I don't really know much about magic, but I had some great ideas for my act and was hoping you guys might be able to help me make it happen.

The first trick is a gag on me being a silent clown. When someone asks me a question I wanna open my mouth to answer only to croak like a frog (I was thinking i could have some sort of hidden sound device in my pocket or something) and then after a bit of confusion on my part cough up a frog. Then to end the bit I could either walk away embarrassed or open my mouth again only to have all sorts of different farm animal sound come out of my mouth after which i decide I just wont attempt to talk :D

My biggest problem though is I have no idea how to pull off coughing up a frog, anyone know any tricks I could borrow?

And the second gag is pulling a seagull out of my violin (just a stuffed animal). The gag is that when i get my violin out to play my violin instead makes seagull noises (I know a cool trick for making a really realistic seagull call on the violin). After a startled reaction and some confusion on my part I pull a seagull out of the violin. It's a real violin though so a trick compartment wont work. Any ideas for how to pull the seagull out?

I really wanna be able to do these two gags as they will really fit my character and I think they would go over really well. I appreciate any tips you might have :D Thanks in advance!

get one of these: FROG MADE FROM SPONGE - Daytona Magic, Inc. (http://www.daytonamagic.com/products/FROG-MADE-FROM-SPONGE.html)

and just palm it and cough then open your hand..

I don't think you're gonna be able to pull a seagull out of your violin unless you can find a foam one and do the same thing with that..

Thanks, that frog is perfect! :D

Also, My idea for the seagull was to maybe do something like turn the violin around and pull the seagull out from between the violin and me, but I just dont know any slight of hand techniques for doing that, like hiding it in my coat, sleeve, or pants... I guess i could try and make something up but any advice to make it convincing would be of great help :D

What you're wanting to do isn't really gonna require sleight of hand, I do think tho, that hiding it in your coat then pulling it out from behind the violin could work..

how about this you have a box on the set with no top and the seagull in it when the violin makes the noise you put the violin down on teh front of the box please make a space for that. have a fake back on the violin so as not to mess with the real part of the violin this should hide the fact your really taking the seagull from out of the box and make it look like your pulling it out of the violin

You can't play a violin with a fake back scoop.. and that sounds like a lot of work...

when you discover the noise turn the violin around to look in the hole after seeing the seagull lower the violin in front of your chest (hole still pointed at you) then pull gull out of your coat, action covered by the violin facing you.

the fake back would be an additional cut out with an hinge to open like a door on the back of the violin just to make the appearance of opening up the back

Pull out an empty spray bottle marked "Screech be gone" and spray the violin and or bow. keep it handy. It could be a running gag. You could also pull out a set of ear muffs and put them on, then play normally, or put the on the violin.

You mentioned that you have a "cool trick for making a really realistic seagull call on the violin." I am in •desperate• need of a way to make my fiddle sound like a seagull. Would you be willing to share your method?

Yeah sure. I actually learned from this video, here ya go :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epN5D9-VC5E

Thanks! I'm playing with some folks next week, and they really want me to sound like a sea gull while everyone else sounds like a fog horn.