Meet The Team - Matt Szat

By Damian Jennings - Thursday, June 27, 2019

Who are you and what do you do at Vanishing Inc. Magic? My name is Matt Szatkowski but I often go by Matt Szat (pronounced: Zat). My performing name is Matt Szat Magic and I help Damian with the marketing and social media at Vanishing Inc.

What got you into magic? I grew up in Connecticut and my aunt took me to see David Copperfield during an extremely rare east coast tour in the 90s. That Christmas, I also received a Lance Burton Magic Set and have been hooked ever since.

What sort of magic do you do now? I’m a card guy and close-up magic at private events is my bread and butter. But, in recent years, I've started to more regularly perform my parlor act which features a lot of comedy and mentalism.

Who are you magical heroes? David Williamson, Paul Harris, Michael Ammar and Eugene Burger to name just a few of many.

What’s your favourite magic book? It’s hard to pick just one but I definitely lean more toward books about magic theory.

Mastering the Art of Magic (Eugene Burger), Strong Magic (Darwin Ortiz) and Maximum Entertainment (Ken Weber) are books that I couldn’t put down once I started.

The entire Art of Astonishment Series (Paul Harris) and Williamson’s Wonders (David Williamson) have also played a significant role in shaping my creative process.

What’s your favorite magic trick? I think a properly performed Anniversary Waltz for the right spectators elicits the most emotional and memorable reactions you can get in magic. It’s my absolute favorite to perform but I reserve it for only the most special occasions.

As far as my regular repertoire goes, I can probably do my Ambitious Card (don’t worry it’s only three phases), Holy Moly and spongeball routines in my sleep at this point.

Regarding the latter, if you’re a magician who thinks spongeballs are outdated or corny, I highly suggest you give them another try. From backyard BBQs to lavish Manhattan weddings, this is the one trick I'm constantly asked to repeat. As long as you perform something that both you and your audience truly enjoy, the prop really doesn’t matter.

What’s one bit of advice you can share you’ve learned over the years? There is power in a name. Remember and repeat the names of the people you perform for. It’s a natural human reaction to enjoy hearing your own name. By saying their name, you help make the spectator feel like they are taking part in a truly personalized experience.

It’s also ok to embrace silence. At first, slowing down a routine and pausing for a few seconds can seem like a terrifying and difficult task. However, effectively leveraging opportunities like this to let drama build and your audience be consumed by the moment can help take your reactions to the next level.

What Vanishing Inc. tricks do you perform most regularly? Phantom Deck, Triad Coins, LexICON