04 & 05 — Close-up and speaking
Card magic and debate coaching
Close-up card magic for parties and events across Fairfield and New Haven Counties, Connecticut, from $150 a set — and debate and public-speaking coaching online at $35 an hour. Two things with nothing in common except the person doing them. Book either on its own, or add card magic to a piano booking at half the standalone rate.
Card magic
Sleight of hand at the table, one group at a time. Works during cocktails, between courses, or anywhere there is a lull. Nothing to set up and nothing to plug in.
Debate & public speaking
Case construction, cross-examination, rebuttal structure, and delivery. For students preparing for competition, or anyone who has to stand up and be convincing.
What a roaming set looks like
A roaming set is worked table to table rather than from a stage, so the room never has to stop and watch. Each group gets a few minutes of close-up work with cards, then he moves on. Over 45 minutes that covers a typical private party or a drinks reception. There is nothing to plug in, nothing to light, and no soundcheck — which is why it fits into the parts of an event that are otherwise dead air: arrivals, the gap between courses, the stretch after dinner before anything else starts.
It also pairs unusually well with a piano booking at the same event, and is $75 rather than $150 when the two are booked together.
Debate and public speaking
Coaching is online and runs an hour at a time. It covers building a case that holds together, cross-examination — asking questions that go somewhere rather than filling time — rebuttal structure, and delivery under pressure. It suits students preparing for a competition, and it suits anyone who has to present and would rather not read from a slide.
Sessions are $35 an hour, or $120 for a four-week block where the work builds week to week toward a specific tournament or presentation. He took first place in policy debate and is a Presidential Acknowledgement winner, and the coaching is built from that experience rather than from a textbook.
Common questions
What does close-up card magic need from the venue?
Nothing. No stage, no power, no sound, no setup time. It works at tables, in a queue, or in the gap between courses. That is the point of close-up — it fits into a room that is already happening rather than asking the room to stop.
How long is a card magic set?
A roaming set is 45 minutes and covers a room one group at a time, which suits cocktails, a drinks reception, or the lull between courses. It is $150 on its own, or $75 added to a piano booking at the same event.
Can we book card magic and piano together?
Yes, and it is the cheaper way to do it — $75 rather than $150 when it is added to a piano booking. It also solves the awkward stretch of an event where the music has stopped but the next thing has not started.
Who is the debate coaching for?
Students preparing for competition, and anyone who has to stand up and be convincing. Sessions cover case construction, cross-examination, rebuttal structure and delivery. It is $35 an hour online, or $120 for a four-week block.
Is debate coaching online or in person?
Online. Cross-examination and delivery work fine over video, and it keeps the rate low and the scheduling flexible around school hours.
What does a four-week block cover?
Four hours across four weeks at $120, which is $30 an hour against the $35 single rate. A block suits someone working toward a specific tournament or presentation, where the work builds week to week rather than being a single fix.
Add cards to a piano booking.
A 45-minute roaming set alongside the music, at half the standalone rate.
Ask about a date