Page 15 Winter 1992 - 93
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If
you perform for money, be it hundreds of shows a year or a handful of
birthday parties, both you and your clients will benefit from a
written contract. As the author says, "Contracts are not the
answer to every business problem, and will not guarantee that you will
always receive prompt and fair payment for your work, but they are a
strong and effective communication tool that will help you organize
and increase your performing. They convey to your clients that you
have a strong sense of direction to your art and that you treat it as
a business. They communicate that you expect prompt and courteous
consideration and payment in your job, and in so doing, imply that you
will give efficient and professional service. More than giving you the
authority to collect payment, a contract gives your clients confidence
that you will perform to their satisfaction. It assures them that they
have hired a professional."
The
Contract Book is an outstanding source
of information on this tool.
- by Dusten Galbraith Yes,
You Can Juggle! Kent Cummins, TexasJuggling Institute, 1992. 31
pages. $10. This
is an instruction booklet for beginners. One type of beginner the author
has in mind is the "klutzy,
uncoordinated, non-athletic, ordinary" chap who wants to juggle
because it looks like fun. In addition, the booklet is aimed at
professional or semiprofessional magicians who have always wanted to
add some juggling to their acts but never quite knew how to get started.
After
some introductory material (including a charming picture of the author
in clown costume, sporting three toilet-bowl brushes among a variety of
juggling props he holds) the booklet presents a leisurely explanation of
the three scarf cascade. It then moves to ball juggling, covering the
cascade, reverse cascade, shower and other basic variations. The
accompanying drawings are simple but pleasant.
The
last chapter talks about combining juggling with magic and gives a dozen
or so specific ideas. Example: juggle three eggs, catch them in a Dove
pan, light the pan and cover it, pull out three rubber chickens and
juggle the chickens. Entertaining, to say the least! This chapter is the
best part of the book (and the only part that does not duplicate
commonly available juggling literature), but keep in mind we're only
talking about five pages.
As
a beginner's manual, Yes You Can faces some stiff competition,
particularly pricewise. For roughly the same $10, you can buy Klutz
Press's famous book, and get three bean bags with it.
Bottom
line... If you're a dedicated collector and want every book with the
word "juggle" in the title, you'll want this one. If not, you
can safely pass on it, or pass it on to non-juggling magician friends. - by Michael Weinstein |