Hey guys,
I am pretty new to magic, as I have only been studying for 6 months. I was recomended to this site only a month ago and have been reading it since. It is a great research tool. I will now stop rambling and ask my question. Everyone says to focus on a type or genre of magic. I cannot find one for me,and I don't really have a favorite yet. I am not sure of every type but have ruled out the bizarre and gross. What are all of the types? What is your favorite? How can I choose one?

Thanks,
Teed

There are so many types to choose from!! Good ol' cards and coins, silks, mentalism, rubber bands, just go down the list of this forum and you'll see so many.

And why do you rule out the bizarre and gross?! THEY HAVE AMAZING REACTIONS!!! Can you imagine performing the FREAK by Will Houston to friends and strangers...and girls... priceless.

As for choosing a type of magic, just follow your gut feeling, for me personally, I greatly enjoy sleight of hand and by using everyday object, aka money and coins.

I'm as much of a beginner as you are, I'm no expert. But just do what's most fun for both of you and your audience.

Good luck!
Flyswatter

Obviously this is a very personal question that only you can answer. It's a question of taste. Try to figure out what it is specifically about magic that you like...

Do you like startling, visual, rapid effects?
Do you like weaving the magic around stories?
Do you have no real preference about the sort of props you use?
Do you want to come across as having a very specific power that you demonstrate?
Do you prefer showing magic of the mind?
Do you like being able to read people's innermost thoughts and desires?
Do you like to treat the magic as a game between you and the spectators?
Do you want to demonstrate the most puzzling, perplexing effects that you can?
Do you want the magic to be wrapped around massive spectacle?
Do you want magic to be all about laughter and good times?

Finally, have you had a chance to find a few performing magicians whose work you admire, and whom you'd like to emulate? Knowing that can usually help find a focus.

Personally, I feel that focusing on something after only six months is a bit early. Your aim should be to get a few good routines down cold, and then to get really comfortable performing those routines live for people. After a while, once you've gotten very comfortable dealing with people through magic, you'll be in a better position to determine exactly what sort of experience you want them to have through their interactions with you.

No they don't.

To answer your questions,Andrew-
I like simple and really amazing effects, somtimes I like to add stories but I connot really make up my own. I like magic with props and somtimes borrowed items. I sotimes like to add comedy but only every couple effects. Some magicians I like are Houdini, Blaine, Houdin, and Siegfried and Roy. I would like to do some magic with my two cats and my dog but not a lot. I like cards but the slieghts are a little hard and need work. I like the idea of using money but have not tried it too much yet. I have actually worked long and hard and have given 2 parlor shows that were good mixtures of all different types, but didn't have that much story line. Thanks guys

I have heard it several times and I realize not everyone has told me that but I would like to start with one type, become good in it then mabye move on to another

Thanks though I really didn't realize
-Teed

Yes, it IS possible to be a generalist rather than a specialist, although it is not considered popular. All of the great magicians of the past were generalists. Their shows included a bit of every type of magic we now consign to the specialists. They might do some card manipulations, followed by some rope or silk tricks. They might include one or two escapes. Perhaps a little mentalism or spiritualism. Maybe an illusion or two. They would come out in front of the main curtain and do effects that today would be considered close-up or parlor. Then the curtain would open up again and they might dress up in a costume for a magical play-let. So don't feel you are out of place if you hanker to do more than one type of magic. Just keep quiet about it and enjoy all the possibilities the art of magic offers you.

By the way, don't rule out Bizarre as being linked to Gross. Some Bizarre magic is very beautiful, involving story-telling, poetry, music, and so on. My own fondness for Wizard-Style magic is an offshoot of Bizarre, so try not to stereotype the specialties and make them more restrictive than they actually are.

Teed, there are still a few of us around known as generalist. We have done all types of magic and continue to do so. I've done everything from close-up to Grand Illusion, from mentalism to escape artistry. True at times I showed more personal interest in one form or another. Got real into coins when I was a teenager, Cards in my early 20's, etc. The acts I evolved over time were close up acts, stage acts, & parlor acts. Magic is fun regardless of what you are focused on now. And there is nothing wrong with waundering from genre to genre. I have a house full of magical apparatus and books collected over 50+ years, yet in my acts I seldom used 2% of the stuff I have bought. My acts have changed little over the years, but my interests in magic keep growing.

Continue your studies and the branch of magic will find you. Don't be in a hurry and don't tie yourself down to any form.

Find what you like, what fits your personality and performing style.

Find what you get the best reactions from

What fulfills you as a person and performer

Work to your strengths

Personally I can not do comedy but that does not mean I can not be humorous
I can weave stories around the effects to complete a presentation

There’s no harm in trying a little of everything until you find something you like. I wouldn’t spend a ton money up front, though. We all have drawers filled with stuff that never gets used.

Hit the library. Get some books. Try making some items of your own. There are things I like to make myself, and stuff I will gladly pay someone else to make for me. How will you know what fits until you’ve tried it on?

Andrew’s right. It’s a very personal thing. I’m almost always carrying items that look like whatever you’d have on you: coins, bills, rings, wallets, keys, etc. It’s a lot of preparation to seem impromptu, and someone else might not think it’s worth the trouble.

And don’t worry too much about the story yet. There are plenty of working magicians who don’t say a word during their acts. (Teller has made a career out of not speaking!) Then there are some who can talk for ten minutes about a fistful of salt. The important thing is tying an act together. Words are only a tool to help that end.

And again, it’s all about finding what suits you personally.

Take your time and have fun.

Best of Luck to you.

The most important fact to know is what makes you really balanced and happy in Magic? Of course, you have to be quite serious when you learn some routines but do not forget to have fun sometimes; there is nothing more boring that someone who does not feel light and smiling when he performs. That is the reason why you have to take time to think about what makes you happy in Magic!

If you only been at it for 6 months I think you just need to keep going and enjoy. I think you need to read book and magazines watch loads of stuff on you tube and just take it all in. then in the next year or so you'll take check a realise a style has kind of come out. Your find you do lots of slick card tricks or a clowney rope routine.

Don't rush this let it happen when it dose you may want to pick this up for a read beyond deception but don't do that quite yet. Learn a few more tricks and play in front of some crowds.

Its great your asking these questions and as long as you keep going as you are keep open minded see what happens.

I go along with the generalist crowd; I like doing a little of almost everything. That said, about 80 years ago common advice was to start with closeup, and move on up through parlor all the way to big stage illusions. Things have changed since then, but I always like to listen to what the old greats have to say.

Thank you to everyone that contributed. I think that I will continue learning and I will head to the library and then after awhile I think everything will fall into place.

thanks,
-teed

Ha! What has four eyes but cant see?

My last post!

lol
-Teed

Teed:
Magic is a progressive art, so I recommend you to start by history and close up foundamentals, know all the terms and the use that they have in real life stuff...so I recommend to you starting by close up magic!
My best,
Hansel!

A tpy that fit your act

I recently tried to split my inventory up into "Card" and "Props" as that is the majority of what I currently have. I realised I was 80% card... so then I wrote down some props I wanted to collect and learn.

Guess what? I ended up buying 5 new card tricks and one prop. It's not even intentional it just so happens that I find the tricks that I'm drawn to are card related. Yet the last card trick I bought was Cataclysm which is a card trick as far as the "prop" but very much a mentalism trick when performed.

Teed, I'm new to magic and in a similar position myself. I've always been fascinated by mentalism and this was the genre I initially went for, but I quickly realised that types and genres of magic often overlap and whilst it is a good idea to concentrate on one as you advance, I would recommend at least learning the basics of different types and genres before commiting yourself only to one. Start with the basics then concentrate on what interests you.

Your magic, and you as a performer, are YOUR creation.
There are no limits, no rules, no right way - as far as I am concerned.
The past is a good teacher, and the posts suggest methods, or plans
for learning - but what you choose to put together and share with
the world can be anything that is YOU.
Enjoy the freedom.