Cornbread while he swallows and digests his food! Enjoy the pic below, but be forewarned, if you don't like to see snakes eating stuff - you may want to stop here! You have been warned! Just remember - your students will love to see it!

I will post some pictures of Cornbread in various poses soon along with pictures of the ball pythons, tarantula's, and bearded dragon as well. But before I go, here is one last photo of the Giant African Millipede that was used in this year's program, the "Reading Safari Show." She did a great job and only pooped acid on me a few times!

I'll try to get the video added to this blog soon of the birth of 30 something baby hissing cockroaches!

Magically,
Chad

The Summer is Over!

2008-08-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

It has been a long time since I posted a blog. Life is busy with church, shows, and my little girl, who is walking very well now and growing even faster it seems! The summer library season has just gotten over and I am enjoying being at home with no shows for two weeks in a row - then it's back to work with school shows the rest of the school year! I am including a picture of a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach - these are in my "Catch the Reading Bug Safari Show" this year.

I now have around ten of these little guys and gals. The cool part is that they can have around 30 babies at a time and they can do that every couple of months! So, I'm looking forward to when they start reproducing and I can feed them to my tarantula's and scorpions! No more buying crickets at the pet store!

I'm looking forward to another year of school shows - especially the "Authors of Mystery and Horror" program, both version 1 and version 2! That show takes up pretty much all of my October and most of November, and last year lots of January also! But it's a fun show to perform!

Well, that's all for now - I can't wait to see everyone this upcoming school year and thanks to all the librarians this summer who had me perform for your summer reading programs - I had a great time and I met some great parents, librarians, and children!

Chad

SCECA Conference and New Additions!

2008-01-24T19:43:00.001-08:00

Greetings one and all,
I am just getting home for the South Carolina Early Childhood Conference where I had the opportunity to perform for several kindergarten classes as well as lecture to several educators. I had a great time and want to say "hello" to any who went to the lecture that might be reading this. If anyone has any questions about the magic routines/tricks that you learned about, don't hesitate to ask!

Well, on to the second part of the blog title, "New Additions." One the way home I stopped at a Burger King to get a healthy meal consisting of a classic chicken sandwich, a medium fry, a sprite and then a lovely chocolate milkshake. As I was leaving I saw a sign for a pet store called "Pet Safari" so on impulse I turned in - for those who have seen my elementary reading show, you know I like strange animals! As it turns out, the store had recently gotten in two new critters that I just happened to be searching for for the upcoming show for this summer and next school year for the "Catch the Reading Bug" theme. What were they you ask? I'm glad you asked, I'll tell you - they were two large Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches! I quickly bought them both and am now pleased to announce the addition of the two newest members of my magical safari friends.

They are quite friendly and make a lovely hissing noise when you touch them on the back! Very cool! It sounds very much like a snake. Right now they are moving around in there little box and probably eating the carrot that was placed in there - yes, carrots are their most favorite food!

Pictures will be posted shortly! Everyone have a great day!
Chad

"On the Road Again..."

2008-01-18T18:48:00.000-08:00

Greetings once again blog readers!
As many of you know I travel all over the place performing at schools and libraries. I consider something an hour away as "close." With all that time in the car, one must come up with creative ways to stay awake during those early morning drives and late or slow afternoon trips home. I have come up with several ways to stay awake and I shall now share them with you.

1. For early mornings, my first defense is breakfast. I eat while driving, so as soon as I feel tired it's time to go to the nearest McDonald's drive-thru.
2. After breakfast, there is the snack food - which, 99% of the time, is pop tarts.
3. Finally, once those two options are exhausted, you can try the radio - but that depends on whether you are in the middle of nowhere.
4. Last, it's time to bring out the secret weapon that works any time of the day and any day of the week - sunflower seeds. No, not the ones that are already out of the shell, but the ones in the shell that you have to work at to get open and then you spit out the shell into a cup or empty water bottle. Yes, it will keep you awake and active. I have actually gotten full on sunflower seeds before - and it takes a lot. They come in different flavors, bar-b-que being one of my favorites, but also including sour cream and onion, original, salsa, and I'm sure there are others.

Of course, during the summer, I have my assistant and cousin, Morgan, to drive for me so that I can go to sleep - then we swap off. Although sometimes her driving makes it difficult to go to sleep - but don't tell her that - I already have!

So there you have it - yet another aspect in the life of the educational entertainer.

An extra note*** Today I was in White County performing and saw snow and several snowmen in people's yards. We here in Augusta had no accumulation, but it was nice to see some snow on the way to the show! Thankfully school was not cancelled!

Some Funny Pictures!

2008-01-17T18:15:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pictures from my show in Alma, GA. They were taken by the media specialist there, Ms. McDonald. I thought they would give everyone a good laugh - no one can say that my show is low energy! Both the students and the teachers were a great audience and even better volunteers! If any of you who are reading this have pictures from a show - feel free to email them to me and I will definitely post them for your viewing pleasure!

Posing with my "strong" volunteer

My volunteer using all his strength to strap me in

Me using all my strength to try and get out in time!

It has been said that I should have been a sumo wrestler....

So, if you want a high impact, no holds barred educational extravaganza - now you know where to find it - right here.

*Optional straitjackets in children's sizes for those unruly students* JUST KIDDING!

Have a great day everyone!
Chad

A Long Awaited Update!

2008-01-17T08:41:00.001-08:00

Greetings Everyone!
I have been terrible about updating my blog, so let me catch everyone up on the last several months! The school year has been extremely busy both at elementary schools and middle and high schools. With the addition of the "Authors of Mystery and Horror" program that I have posted about in earlier blogs, my October, November and January of this year have been extremely busy - and that's a good thing! I have already booked up a large portion of next October and now have booked the first program for January 2009 as well as booking some libraries already for the summer of 2009 also!

As a former middle and high school teacher, I have really enjoyed being able to perform for this age range - they are a great group and are often overlooked. After completing a show at a middle school in Greenville, SC this week, I had the opportunity to spend a few minutes at the end of the day in the Media Center, where they had many of the books and authors I highlight in my show on display. Students came in one after another and grabbed the books off the shelf, and the media specialist told me that some of those students have hardly ever checked out books from the library - much less books on Poe! And that is the reason that I perform the show - to encourage students to check out the classics of mystery and horror - because they are classics for a very good reason.

My little girl Reagan is also doing great! She is sitting up and rolling over and a tooth is trying to come in as well! She is growing so fast! Christmas was extra special this year with her as part of the family! Here is a picture:

Her Hello Kitty bowl was her favorite Christmas present! She ignored the rest!

Well, I hear Reagan waking up right now - so this blog must come to an end!

Stay tuned for some hilarious pictures from an elementary show down in south Georgia!

Have a great day!

Chad

Summer Library Season Comes to an End

2007-08-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

Greetings everyone,

It has been a while since I posted a blog on my blogsite. I have been very busy with the summer library season, with almost 90 shows in 2 months! And even more importantly, my wife and I have just had our first baby - a little girl named Reagan, who was born on May 20th. She was a month early and she only weighed 5.1 lbs but she has now doubled in size and is as healthy as could be!

Now I am enjoying being a stay-at-home-dad for a few weeks before the school season really picks up. Reagan and I enjoy dancing to oldies music and other silly things. Having a child is real magic!

Well, to give everyone an update, we are now booked up for the summer of 2008 and are now accepting reservations for the summer of 2009! I have been blessed to be able to do something that I love to do and have gotten lots of great comments from librarians and others who have seen the show - and I have as much fun as the kids do when I'm performing for them!

I am already hard at work on next year's show, but I won't spill the beans yet on what will be in it - it should be lots of fun though!

Well, everyone have a great day and check back for more blogs in the near future!

Magically

Chad

Houdini's Death Revisited!

2007-03-23T05:06:00.000-07:00

Greetings one and all!
It appears that the mystery surrounding Houdini's death has grown since the biography was written that I mentioned in my earlier blog. Some of Houdini's family want his body dug up so that they can have it tested to see if Houdini may have been poisoned - and the suspects are the Spiritualist (think psychics, fortune tellers, etc.). And, if you have seen my "Authors of Mystery and Horror Show" this past year, you know that the most outspoken Spiritualist was none other than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle of Sherlock Holmes fame. It is an interesting theory to say the least - if you are interested in reading the news article you can do so by clicking here.

I also encourage everyone who may be interested to read the new biography on Houdini - it is quite fascinating!

Have a great day!

One of the Most Asked Questions....

2007-03-11T18:25:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

As a "magical educator" I get asked lots of questions. I just recently performed at two schools - one with my "Exotic Animal Science Show" and the other just "Fun Show" for a PTA Festival. At both shows I had my snake, or snakes (at the science show), and I get asked lots of questions after my shows. Of course, I tell the kids ahead of time that they can't ask me how I do my magic tricks, because a magician can never reveal his/her secrets.

However, there is one question that always amuses me and gets a good chuckle, and it goes something like this: "Is that snake (that I am holding or have around my neck) poisonous?"

I get asked this question more than almost any other question. Now for those of you who aren't aware - I use a ball python and also a cornsnake in my science/safari show and, no, neither are poisonous! They do not have fangs, nor do they eat people.

The really funny thing is - adults ask the question just as much as the children do! I guess that I am simply one adventurous looking dude! But I regret to inform everyone that I will not be adding a poisonous snake to my show anytime soon!

But there's always the tarantula and scorpion.... :)

Have a great day!

It Makes It All Worthwhile!

2007-02-26T07:12:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday I was performing at a birthday party. The party went great and the kids were an awesome audience. That part is fairly normal. The party was at a church in a large room with a small stage in it and the set-up was very nice. Now, when you entertain children for a living, you get to see all kinds of things and experience all kinds of behavior - some good and some bad.

With that said, I want to congratulate and thank the birthday child for making my day! His name is Walker and he was turning 6 years old. Walker enjoyed the show and let me know, but the thing that impressed me most of all was this: After the show was over and all the children ate their cake and then went out to play, Walker came up to me before going outside and asked if I needed any help packing up my stuff! Now, most children wouldn't think about that - they would go straight out with their friends and have fun, but Walker showed that he wanted to make sure that I didn't need any help first. What a great testimony from a young child!

So, Walker, just to let you know - you most definitely made my day and reminded me why I love to entertain children! Thanks.

Authors of Mystery and Horror Show Booking Up!

2007-02-15T19:50:00.000-08:00

Greetings everyone!

Last year's "Edgar Allan Poe Reading Show" has been expanded and is now known as "Authors of Mystery and Horror." For those of you who have not seen the show, you can find out more information on my website. The response this year has been great - I just contacted the libraries that booked the program last year, and have already filled up almost 2 full weeks in October! The show can be booked all year (expect for the summer due to the Vacation Reading Program) but October and November are by far have the most sought after dates!

This show is really fun for me to perform, as I have always loved to read spooky and mysterious novels and stories - especially Poe and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories. There is nothing like reading with the lights down low and having Poe's The Raven come to life in your imagination. And the neat thing is, it was one of Poe's characters that inspired Doyle to create Sherlock Holmes!

Besides those two authors, I also like to read the famous novels like Dracula, Frankenstein, and many other scary tales! Now I am able to share that love with teens, and do so in a way that hopefully makes them curious about the authors and stories to the point of doing some reading about them on their own!

If you are thinking this would be a good way to get teens into your library - give me a call or email and I'll share some ways that I can help you get the teens into the library - and some things that you can do to cut the cost of the show in half! I look forward to hearing from you! The dates are filling up fast, so take action NOW!

"Quoth the Magician - Nevermore!"

New Biography about Houdini

2007-02-15T19:25:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

I wanted to let everyone know that there is a fairly new biography about Houdini that is now out - I just picked it up from my local library and am just starting on it. It's called The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First Superhero and it's written by William Kalush and Larry Sloman. There are some very interesting theories about Houdini that are developed from a huge amount of material that the authors were able to bring together - including lots of Houdini's personal letters. I have found that most people only know a little about Houdini's life - and most of what people know is not accurate - thanks in part to Houdini himself. He was always reinventing how he marketed himself - sometimes making up things that were not true - making himself seem larger than life.

A perfect example, most people think Houdini died performing one of his stunts - which is not the case. I won't tell you the real way that he died - go read a book about Houdini and you'll find out! That is one of the many facts I introduce to people in my "Authors of Mystery and Horror" show for library teen programs - along with some very strange and interesting facts about Houdini's relationship with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle of Sherlock Holmes fame. Very few people also know that Houdini himself was an author - having written several books - some that affected his relationship with Doyle...are you curious yet?!? Go read a book!

Finally, do you know what date that Houdini died on? It makes for a great story - and it doesn't end there - after his death things got even more strange...

I would tell you what I mean...but it's much more fun to go and find out yourself by digging around in a good book or two...have fun reading!

Attending the 2007 Children's Services Annual Conference!

2007-02-10T08:48:00.000-08:00

Greetings everyone!

I had the opportunity to attend the annual Children's Services Conference in Macon a few days ago, and I had an awesome time. It is always fun seeing lots of children's librarians/friends that have had me as part of their programs over the years. The conference center in Macon is also very nice, and lunch was great (thanks to Mrs. Elaine and all the other local librarians who saved me a seat!).

It was also great meeting so many new folks. This year I was really wanting to get the word out about my "Authors of Mystery and Horror" Teen Program, and lots of youth workers stopped by to pick up a brochure and watch a demo of the floating table - that trick even amazes me! It is my desire to help libraries bring in more teens - as so many teens tend to fall by the wayside when it comes to reading and taking advantage of their public library - and any part that I can play to bring in a few and plant some seeds of curiosity I'll do!

Feel free to leave me a comment or an email anytime if you have any questions about anything you saw or got information on at the booth! Have a great day all and thanks for what you do for children, youth, and the love of reading!

How Did You Become a Magician?

2007-01-30T06:51:00.000-08:00

One of the main questions that I get asked after my performances is, "How did you become a magician?" If you have seen any of my reading shows, then you already know the simple answer to this question, but for those who have never seen me, here is the story.

During my last year of college I was given a gift certificate for a book store, and one day I decided to go into the local bookstore and use it on something different. When I say different, usually I got a fantasy novel or some other work of fiction, but this time I wanted to get something that was not the usual fiction book. So, I went searching and found the hobbies and games section, and there on the shelf were a few books about magic. I thought back to when I was a child and my parents bought me a set of linking rings on a trip to Gatlinburg, TN, and I also remember not being able to do the trick very well at all. So I decided to get one of the books and learn a few tricks. The book that I ended up getting was called Mark Wilson's Cyclopedia of Magic, one of the best general books on magic there is - although I didn't know that at the time.

I ended up paying .60 in tax for the book, and it ended up being the best magic purchase that I ever made. I then went on a mission trip to Savannah, GA and we spent the day picking up kids from the projects whose parents kicked them out and told them not to come back until dark. We took the kids to the local Baptist Center and played with them, gave them something to eat, and really tried to be their friends - the Baptist Center was a safe place for them, and many of them came to the Sunday services also. However, some of the children would just sit against the wall and not say anything to anybody, so I got the idea of performing a magic trick for them to see if they would open up a little. Some of the youth and I begin reading the book and learned a few simple card tricks and showed them to the kids - their eyes lit up and they were instantly our friends. That was the hook - I new then that I was going to learn more magic!

To end the story, I kept reading that book, learning new tricks, and eventually found a local magic shop when I moved back home near Augusta, GA to start my new job of Middle School Science Teacher, and that was that. Pretty soon I was performing for birthday parties for families of teachers that I worked with and now, I perform my educational shows in schools and libraries all over Georgia and South Carolina.

But one thing remains the same, in every educational show I do, and every time that someone ask me how I got started, I bring out that little magic book that I got for .60 several years ago and tell them very simply, "I read this book." Reading - you gotta love it.

Magical Movies

2007-01-26T14:27:00.000-08:00

Greetings!

As a magician, I am always interested in movies that deal with the subject of magic. My wife and I have watched two movies this past year that involve magicians - The Illusionist and The Prestige. When we saw The Prestige, we were both convinced that it was one of our favorite movies of 2006, and that The Illusionist would not be in the same ball park. I am happy to report that both movies lived up and exceeded our expectations, and I would encourage you to make an evening of watching them both. There are many, many plot twists in both, and there are even some classic magic tricks thrown in as well.

A note, you don't want your children watching these movies, as they are rated PG-13 for some intense drama/action, and there are some scary moments in The Prestige. If you have ever wanted to watch a movie that takes you back to the magicians of the Vauldville era, you can't go wrong with either one.

Have fun watching them and feel free to let me know what you think!

Chad

Introduction and Greeting!

2007-01-26T09:55:00.000-08:00

Hello there,
I am glad that you have taken the time to read some of my thoughts and feelings about all things related to performing and educating children. As mentioned in my profile, my specialty is educational entertainment in libraries and schools in GA and SC. As you can see by the picture here, I have a lot of fun doing what I do and it's my goal to make sure that the children learn something while having the most fun possible.

This past summer the theme for the Vacation Reading Program was "Once Upon a Time" and my show was designed to incorporate the theme. That is part of the reason that I can do the same libraries year after year - the show is always new and fitted to the theme - you won't get the same show year in and year out.

For librarians who are reading this, I tend to book up almost a year in advance - as you can see from my schedule. This summer (2007) I am almost at my limit with around 75 shows during the end of May, all of June and all of July. The reason I am not doing many more are two-fold:
1) It's a very busy schedule already - with two or three shows a day all week long.
2) My wife and I are expecting a new edition to our family this summer - a baby girl! Her name is Reagan.

Reason #2 is the main reason that I am keeping it around 75 - 80 shows.

I hope that you will take the time to watch the video on my website of last year's "Once Upon a Time Reading Show" which has also been performed in schools all year long.

A few last thoughts: If you are a librarian and you need a specific date for the summer and that date is booked, or if you need several days in a row for your whole system, then consider securing a spot for the summer of 2008. You already know that the show will change from this year's show to fit whatever the theme will be, and you are under no obligation - you can cancel at any time and for any reason up until contracts are sent out at the beginning of 2008!

The final thought: If you are a librarian or a school educator who has experienced my program first hand - I encourage you to send spread the word to others that you know could benefit from having a quality educational program that both educates and entertains.

Have a great day and check back often for more blogs! Feel free to post your thoughts, suggestions, etc.

Sincerely,
Chad