Magician reveals his secrets

NOW YOU SEE IT-Matt Singer of Calabasas has worked as a professional magician since the age of 13. Magicians are mysterious, secretive people who create marvelous illusions and perform inexplicable tricks. Some even transform their own careers.

Professional magician Matt Singer, 15, has plied his ancient trade for years. But the Calabasas teen foresees a change-he's planning to become a plastic surgeon.

He got his first magic set at age 7. He's performed at many venues, including Chaparral Elementary School, which he attended.

At 12, Matt became the youngest magician ever accepted into the Magic Castle Junior Program. At 13, he officially turned professional, performing his first paid show for a summer camp.

Now an accomplished magician, he performs all over the San Fernando Valley. He specializes in children's birthday parties, and also performs walk-around magic tricks for more formal occasions.

Matt recently shared some thoughts with The Acorn, sharing his ideas about magic, plastic surgery and how he plans to transform his own future.

What do you enjoy about performing magic?

"I enjoy the look of amazement on people's faces after I do the impossible . . . When I was 7 years old, I performed for my family at Thanksgiving and they gave me all the support in the world. It encouraged me to continue with my passion. If something I love can spark so much emotion, it must be powerful."

What types of tricks were in

your first magic set?

"My first magic set (a Lance Burton set) consisted of plastic knickknacks and little toy magic goods, including small illusions such as the sponge rabbits (sponge rabbits appear and multiply in the spectator's hands). It takes a long time to master a trick and I don't perform it until it's perfected. Because of this, the set lasted me quite a while.

"Currently, I use more expensive props in my shows. The tricks from (the original) set are mostly lost, but I've held onto some of my favorites throughout the years, and from time to time, I find myself messing around with them and creating new routines for myself."

How did you get to perform at Chaparral Elementary School?

"When I was in fourth grade, my class decided to do a Mother's Day talent show. I signed up to do magic-the famous Chinese linking rings. When I arrived that day, I was stunned to see about 30 mothers had shown up. Add that to the 30 kids in my class, and my first true performance was for about 60 people."

How difficult is it to get into the Magic Castle Junior Pro- gram?

"The Magic Castle Junior Program is an exclusive magic program for children ages 13 to 20, run out of the world famous Magic Castle in Hollywood. It's the hardest magic organization to gain access to in the United States. To get in, I did my linking ring act to music. It was a five-minute production that I created over the course of three months."

How did you get to perform at summer camp?

"I got a call one day from a camp in Woodland Hills. I have no idea how they found my name-word-of-mouth? Maybe it was just telepathy."

How often do you perform?

"I perform whenever I can- very often . . . When I'm not at a gig, you can find me around the city performing magic on the streets. I'm out almost every weekend doing what I love."

What's the biggest or best trick you've ever done or are most proud of?

"I'm not proud of one single trick, although I'm proud of routines. I'm proud of the routine I'm currently developing to perform at the Magic Castle's Sunday Brunch. I hope to be performing there by the end of summer. It's been one of my biggest goals ever since I got accepted into the program. Expect lots of surprises in this routine."

What do you ultimately want to accomplish in magic?

"Magic is just plain entertaining. It's a great hobby which involves hand-eye coordination and mental skill. I've already accomplished my main goals with magic . . . to be funny, entertaining, and to make people's days a little better. I like to make people happy."

How did you become inter- ested in reconstructive plastic surgery?

"Just like my magic, wanting to be a surgeon came naturally. I've always loved science classes, biology being my favorite.

"I decided to be a reconstructive plastic surgeon because you can still use the creative side of the mind, but you can help people who need it . . . burn victims, people that have been in accidents, etc. I just want to help people.

"Instead of picking one profession, I plan to do both. My main job would be surgery, but my hobby on the side would be magic . . . being a surgeon is a goal that I set for myself when I was younger. I never break goals, and I will do anything to achieve what I want."

What are your other plans for the future in terms of school, training, etc.?

"I plan to graduate high school in the top 10 percent of my class. From there, my dream is to attend Harvard, then move on to medical school. I'm currently enrolled in honors classes and have an 'A' average in school. During college, I plan to continue performing shows to pay for a portion of my education."

Do you have any other in- teresting facts or plans to share?

"I recently received a full scholarship to the world-famous Tannen's Magic Summer Camp in Long Island, N.Y. from the Society of American Magicians."

Can you divulge any se- crets about magicians?

"Magicians go to secret castles at night and learn spells for the next day's work."