By: Denny
How do you approach people to show your magic to ?
Also, where do you practice your magic if you don't have regular shows ? i.e. you practiced a trick or a routine till it's flawless for yourself, then you practiced it in front of a mirror to get your angles right, and then .. who do you show it to ?
I guess you can show it to just about everybody you come across to, but how ? I don't want to sound like "Would you like to see some magic?" unless I know the person, since that would be a bit like begging them to grant you an opportunity to do magic. I think that the line above would be good in a restaurant setting if you perform in a restaurant, but in a day to day setting it's a bit too much.
So, have you encountered that issue of finding people to show magic to ?
By: EnricoSuave
When I was single I walked into a radio shack looking for a
wireless-mic set. The salesgirl asked why I needed it, mentioned for
doing magic and she seemed interested. (in the magic). I then did
$5/$1 Switch and a card trick for her and her co-worker. But the place
wasn't busy at the time and I took that into account.
Now that I'm married I can only show old-people, little kids and male-coworkers. I'm going to a going-away party at a club tomorrow night with some friends.. probably take some pocket/close-up items with me and see what happens. That's how I go about it. Don't force it, but be on the lookout for those opportunities.
By: Ricky B
Most people start with their mom, girlfriend, or wife. If none of
those are around, a close friend. (Your brothers and your children are
tough audiences.) After that, however, it's time to move out into the
real world.
For many, if not most, people, the thought of walking up to a stranger and saying, "Would you like to see some magic?" is not too appealing. So I don't think you're alone in this regard.
So that leaves showing magic to your friends, fellow students, co-workers, and the like. One approach is to talk about your new hobby. Sometimes the other person will ask you to show him a trick once you talk about it. If he doesn't ask but seems interested, you can ask him if you can practice a trick on him. If he says yes, show him one. And if he says no, show him five.
By: Ed Millis
Ask at your public library; especially during the summer, they will
often have programs for kids.
Check with the hopital; many people in there really need cheering up. How about a small show in a lounge for tose able to get out of their rooms?
Could a civic group in your area use some entertainment at a banquet? Or a magic show as a fund raiser?
Check with your city's Recreation Department to see if they have a hole in their summer programs that you can fill. I actually got hired to teach a magic class a few years ago; unfortunately, my day job changed and prevented it. (It was just as well - I wasn't experienced enough to know how bad I really was. )
Hope this gets you started.
By: Ricky B
I wasn't experienced enough to know how bad I really was.
That's this poster's problem, I think. Not that he's bad, necessarily,
but he simply doesn't have much, or any, experience beyond the
mirror. Some people (most, I think) get extremely nervous when first
performing magic for anyone outside the mom/girlfriend/wife/best
friend category.
You don't really know how to perform a trick until you've done it in
front of people in the real world. You can be slick as ice in front of
the mirror but be bumbling and stumbling when first learning to
perform for others. Performing is like learning to ride a bike; you
need to get on the thing and wobble and teeter at first. You can't
learn to do it simply by reading about it.
I submit that one needs to have a lot of experience performing before
one or two people at a time before going in front of a formal
audience. And kids can be the toughest audience, so I wouldn't
recommend that anyone start there. Your suggestions were good for
someone more experienced, but not for this particular poster IMO.
By: Alain Aslag Roy
A while ago, I wanted to practice magic a bit more, but my coworkers
(does anyone else read cow-orkers when they read that word?) weren't
asking me to do magic so much.
So I went on the offensive, but in a nice way.
I brought a batch of really yummy fresh cookies with me. I sent an email to my cow-orkers and invited them to come by for a cookie if they wanted to. This happens periodically in our group, so it's not unusual. At the end of the email, I said something like, "And if you ask me, I might show you a magic trick or two." That day, a lot of people came by for cookies and about 3/4 of them asked to see a magic trick. I showed them, they enjoyed it, and all was successful. I think I showed everyone the same effects, since I was practicing just one or two and wanted them to be thoroughly tested.
No one was forced to see a magic trick, but the opportunity was there for everyone. And the cookies helped.
I haven't repeated this, because I got busy with my dissertation. But I'm thinking I may start it up at my new job this fall. Maybe once a month, cookies and magic?
By: Marvin L.
I can only tell you of my experience. Performing for friends and
family is a start but will soon wear off because you will be
performing the same tricks for the same audience. Before you know it
they will avoid you like the plague.
I joined a local small magic club. I attended several months only observing but too scared to perform. After much encouragement I started to perform. My hands stopped shaking and received many accolades for my performances.
If you can find a local club, not affiliated with the major societies, go for it. The major societies clubs can be intimidating for the beginner.
By: Ed Millis
My first big performance, a colossal flop heard 'round the world, was
a fund raiser for my son's school. It was preceded by a show in my
living room for a few friends, then four shots of performing 6 or 8
times in a Wal Mart as promos for the fund raiser. Looking back on it
showed me that I felt more comfortable in a smaller setting than I did
on the stage of a 650-seat theater!
Later, a small but very professional magician came through and played his effects and illusions on the same stage. His personality and performances filled it quite well. Afterwards, he gave me this sage advice - "Everyone needs somewhere to be bad."
Performing for a few patients in a hospital room or lounge, or an assortment of kids and parents in a library meeting room - especially if you're doing it free to "pay your dues" - is a very non-threatening venue. They will probably appreciate the show, and you get to "be bad" without jeopardizing your professional reputation or a hefty fee.
To me, anywhere that I can perform without the pressure of having to be "worth it" - where my performance is the sum total of "value received" - is a good place. When I can can give out smiles, and get paid that way, too, on top of any small monetary compensations, I have had a good performance, no matter how much I flubbed.
Seek out places with people who will appreciate you because you came, not just because you wowed their socks off.
By: Jon A. Hand
I agree with you heartily! Frances Marshall once said, "There are not
as many places, as there used to be, for one to be bad."
Hospitals (I think I did a long post on this that still resides at http://www.conjuror.com in the Conjuror Conversation Corner), talent shows, county fairs, etc., are great places to get experience, find out what works and what doesn't, and hone your act.
I did Spring Fling variety shows in college as good stage experience (those don't happen as much now as they did 30 years ago, either). I remembered those when I started teaching college 10 years ago, and set up some of my jazz band concerts as "Night Club Nights"at the college. I did some magic between each set, and let the 17 piece jazz band form some small groups on their own to play 20 minutes sets (each group got 20 minutes). The jazz band, in its entirety, was the "house band" that opened and closed the show. The result, with phony waitresses running around the hall pretending to take drink orders, was a fun pseudo-club with a "bouncer" and some staged ruffians, some broad slapstick from the band members onstage, and some magic thrown in to boot.
Recently I reported that I did some magic for a high school Beta Club Talent Show done in talk show (David Letterman-ish) format with a student host and even staged commercials. Fun, and another great experience for me on stage.
So, get out there and look for those "Places to be bad." Every experience is a good one; even bad ones are great teachers, and you often learn as much from your flops as from your successes.
Leave that mirror behind! Go forth and make magic!
By: Jeffery S
I prefer performing for those under the influence of alcohol. This
generally makes me seem like a much better performer than I am..
Seriously though, I play pubs, clubs and generally anywhere they have a bar. That's my specialty. That first paragraph is a half truth though...
I never have a problem showing anyone magic in these venues because people are there to be social. It's the reason they went out. Besides getting loaded, I mean.
I generally will be approached within 60 seconds in my local establishment, because they know that's where I practice. The staff know me well, and always appreciate a good presentation, the locals (if they don't know me) know that I am the "local" card guy and sometimes, I actually get approached by someone asking for a trick before I can get a beer or take out my wallet.
Oh well, at least it's always fun..
By: Denny
I sometimes do magic for waiters and waitresses in restaurants. It's
hard to catch them, however, since they are always on the run. I was
able to show some magic before when there were 2-3 people in the
restaurant.
When it's busy, I sometimes like to ask them if their silverware is hard enough, and then bend (pretend to bend) a spoon and watch their face ... and then just show them that the spoon is ok.
I did that with the manager once and I think she really believed I bent the spoon ... I said that I was kidding but she was too busy taking the spoon back from me, she might not have heard me, and she didn't look at the spoon, because she was shocked I guess... but I hope she figured it out as I was heading out...
By: Dan Watkins
I went to a 30th birthday party at a restaurant/bar for a friend of
mine. It was a surprise party so I was sitting at the bar with an
acquaintance who did not know I did magic. We were just talking about
work and making small talk etc. At this time I am holding a silver
half dollar just playing with it subconsciously, doing a coin roll,
etc.
It is pretty innocuous, just holding a coin and doing a flourish with it. Its not really performing a magic routine, my attention is not even focused on it, but it can generate a question.
"Do you usually carry a half dollar around with you?"
"That was neat, what you did with that coin, do it again"
"Why do you do that with a coin"
etc. etc.
It gives a person the opportunity to ask about it, and gives you the opportunity to explain and perform.
In my case I do a quick one coin vanish/reproduction sequence, again pretty simple non-complicated magic. If interest is piqued, and people want to see more, you can then proceed to pull out a few more things and proceed with a more traditional type of routine. In my instance, it turned into a show where a good handful of the wait staff were all gathered around to watch.
Other times it helps to have extraverted friends to say loudly, "Hey Dan, come here and show my buddy here some magic". So you oblige your friend I have had instances like that turn into entertaining an entire room of people at a trade show hospitality suit, or an airport bar while waiting for a flight, etc.
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