Patience in not showing something you are learning.

Acting lessons

Improvisational Lessons

A journal for your ideas and rewriting....

A mentor

A mirror

A video camera

Ability to take criticism from the right people

Watch other types of entertainers

Take your work seriously and yourself lightly


Harris

Having a good mentor is very important,


magicially yours,


Nedim Guzel

Here's a question I have for all the great advice/advisors here. Three of the best books I've found very helpful as a beginner were:

1.) Scarne on Cards/John Scarne.

2.) Mulhollands Book of Magic/John Mulholland.

3.) The Amateur Magician's Handbook/Henry Hay.

They were what "fell into my hands and seemed to help get me started. What think you? RS?

1. Acting lessons -- community college should suffice
2. Mentor
3. The Royal Road to Card Magic by Hugard & Braue
4. Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic
5. Practice!
6. A few trusted friends on whom to practice
7. Charisma
8. Confidence
9. Theater experience
10. A good speaking voice

Zen and the art of the monologue
The Artist Way
The Actor at Work

One was written by a magician....No prize to the first to identify the person.

Harris

I bought Sankey's "Amazing Magic Tricks Anyone can Do" when I first got back to doing magic. Initially I was disappointed because I was finding almost all of the tricks in other books, like Wilson's Complete Course. Yet, as I went through the DVDs I appreciated being able to see some things being perfomed - timing, hand motions, where to look.. It really is helpful to *see* a shuttle pass, a salt shaker vanish, a spoon vanish..

Yet, the buyer should be aware that not all of the effects shown in the demo are taught. He has many nice tricks being shown in the demo & the DVDs themselves that are very nice (a "going home" effect, copper to silver, several card transformation..), but only demo'ed. I've since been able to figure out how to do most of those effects. Yet, I've not figured out an 7-8 card transformation that he does, and apparently ends clean at the end, with all the cards transformed.


It is a good set.

John

If you're interested in cards I would recommend Martini's "Art of Card Splitting". It doesn't have much magic, but it will provide you with almost every card gaff you could ever want.

You need to ask yourself what you want out of your magic. Think about these questions:
-For who will you be performing? At what distance? How often?
I am a hobbyist so I only show magic to my friends/family for free. Given that I see these people all the time, I like having a lot of material. Also, when you perform for friends and family they are much more likely to want to inspect things, so I usually have effects that can be inspected. I NEVER try to do stage magic because I never perform on stage.

-How much time do you want to invest?
All of us have a limited amount of time, so we must choose our effects wisely. Personally, I have chosen to invest most of my time over the past 6 months in learning cups and balls. My cups and balls routine is pretty solid now, but it took a LOT of time. Many magicians "specialize" in one type of magic, and I have chosen cups and balls (for now). Also, I find that I only use self working/really basic card tricks because they don't take much practice time.

-How much money do you want to invest?
Magic can be an extremely expensive hobby, so you must ask yourself how much you want to spend on books/props. Tarbell has a cheap e-book for $35. I have heard that it is not as complete as the book series, but it is a LOT cheaper. So if you are on a budget, just make sure that you will use everything you buy.

When I first bought the Mark Wilson Course back in 1975 (when I was a teenager) it came with a complete set of props which I think can still be the standard for new magicians today:
4 sponge cubes (the forerunner of sponges - get Goshman 2 inch super-softs)
2 decks of cards (at that time they were Aviator bridge size, but poker size is better)
some gaff cards (double-face; double-back, cards of MacDonald Aces and a jumbo bike)
a hank of rope (for some cool rope tricks)

I think that was it, but I thought it was a great set to start with.

The most important part was the BOOK!!!

If you are primarily interested in sleight of hand, then try to find the Bill Tarr books. They are very well illustrated and have good descriptions of lots of different things. That way you can see the different types of magic out there.

After that you will have a better feeling for what you want to look at next and can plan purchases after that. As an example say you fall in love with silk magic, you can put off the purchase of a cups and balls set for a while when you want to diversify right away. If you really love coin magic, you might want to invest in some half dollars or silver dollars.

Don't get caught up in getting props and individual effects. You don't need those expensive linking rings, or cups and balls to do great magic.

If you feel comfortable reading then I would avoid DVD's as well, you get more for your buck with books.

And while you will get plenty of good advice here, try to find a good magic shop (avoid buying things on-line) and ask for their advice. Good shops will guide you along the way since they know that you are likely to return again and again rather than just making the quick buck today.

I've seen "having a mentor" mentioned but not where to find one.

Try and join a local magic club. Its also a great place to practice performances.

Two words, Thumb Tip

The best advice I heard when starting out years ago, is to master a good handful of routines (4-5), and just concentrate on those for a good long while. I think it can be tempting as a beginner to spend a fortune on all the magic "stuff" available. Pick 4 or 5 tricks and be a master at them. Better to be a master of 5 tricks, and then to do 50 tricks Half-A$$.

I agree on the Tommy Wonder and Mark Wilson books to get a good basic and then try to master just a few effects really good...

Best,
Dr. Eamon

If you do restourant magic don't forget David Stone DVD 1 and 2

They are great!!!

Best,
Dr. Eamon