Wes Iseli
The Charitable Magician
By C. Dennis Schick
In the December 2012 issue of The Linking Ring, I wrote a
twelve-page article on “The Benevolence of Magic.” The idea came from a piece
I had prepared for the 2012 I.B.M. Convention program on members’ visits to
local hospitals during the convention, as well as the Share the Magic project
(sales of convention lapel pins to benefit a local charity).
That first article highlighted over a dozen projects and programs
that magicians were using to give back in some way. Each November or December
– the season of giving – since then, we have continued the tradition. We have
featured more than forty great examples of the Benevolence of Magic in the past
five years. Now we add Wes Iseli to that list.
Okay, so you want to raise money for a good cause by doing magic.
But doing it outside in the cold, in December, for twenty-four hours straight?
You’ve got to be kidding.
Yet, that is what Wes Iseli has been doing annually for the past
ten years, in front of a Walmart in Ruckersville, Virginia, to raise money for
the Children’s Miracle Network.*
As if that isn’t enough, last year he started a project called
Thirty Days of Giving, during which he filmed a magic video every day during
November at a different venue, visited local charities, made donations, and
even did interviews.**
And as if that still wasn’t
enough, he also visits a local Children’s Hospital on Christmas Day to perform
magic room-to-room for children who were not able to go home for Christmas.***
Two conclusions are easily
drawn from those three projects: 1) Wes Iseli has a heart for benevolent
causes; and, 2) he understands and practices self-promotion and marketing.
So how (and why) did Iseli
come to this point in his life and magic career? Before interviewing him, let’s
review some of his biographical highlights.
Wesley Iseli was born November
10, 1977, in Harrisonburg, Virginia, but moved to Ruckersville, a suburb of
Charlottesville, shortly thereafter. When he was seven, he was hanging out in
his father’s video rental store when a man in the store pulled a quarter out of
Wes’s ear. From then on Wes wanted to be a magician. He got his first magic set
that Christmas, which sealed the deal.
When Wes was still young, his
father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Wes took care of him while his
nurse mother
worked at nights, until his father died in 2003 when Wes was twenty-five.
A promo photo shows three Wes Iseli features: cards, doves, and a black T-shirt.
Wes bought the family house
from his mom, and lives there today with his family.
While attending Piedmont
Community College (majoring in business and marketing), he worked at the Magic
Tricks store in Charlottesville, learning and demonstrating magic tricks. About
that time he started his own booking business, Party Magic. In addition to
magicians, he booked jugglers, clowns, face painters, and storytellers, getting
great business experience.
Wes performed in local restaurants
whenever he could. At an IHOP in 2005 he met one of the waitresses, Natalie.
They married in 2008, and she has been part of his life and act ever since, as
well as handling much of the booking, organizational, and bookkeeping aspects
of the business. They added a daughter, Lana Elizabeth, who turns five this
month. She is already an integral part of the act, often stealing the show.
In addition to his role as a performer, Wes is
also an active magic teacher and lecturer, a Certified Animal Trainer, and a
consultant on The Carbonaro Effect television show on the truTV
Network. He is a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, the
Society of American Magicians, and the Fellowship of Christian Magicians.
Although Wes and Company will perform nearly
wherever requested, including birthday parties and corporate events, the Iselis
have been focusing in recent years on their full evening stage show, booking
engagements in theaters and performing arts centers. And that brings us mostly
up to date and back around to the benevolence activities. Let’s ask Wes about
them.
Hospital bedside performing on
Christmas Day.
QUESTION:
Before getting into your benevolence projects, tell us more about being a USDA
Certified Animal Trainer, and your consulting gig for the The
Carbonaro Effect. How did those happen?
ANSWER:
First of all, I did work for them, I don’t currently. I was hired to fill in
for their animal trainer who was also a magic consultant for season two. With
the success of season one being more than hoped for, the network wanted thirteen
more episodes right away. When they called the animal trainer they used in
season one to come back, he was already booked so he called me. I have been
using animals in my show since day one – doves, bunnies, ducks, chickens, a
pot-bellied pig. But when asked about my certification as an animal trainer I
didn’t have that, so I went to animal trainer boot camp. There I fed a tiger
and worked with monkeys, camels, water buffalo, sheep, lemurs, exotic birds,
and many more. I was also given scenarios like, “How would you make a
production harness for a chicken?” I gained certification, sent in my paperwork,
and my wife, daughter, and I found ourselves on the set working with Michael on
his television show. Not only was Michael an amazing guy to work with, but so
was the entire team.
Q: You seem to have a heart for giving back and using
magic to help others. Please tell us about that.
A: In grade school I was the biggest
earner for the American Heart Association in my school as my teacher was a
friend of my parents and she drove me door to door where I would ask for
donations. I loved helping other people. I grew up in a Christian family and
learned that “It is better to give than to receive.” I married a woman who
shared my beliefs, and they are an important part of our marriage. My wife and
I have always donated our time to visit children’s hospitals annually.
Q: Tell us about your “24 hours of Magic” project.
Where did the idea come from and how has it evolved? What are some of the magic
effects you do?
A: It all started eleven years ago when I
was driving home from a gig and I kept hearing John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War
Is Over)” song on the radio. The song starts with
So this is Christmas
and what have you done?
Another year over,
and a new one just begun.
Every time I heard this song it was like I
was being punched in the gut and the song was speaking directly to me.
So I came up with this crazy idea to use my talents to help
raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network. I wanted it to be
over-the-top-crazy to get people’s attention to come check it out, to get media
attention, and to make a memorable event. What I came up with was doing
twenty-four hours of magic to raise money. I thought I could do ten minutes on
and ten minutes off, but in the middle of the night folks didn’t want to wait
ten minutes till the next show. So I ended up just performing pretty much the
entire time. This ended up being a big success, not only for us but also for
the charity and the location where the event was held (Walmart).
Top: Wes performs close-up magic
under a tent with a sponsor’s banner hanging nearby.
Bottom: He parks his van near where
he performs for more publicity.
Top: Wes poses with daughter, Lana.
Middle:
The show goes on even when it snow
Bottom: Ready to perform, with sponsors
well-identified in an around his tent.
So then you came up with “Thirty Days of
Giving.” Give us more details, please.
A.
After years of performing my twenty-four hour show I had the urge again that
this once-a-year event was not enough, so I came up with Wes Iseli’s Thirty
Days of Giving project. For the entire month of November last year we performed
magic themed for thirty different charities where we donated time, money, and
products. The motto of the event was “If we all gave back a little more,
imagine how great the world would be.”
The
Thirty Days of Giving project was overwhelming considering we had to make
arrangements with charities, set up interviews, produce and edit online
videos, create a magic trick themed for each day, and still do office work and
perform shows as usual.
This year we created Wes Iseli’s Magic of
Giving Project where the Thirty Days idea has been blown up to now go on all
year long. Now we can do one of these videos each month, which is easier for us
but also gives us more time to make them more amazing and get folks to think
about giving back all year long.
Thirty Days of Magic. Left,
Day 2: Wes taped coins in a
Laundromat for free washing and drying. Right,
Day 3: Wes performed magic at a children’s hospital.
Laundromat for free washing and drying. Right,
Day 3: Wes performed magic at a children’s hospital.
Q: For the last two years you have spent
part of Christmas Day doing magic for children in the hospital who could not be
home for Christmas. How did that begin and how has it worked out? Surely you
have some touching stories.
A: Because of the patients’ confidentiality, I
never know what I am walking into from room to room. Some kids seem fine and
others could be really bad off or even on a breathing machine. My father-in-law
is a cancer doctor for kids (pediatric hematologist/oncologist), and I asked
him if I could visit his hospital on Christmas. All he could really do is put
in a good word, and I was then contacted by the hospital to fill out paperwork.
Since I wanted to bring the
press along, the hospital had to get parents’ consent for all video and photos
prior to me walking into each room. The way hospitals work on Christmas is that
they try to get all the kids discharged, even if they have to come back, so
they can be home for Christmas. So the kids who are still there are in the most
need. I have met some great kids. Some hear about me coming in advance and make
me pictures or a craft project, which is super sweet.
Top, Day 13:
Wes taught seniors magic at an assisted living facility.
Bottom, Day 14: Wes made a television commercial for
Wes taught seniors magic at an assisted living facility.
Bottom, Day 14: Wes made a television commercial for
The Michael J. Fox Foundation in memory of his dad (shown in the photo).
Day
16: Wes delivered toys for the Toys For Tots project.
Last year I walked into a room
and the lady in charge of getting me around only told me the age of the child
and his first name. I looked at the boy in the bed and he was hooked up to a
breathing machine. He was on heavy medication so he couldn’t even open his
eyes. After seeing his condition, I noticed his sister was in the room, so I
performed magic for her. Then her parents came over and really got into the
magic and had great reactions. Once I left I told my wife it was like someone
turned on the lights in the room while I was performing. The mood of the room
shifted from dark and gloomy to light and fun. I feel at the heart of all we do
as entertainers, we are to entertain and take people’s minds off of the
day-to-day dilemmas that may be weighing them down. That day I saw it first
hand and felt it, too.
Q: What are some of the rules about performing in a children’s
hospital? Did you have a lot of red tape to cut through?
A: Yes, a ton of paperwork and a lot of planning
ahead. Never plan on getting it done in one day. If you are thinking about
doing something like this, my advice is to plan your visit at least two months
in advance. One tip I’ll give you is to put the rubber gloves on the child. You
have to wash with disinfectant coming and going from each room, but the child
usually touches your props. The rubber gloves keep the germs off the props and
any germs from your props off the child.
Q: Isn’t December one of the busiest performing seasons for
magicians? How can you afford to take all that time during such a busy season?
A: My twenty-four hour show is the Tuesday and
Wednesday before Thanksgiving and I have sponsors that pay me for my time. I
lose not only the Tuesday and Wednesday but also during the week leading up to
it because I will be putting up posters at local businesses, plus I have six
radio interviews scheduled to promote the event, and more. As far as the
Christmas Day visit we don’t work then anyway, so it’s not a problem.
Q: What do you get
out of all these activities?
A: I have made friends that I would not have made if it weren’t
for these charity events. I know folks have benefited from my time and efforts.
I have touched countless lives in a positive way. I have tried to teach my
daughter to be thankful for what we have because others aren’t so fortunate.
From a business standpoint I have gotten my name out there and received a ton
of press over the years.
Q: What advice would
you give to other magicians and performers who might like to consider doing one
or more of these, or some other benevolent project?
A: Just do it! If you are thinking about it, it probably means
that this idea has struck a chord with you. Sitting around thinking about it
isn’t doing anything for anyone. And stay determined! I was turned down by four
local Walmarts before one agreed to let me do my twenty-four hour show.
Q: Anything else you would like to share with our magician
readers?
A: Of course I cannot tell you to develop a heart for giving.
That has to come from someone else or from somewhere else. But I can ask you to
consider all your blessings and think about the power of magic to inspire and
to bring wonder and to make people smile and laugh and forget their troubles.
Then look around for opportunities to use your magic to express gratitude for
those blessings. I bet you’ll find several, as we have.
*www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiPDf4VwNmI
**
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sbBOXxQB28
***
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGwBNZp6i7E
Dennis Schick is an Assistant
Editor of The Linking Ring and
editor of the I.B.M. Website at www.magician.org. Reach him by e-mail at
crylds@att.net.
