It’s not an illusion: Stagg senior a master magician, musician

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Stellar student Trevor Motycka, a senior, at Stagg High School in Palos Hills. Trevor is an accomplished magician, musician and composer. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun-Times

Updated: March 21, 2012 8:00AM

Trevor Motycka’s love of entertaining was sparked when he became interested in magic at age 4. He did his first professional magic show at age 7.

“I like the reaction, the joy you bring to someone’s face when you defy all laws of physics and do the impossible,” Motycka said.

Now 17, the Stagg High School senior has developed that and other talents. The master magician, who has won national awards for his trickery, also is in the process of writing a musical that will be staged at Stagg.

It all started with a few simple magic kits. As Motycka got older, he discovered magic shops, magazines and DVDs by magicians that taught him the nuances of sleight of hand.

“Then I started attending magic conventions where I met magicians,” he said. “It was neat to collaborate with these magicians and meet the people who were jumping out of my TV.”

At 9, he started studying with professional touring magician Jeff McBride at his Las Vegas Magic School.

“He helps me with everything I do,” Motycka said.

Motycka has earned the Junior Award of Excellence from the Houdini Club of Wisconsin, and first place in close-up magic at the Houdini Days Magical Festival. He was chosen in 2009 to emcee the “Stars of Tomorrow” show at the Society of American Magicians national convention.

While honing his magic skills, he also got into music. In fourth grade, he started teaching himself piano; by fifth grade, he had embarked on playing the alto saxophone. He since has expanded his expertise to include playing the tenor and baritone saxophones.

“I particularly like swing and jazz of the 1940s because it is a happy sort of music,” said Motycka, who regularly attends swing dancing nights at the Willowbrook Ballroom in Willow Springs. “I’m generally happy, excited and bubbly, which might explain why I like the music so much. But I play saxophone, too, which may be a part of it. It is such a prominent instrument in that genre.”

Motycka splits his time between working on his music and performing magic shows for birthday and holiday parties and special events.

“Music takes more of my time now because I can do it during school,” he said, “but magic is more important to me because it has taken so much of my life. In school, people associate me with magic.”

His latest accomplishment is co-writing the script to a musical with fellow Stagg senior Emily Szymanski, titled “To Die Upon a Kiss.” Motycka composed the music and suggested to Stagg administration that it could be used as a fundraiser for Consolidated High School District 230.

“We did it for our own enjoyment,” Motycka said. “I decided last year that I wanted to do something huge something before I graduated.”

Administrators approved the proposal, and the musical will be made into a movie with districtwide participation. The film is scheduled for a May premiere in Stagg’s Performing Arts Center.

“It is vaguely based off of Shakespeare’s ‘Othello,’ but it is set in the ’40s so I could get my jazz music in there,” said Motycka, the son of Martha and Toby Motycka, of Palos Park.

Motycka also is vice president of the cinema club, treasurer of the drama club, president of the wind symphony and a member of the jazz, marching and pep bands. He is in the National Honor Society as well.

Motycka would like to major in music composition in college, and his top school choice right now is the University of Rochester in New York. If that doesn’t work out, he is thinking of choosing chemical engineering or mathematics for a major.

“People always comment that I could go to music or math because I’m good at both,” he said. “My parents always emphasized being well-rounded. They said that I can do all these other things but I have to keep my grades up.”

For Motycka, doing it all is what he likes best.

“I find it boring to sit around,” he said. “I always need to be doing something. Selfishly, my hope is that when I graduate, people will remember my project, ‘To Die Upon A Kiss.’

“I like being involved. I have plenty of time to sleep on the weekends. I might as well do all I can while I’m here.”