Questions
I understand magic is a passion. How did you get interested in
it and when?
How did you learn magic?
I understand Priscilla is your assistant magician and trainer.
How did she get involved in project SMILE?
What does performing together do for your relationship?
Can anyone learn magic?
What advice would you give to beginners?
Which part of the tour did you enjoy best?
Who is your greatest magic influence?
Answers
Q: I understand magic is a passion.
How did you get interested in it and when?
Lawrence: It began in Secondary One (more than 30 years ago) when I walked past
a magic shop on my way home from school. I was intrigued by the tricks demonstrated
by the owner of the shop. The next few weeks saw my daily visits to the shop
after school. I saved up enough money to buy a set of "Multiplying Balls"
where four balls appear on the tip of my fingers. It cost me all my week's allowance
as well as many hours of practice. This really got me started in magic especially
with effects that involve sleight of hand. The more challenging the sleight,
the more passionate I was about it.
Q: How did you learn magic?
Lawrence: I learnt most magic on my own through books. This was especially difficult
for tricks that involved intricate sleight of hand. In those days, videotapes
were not even invented yet.
Q: I understand Priscilla is your
assistant magician and trainer. How did she get involved in project SMILE?
Lawrence: We do a professional illusion show called "The Magic of Love"
together. We want to use our magical skills to do something worthwhile for the
community. Project SMILE is something we conceptualised together.
Q: What does performing together do
for your relationship?
Lawrence: We have grown to love and respect each other tremendously. This has
opened many doors for me to talk heart to heart with my daughter about the important
issues of our lives, our goals and aspirations, our passions and our commitments.
Q: Can anyone learn magic?
Lawrence: Of course. I believe that there is a little magic in all of us. Once
you begin the journey, you will find that learning the art of magic is a lifelong
journey. There are many things about magic waiting to be discovered.
Q: What advice would you give
to beginners?
Lawrence: For those who are just starting out, find a local magician to learn
from. The best way to learn is from a live person. Or you can join my School
of Magic, where Priscilla and I will help you get started on your journey in
magic. The important thing is to perform your magic as much as you can. The
more you perform, the better you will get.
Q:
Which part of the tour did you enjoy best?
Lawrence:
I enjoyed our times in Chicago and Los Angeles best. The audience in Chicago was really appreciative and Chicago is really a very happening city. In Los Angeles, we had a great turn out from the Asian community. It was great to see so many Asian faces having missed home for almost 2 months touring the United States.
Q:
Who is your greatest magic influence?
Lawrence:
One of the greatest magic influence in my life is Mr. Harry Tan. Harry is a gospel magician. In fact, the first time I've ever seen magic life was listening to him preach and presenting the gospel with the use of magic. I remembered that message very clearly because he was making the point that seeing is not always believing because we cannot always believe what we see. He used simply but effective tricks to fool us showing us that our senses could be wrong. So I decided to hang around him and learn magic from him. I spent many evening in his home asking him to teach me some new magic tricks. Of course, now I have progress way beyond him in magic. Yet, he remains my greatest influence in magic because he got me started.