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Allan Olive Regular user Charlotte 180 Posts |
I am wanting to grow in my ability as a magician. And to do that I know I need to practice, and to use what you are learning in a real world situation.
So what do you do after your wife and your friend, and your kids and their friends have seen all you do? I know you can always learn more, but I do not want to do a lot of things badly. I do want to be able to do a few things well. Enough for a routine. So how do you get your experience performing? Whats the next step to take? How can I continue to grow as a performer? -Allan |
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Burt Yaroch Inner circle Dallas,TX 1097 Posts |
Some advice from another beginner Allan, I am still doing free shows at the nursing home my wife works at. This venue presents some unique challenges but is great "real world" experience. Not to mention it really makes you feel good performing there, even when things didn't go quite as planned.
Yakworld.
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Lee Marelli Special user Aurora, Colorado 876 Posts |
YakandJak is right. If you are not interested in being a pro or semi-pro but want to do shows and
perform community service, do senior centers, group homes, VA hospitals, etc. As I am sure you are aware, just because you are performing for free, your show should be professional. What you do reflects on all magicians, particularly those that do it for a living. Finally, remember to get letters of recommendation from whomever is in charge of the place you do your show. You will want them as references, if you do decide to do some paid shows. Good luck!
"Mentalism is a state of mind." Marelli
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Merlyn of 8 Regular user Massachusetts U.S.A. 147 Posts |
olivejr,
here are a couple other thoughts that have worked out for me, try to contact the local boy scout council as they can use entertainers at their "blue and gold" dinners, also you may want to check out any summer camps as they have been another great repeat venue for me. I have also had shows at libraries, as they have had programs for young people's programs, you may want to make sure that your act will work for this younger group, just a few thoughts.
Cheers,
Thomas Cleveland "Life is a jurney,enjoy the jurney" |
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Bird Brain Regular user 161 Posts |
Hey Olivejr!
I'm still a beginner, but I have a few shows under my belt. The first shows I did were at a nature center that I volunteered at. This nature center had day camps for kids, and as I already had an "in" doing volunteer work (not magic) there before, I did a few shows with my brothers there. Another great place, as Yakandjak says, is a nursing home! I also volunteer at one, and sometimes I'll bring in an effect or two to brighten up these people's lives....I even went as far as to do three card monte and the three shell game on them, and I supplied poker chips for them to bet on which card was the ace, or which shell the pea was under, but it was all in good fun, and they enjoyed it, and I got the poker chips back. If you have the time, consider volunteering at a nursing home to do magic, AND just to brighten up these people's lives...You won't have any idea how bleak they are until you're around them. 5150, Bird Brain PS. I learned a lesson during one of the shows I did for kids...DO NOT have a kid up onstage and have them be wrong all the time (like if you ask which hand the coin is in, and they're always wrong). Instead, change it around, so that they're always RIGHT! This seems like a stupid point, but trust me, you'll be glad you've thought of that! So don't embarrass 'em! I guess that's a general rule for ANY audience, but especially kids!
Yes I know my enemies
They're the teachers who taught me to fight me Compromise, conformity, assimilation, submission Ignorance, hypocrisy, brutality, the elite All of which are American Dreams, All of which are American Dreams |
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SloMo150 Regular user Speedway, Indiana 121 Posts |
You can also volunteer at your local hospital in the children's ward. A friend of mine here in Indiana does these about 3-4 times a year. He is a paid professional, but would never even consider charging. He does it strictly for the kids. Also community centers are a good place to practice. Just call and talk to the people that run it.
Hey wanna see me pull a rabbit from my hat, (lion appears). I gotta get a new Hat.
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trilam New user Montreal, Canada 65 Posts |
Schools, hospitals and commuity groups are all good ideas to get some shows under your belt.
I also suggest always being prepared to show a few of your best routines whenever and wherever you are, be it in line at the grocery store, in a bar, at the office, on a train... This will help get over any fear of performing for strangers and will satisfy your urge to demonstrate your abilities and talents to strangers. |
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Peter Marucci Inner circle 5389 Posts |
Just be careful, in offering to perform free, that you aren't taking a job away from someone else.
Nursing homes, hospitals, and the like are certainly okay. But I would double-check things like libraries and Scout banquets, both of which have entertainment budgets. cheers, Peter Marucci showtimecol@aol.com |
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Ari_R New user 72 Posts |
I agree... You may want to start performing for free... (I usually go to a party where most of the people I don't know, and perform for free) <little tricks, sponge balls> "I tell the people I'm, "Practicing"... but really I'm just advertising, I'll tell them... If you want an entertainer then give me a buzz and I'll see what I can do. I give them my card.. That's how I got to do a show for some little kids that were having a field day in school.
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BroDavid Inner circle America’s North Coast, Ohio 3176 Posts |
There have been a lot of great answers to your questions Allan, and I can add very little, except this;
To continue to grow, keep stretching your comfort zone. When you are so comfortable that you can do an effect with your eyes closed then learn another one. Don't stop practicing the first, but add to your repertoire. And the same goes for who you perform for, and where you perform, when you have it all under control, step out. If you always do what you always did, You always get what you always got! If you want more, do more. And you will experience more different circumstances that round you out as you grow as a performer. Having said that, I don't know what to tell you about when you would stop doing this. I guess it would be when you have acheived perfection of every effect in all venues.... But I certainly don't think that I will be stopping for a very long time. But you have the strength friend! You have the desire to be better! And I am sure that you will be! BroDavid
If you stand for nothing, you will fall for anything.
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SloMo150 Regular user Speedway, Indiana 121 Posts |
I forgot one. You could always get a new wife.
Hey wanna see me pull a rabbit from my hat, (lion appears). I gotta get a new Hat.
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junkdz New user 67 Posts |
This was great advice. I need some real live practice. Will try some of the ideas here and see what develops.
Montgomeryville Magician http://www.dzmagic.com Philadelphia Magician
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Wayne Hackler Regular user 139 Posts |
Another place that you can get some performing experience and deal with a broad range of audience types is the church that you belong to (if they aren't averse to our type of magic). I offered my services for free once to my church. I had a great time, got a lot of experience with it, and do other events regularly that my church holds. I have even gotten gigs based on those shows. The letter of reference mentioned earlier carries some weight from a local religious leader sometimes. But it all depends on the church denomination and what their beliefs are. Hope this helps.
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BlackShadow Special user London UK 666 Posts |
Yes there are many religious people who will use magic in their "ministry" usually some gospel based effect for young kids, while there are many others who believe any form of conjouring to be the work of the devil so one has to tread carefully!
Hospitals, homes, or clubs etc can catch you out if you get stuck with an audience of largely young children. They are not the most appreciative of audiences if you have the wrong tricks. Many of the classic coin, card, or close up effects are lost on them so I'd always leave the children to the guy with showy props and plenty of panto type banter. Try performing to people in trains or supermarket queues. Usually one on one or one on two. Just say "Watch this" and do something showy and attention grabbing like a hand silk vanish to break the ice. They will generally ask "Hey do that again" or "Are you a magician" Your cue to do a few more effects. |
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Carlos Lacuna Regular user 109 Posts |
Keep this in mind when you search for new avenues to perform:
Your target audience is your target market... therefore establish their need(s) to be entertained and in what manner. By this I mean, people walking down the street/mall have no innate desire to be entertained, therefore are the hardest people to demonstrate magic to. TV makes it look easy, but many magicians will attest that it takes guts. Consider your comfort zone and branch out progressively. You've started with your wife, friend, kids and their friends, that's great. Keep at it, and perform for them as much as they can handle without them fleeing in terror. Your next targets will be those who you can enter a familiar relationship with before bringing out the magic - - your friend's friends... become a more actively social person and attend as many holiday parties as you can, and bring your tools just in case - your local pub/bar... you're there with friends so it could help your confidence when you show a neat effect to a group of young ladies at the next table - your waiter / bartender / coffee barista / supermarket cashier... if you're a regular it doesn't hurt to show them a quick and humourous trick while conversing. - danceclub / large party... Large masses of people in various states of inebriation and drug-induced euphoria are fantastic subjects for magical torture! ...etc. Once you've got the fundamentals down for performing for relative strangers, then you can go on building a routine, and try one of the outlets mentioned by the fine chaps above (community centres, nursing homes, hospitals, church groups), and consider managing/altering your style/character to match your "target" audience. Hope this helps, Lacuna |
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Allan Olive Regular user Charlotte 180 Posts |
Thanks for all of the great advice posted here. I have learned that their are opportunities all around, especially around the holidays with all of the get togethers to perform for others. Thanks again for all of the suggestions.
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Pizzazz Regular user North Carolina 108 Posts |
I started w/ my kids show and one thing I did is contact a few elem. school teachers I know and set up times to do shows in their classes for free, and down the road they got me booked for a paid school show.
May all your days be "magic" days
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Parson Smith Inner circle 1937 Posts |
Civic clubs are always looking for programs. Since the members are business people, you can often make good contacts.
Here kitty, kitty,kitty.
+++a posse ad esse+++ |
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Lee Darrow V.I.P. Chicago, IL USA 3588 Posts |
Join a magic club and perform there. You will get feedback (some good, some useless) and will get numerous suggestions on how to perform. Another thing to do is join an organization like Toastmasters International. They get you up to do your thing on a regular basis and help you polish your presentation, teach things like breath control, focus, projection and microphone use. Well worth the effort and the small membership fee.
If you work for free, you are advertising that you work for free and are subliminally advertising the idea that magic isn't worth paying a fee for having at an event. Not a good idea. But, by joining Toastmasters, a local improv group or an actor's studio (there are lots of community theater groups that offer classes and that are more than willing to help aspiring performers), you can get much further than by just getting up and doing your gig. As Michael Ammar says, "practice doesn't make perfect - practice makes permamant. Imperfect practice makes for imperfect execution." So, join a group where you can get the feedback and the ideas for improvement not just on your magic, but on your total performance. Lee Darrow, C.H.
http://www.leedarrow.com
<BR>"Because NICE Matters!" |
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jonesc2ii Loyal user Oxford, England 235 Posts |
Use the mirror!
I know that you're saying that you need real world situations to practice in, but in my honest opinion, you shouldn't be practicing anywhere until you've practiced a thousand times to your mirror. OK a thousand times might be an exaggeration, but there's nothing worse than performing something that you can't do perfectly. I know from experience! If you go out and perform something for an audience before you are ready you will almost certainly be nervous, this leads to a poor performance which leads to a poor reaction. This, in turn, leads to you feeling negative about the whole experience. So, yes, all the advice above is valid, personally I love going to the schools that my kids attend and doing a half hour routine (or sometimes an impromptu 3 minutes), but abouve all, make sure you've practiced enough before you go out into a 'real life situation'.
www.ixyl.co.uk/forums - for when you fancy a debate or a quiet chat.
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