I'm always asked to perform by other magicians...Never do... Why? What do I know that they don't... What about you guys?

E. Henry

Hello,

One can learn a lot from watching another magician perform, you can get a feel for how they perceive magic through their presentation considering they have thought through what they are doing. This can be inspiring, and to be brutally honest it can also teach you how not to do magic.

Do you not feel another magician can learn something from your performance? I could argue myself on that as you did say you were requested to perform for magicians, if magicians were to watch you perform for laypeople or watch you perform as you would for laypeople (I say, "As you would" because some magicians can't or won't perform for magicians the way they do for laypeople, they feel silly, especially if they have a theatrical persona when performing).

If you watch Derren Brown lecture he presents his effects as a routine and exactly as he would for laypeople because his effects are more about presentation than methods. He only taught one effect in his lecture at the International Magic Convetion, and that was one of the more mechanical effects too, then he talked about presentation and his philosophy of invisible comprimise and forcing a mentally selected card on someone (with no cards or props whatsoever, that's why it's called invisible compromise).

Me, I personally wouldn't perform for magicians unless I was trying to fool them or asking their opinion of the effect or my presenation of the effect or if I had something worthwhile to teach them. Whether it's an effect or some theory, etc.
I'd rather watch them and see what I can learn.

Take care,

John

As a member of the IBM, I perform for magicians once a month, and I actually like it, I want to be very active in my Ring. It makes me very nervous to perform for magicians, but it is a great learning experience for me because they are watching the angles and if they see something they shouldn't, they will tell me. If they didn't see it that's even better. It is tougher to fool a magician than it is to fool a lay person.

Now that I have said that. Not everyone that says they are a magician is. Some are people that know a few tricks or sleights and by them asking you to perform, it may be so when you are done, they can "show-off" to their friends that they know the secret. Be Careful

I have only run into that a couple of times but I have learned. Here is my rule of thumb. Perform for Magicians you know and trust. Those are the only ones I will perform for.

If you are not a member of a Magic Society, SAM OR IBM, become one. Perform at their meetings.

Yours in Magic,

Carter

I am also leery about performing for magicians. I would never do more than one trick, and depending on the situation, it would be one I wanted feedback on, not one I wanted to "impress" them with.
It has happened when performing at a bar, I run into someone who is a magician. Usually they are very respectful, but I have had magicians try to show me up. Some were successful too! I do not appreciate the latter, and am not entirely sure what they are attempting to prove. I find it rather disrespectful, especially if they are worse than I am.

I guess it all depends on the environment you're in. There are times when I'll perform something to get an opinion from another magician.

I know some who will perform for other magician's, but hold back their best stuff so it doesn't show up across town as a "reputation maker" for a competitor. (That would never happen!)

Pete