Interview with Tim Gabrielson

     On Sunday, Aug. 22, world-famous magician Tim Gabrielson performed as part of TLU's Welcome-Week.

     He spoke with the LSL to share his views on magic, comedy and more.

How long have you been involved in magic?

About 20 years. I was about 13 years old when I got my big boom…I worked at a theme park when I was in high school. Six days a week, three shows a day, so every element was thrown at me… I just got addicted to making people happy.

So you would say that is the appeal to you, making people happy?

Ultimately the philosophy is keep it funny. People get so upset about stuff. I think that it's better to find the humor in things.

Have you performed in a college setting before?

I've done universities for a number of years now. I suppose I've done 500 or so.

What's appealing about performing at TLU?

I think, for me, it's the orientation, it's the freshmen. You have a guaranteed crowd. When you have a room full of a couple hundred people or more, laughter's contagious. It starts to kind of roll through the audience. I was here a couple years ago and did this same group.

What effect do you hope your performance will have on the TLU community and on the freshmen?

I really, truly want people to find humor in bad situations. I hope that they find a way that laughter can change their perspective. Find humor in things. I wrote a book called Lemons to Laughter, and that's what it is. We're all going to get lemons. I think bad things are going to happen to everybody, but it's really, truly, not to be cliché, how you handle them…Ultimately I really hope they leave inspired.

What's the greatest challenges of being an entertainer for you?

The biggest challenge, truly is you have that fear of do they like me. I think entertainers in general are insecure people. We live a life through affirmation. As an entertainer, I want them to be happy. I guess the biggest challenge is fighting that personal battle.

What's your overall impression of TLU?

It's hot, it's humid. No really, my impression is truly would be just the staff and the students. If it's the same as it was here last time, it's really polite, kind people. Generally respectful and the staff is really cool. It's definitely one of the schools you like to be booked back in. 

For more information about Tim Gabrielson, and for great "keep it funny tips," check out Tim's Web site keepitfunny.com