I found this video of one of my published routines, The Chicago Surprise, being performed by an Airforce Staff Sergeant.

I thought he did a great job, and I complimented him on it. Here is his reply:

“My name is Wilder Rua I’m 31 years old. I have been loving magic since I was 12 and started practicing when I was 17 and found a magic shop in my home town in New Jersey. I mainly enjoy close up to small parlour style of magic. I joined the air force in 2001 have been married twice and am still married.

“Plans are to start to do close up walkaround  professionally while still on active orders and continue full time when I retire the military.

“I started off with simple color Monte and easy to do effects and then I moved on to more advance books and vhs tapes. Art of astonishment was a big influence early in my life them moved on to more performance style books like Eugene burger.

“Some influences have been Paul Harris, Derek Dingle,  Larry Jennings, Pop Haydn, Doc Eason.

“Where a lot of magician tend to start with children magic, I have tried my best to avoid it. I find myself to be more of an adult performer kind of like Rich Morotta. I don’t have a character per se when I perform and find that it plays well for me to just be myself the magician. I have always gotten compliments for being that way. I have been told that it gives me better rapport with my audience. Ah, its a good thing in some ways and maybe hinder me in others cause I can’t do certain effects that rely a lot on being a specific type of person. Ie Ted Lesley or Rick Mauer where their bizzare magic and mentalism takes a specific style of performing.

“I have been in the Air Force since 2001 and have been stationed in Wyoming, Iceland, Montana and Texas.

“I reside in Texas as of right now and even though I am a military police officer by trade right now I work as a combat arms instructor.

“Magic has made of possible for me to speak to large crowds and has helped me relate to people. I use magic in my classes and pretty much any time I can.

“I hope to visit the Magic Castle one day just to see where many like yourself and other icons have performed.”

–Wilder Rua

Thanks for your service, Staff Sergeant Rua, and for doing such a nice job with my routine. Cheers!