I don't actually schedule a certain practice time for myself. I practice when I feel like practicing. This keeps my interest at a high pitch and allows me to fully enjoy it. I truly love to practice and I don't ever try to force myself to do it. And I never find that I'm not practicing enough, so this seems to work for me.

I do, however, try to be sure that I spend my practice time on different things and that I don't just spend all of my time on a Faro shuffle or something.

I also try to rehearse at least an hour a day. I rehearse my routines and effects in set acts exactly as I would if I were performing for people.

There's some good advice in this thread that has actually given me some new ideas. Thanks for the great posts!

Emily B.

I think that practice/rehearsal time has been covered well in this thread, but, I would like to reiterate a couple of things that were mentioned.

First, there is a BIG difference between practicing in front of a mirror and what an audience may see. The sight lines are different. Which leads to the second idea already mentioned. If you can record your practice/rehearsals with a video camera you'll get a real good idea of exactly how you are doing. It may not be perfect (sight lines are still an issue) but, it is MUCH better than just practicing in front of the mirror.

IMO, the ultimate would be practice/rehearse in front of a mirror, have it video taped, and do it in front of trusted friends/family members.

I have heard this advice from some incredible performers more than once. Give it a try.

Besides physically practicing a routine, I run through it mentally, sometimes on the bus on my way to work. I did this recently with the Williamson Cup & Balls routine. This not only helped me to get the sequences down right, I found it extremely useful for getting stressful thoughts out of my head.

OK you are making me feel guilty. Lucy and I don’t have the scheduled practice time. We do practice and hard. Sometimes it is together and sometimes it is not. But sometimes we perform together and sometimes we perform separately too.

Practice is uninterrupted by phone, TV, pets, the door, etc. That is because we have a rehearsal room in the house especially for that. It has curtains, stage lights, sound system, music (remote controlled), video, mirrors, etc. It has no telephone, computer, lounge area, or creature comforts that invite sitting down and resting, reading, eating, drinking or being interrupted. In fact, props not in what we are practicing are usually kept elsewhere and props are not repaired in that room. Non-performing activities are always done elsewhere. We don’t even iron a silk in that room because it might change the room’s use. Practice is usually in costume.

It is always with the stage set as it really will be with the items that really will be there for that part of the show. Unless asked, we do not critique each other. There is a video we can observe later over and over in another room. Wardrobe is kept at the other end of the room. But we have learned that changing the costume can change the act. Don’t marry a ballet dancer unless you really take rehearsal as serious business. She keeps me busy. And it pays.

Bob Sanders
Magic By Sander

It really comes down to plain and simple discipline. It is so important to put some time aside everyday to perfect the unpredictable. Always treat what you are doing as something magical and really feel the effect.

Suspend disbelief yourself and separate yourself from the modus so that you can project that wonder in the minds of your audience through sympathy. Perfect your moves to the point that they become almost automatic and never look at your hands except to misdirect.

Going through the motions while watching yourself for the very first time during performance. Put your passion into your work as well your emotion and intensity. Pick that performer part of yourself and magnify it five times for your stage persona and be true to yourself. But of course it is and always will be, practice, practice, practice.

Kurt Scott
St. Paul MN

Http://Members.aol.com/Stpaulmagician/Magic.html