Bill Wisch - Close-Up Magic

Bill Wisch is an expert magician and a long-time student and promoter of the magic of Slydini. Bill is also the only person who Slydini gave permission to lecture on his original routines and techniques.

Volume two of this series features the magic that Bill Wisch created combining Slydini’s teachings and his own ingenuity.  You will learn some close-up routines using coins, cards, matches, rings, chains, marbles, sponges, and more. Along with the routines you will also learn many original and little-known techniques that can be applied to your current repertoire.

Most of the routines are suitable for walk-around magic as well as formal shows. These are the routines that Bill performs during his paid close-up gigs.

Routines and techniques performed and explained:
►Bill’s One Coin Routine: A beautiful impromptu routine using a single coin where it appears, vanishes, and transports multiple times from different locations around your body. Many different techniques are taught throughout allowing you to pick your favorites in creating your own routine. Techniques explained: Slydini’s Hand Flourish with Coin, Undermine Coin With Thumb Palm, Coin Tip Clip, Ed Balducci Coin Vanish, Tourniquet Coin Vanish, Coin Sleeving & Retrieval, Coin Retention Vanish, and the Coin Slap Vanish.
►Bill’s Copper/Silver Routine: Using a copper coin and a silver coin you can show that they affect each other when placed next to each other as both of them turn silver then both turn into copper and finally, they singly and visually change from copper to silver a few times. Techniques explained: Bobo Switch, Mexi-Coin Turnover, and Coin Tip Clip.
►Stick It In Your Ear: A one coin routine using a dime with impossible looking appearances, vanishes, penetrations, and a kicker ending where it turns into a jumbo coin. Techniques explained: Frank Drobina Coin Vanish.
►Slydini’s Coins Through Table: This is the now classic coin routine using six coins where you have three in each hand and the three above the table penetrate the tabletop joining the other three in the other hand. The main secret is the use of audible misdirection. You are also taught Bill’s version using five coins.
►Phantom Match: A match is ripped out of a book of matches and is used for a vanish and reappearance.
►Chain(R)ing: A routine using a finger ring and a necklace chain where the ring magically comes off the chain after being threaded on it. The ring then appears back on the chain and as a surprise ending it vanishes and appears back on your finger. Techniques explained: Ray Grismer’s Ring Off.
►Grab A Card: A selected card is plucked out of the middle of a fan without you looking at what you are doing. Techniques explained: Gravity Fan.
►Transit Spheres Plus: A routine using four marbles where they travel one at a time from one hand to the other. As a finale one of the marbles turns into a small crystal ball.
►Sponge Ball & Purse: A sponge ball cleanly vanishes and then reappears. It is once again vanished to reappear in a zippered purse being held by the spectator.
►Classic Palm Placement Practice: Bill teaches a very interesting way of learning and practicing the classic palm by wrapping rubber bands around your fingers.
►Torn & Restored Napkin: A paper napkin is torn into pieces and rolled into a ball. The ball is unfolded to show that the napkin is now restored.
►Slydini’s Wand Card Wild Card: A variation of the Wild Card plot where you have a bunch of all black cards and two white blank cards spread on the table forming a magic wand. At the end they all turn into blank cards. Techniques explained: Carlyle Turnover.

Bonus Section: To finish off the video you are treated to some extensive interviews where Bill discusses his life, career and influences. Discussions revolve around his musical beginnings, his musical inspirations, his Berklee College of Music Scholarship, and his tenure in the Navy Band.

A Meir Yedid Magic product. Original release date: 2021 (Recorded in 2004). Running time: Approximately 1-hour and 15-minutes.