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Jolly Roger V.I.P. Sedona, Arizona 1667 Posts |
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” Albert Einstein
Having spent most of my life entertaining the little people, I have come to the conclusion that there is more information out there available to children’s entertainers than ever before. In my younger days there was no color television, no computers, no internet, no DVD’s, no iPhones or iPads, but there were books and lots of brick and mortar magic shops. The television magicians who appeared regularly in the UK were Robert Harbin, David Berglas, Al Koran, Chan Canasta and David Nixon. They were considered “proper” magicians. Magicians were still working the birthday party circuit, but many had regular day-jobs, as it was generally only the wealthy who would consider booking a magician for their child’s party. A large number of the magicians had the word “uncle” in front of their name, which I always found rather odd. They did not at that time seem to have the respect that they have today, and amongst the general public they were frequently thought of as elderly gentlemen in tail coats who would fumble through their shows to the faint amusement of the children and adults present. They were often called “conjurers” rather than “magicians”. The advertisements in the newspapers at the time would read something like “Uncle Johnny will come to your child’s party. Magic, Punch and Judy, hand shadows, film shows and balloons! It was quite common for a magician to take a projector to a party and show a cartoon on a screen as part of the entertainment. I am talking about the 1950’s and early 1960’s. Times have changed, and there has never a better time than now to be a children’s entertainer. There are far more children’s magicians out there that make a comfortable living than there are full-time professional magicians for adults. With the current state of the economy and unemployment, it is a great time to be self-employed. These rich pickings are not just confined to the UK and the USA. I have friends in Croatia, The Netherlands, Malaysia and Australia who all have full date books doing children’s birthday parties, schools, daycares, libraries etc. With all the work out there, there is also the competition. So how do you stand out from your competitors? It is easy to spend hours perusing the magic forums and on-line magic stores for information and education. I would actually encourage you all to do this to see what is going on out there in cyberspace. However, I would also advise caution, as this can be a daunting task, and you are likely to find it quite overwhelming. How do you know what to believe, and what not to believe? If a dealer claims to have come up with an incredible new children’s effect, how do you decide whether or not you should invest your hard earned money on this product? What works for one magician does not necessarily work for another. “Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!” Dr. Seuss In my youth, I was constantly buying new props that looked showy, and that the dealer told me would be great in any show. Then I met the late Ken Brooke at his studio in Wardour Street in London’s West End. Ken was demonstrating a trick to a potential customer, and I thought it was terrific. I wanted to buy it. However, here is the rub. Ken would not sell it to me. Imagine that! I was prepared to part with my money for a piece of thread (Nemo Rising Cards), and Ken said it was not a good trick for my personality. That could not happen today in an on-line store. The truth is that Ken was right. I think it is quite ridiculous to think that just because a dealer is selling a fancy prop that may be a gem in the right hands, that it will necessarily be a great addition to your own show. One of my most disliked expressions is when something is advertised as a “must have” effect, or “every magician should own one of these!” So how on earth do you know what will work for you in your shows, and what will not? I suppose one way to answer this is trial and error. In other words, you buy everything that is out there, regardless of the cost, and see what works and what does not. The tricks that don’t work you can then sell on eBay, or put in to the next magic auction. I know many entertainers who actually take this approach, but it can get expensive! So your minds are now buzzing with information which needs to be processed. This is where imagination comes into the equation. If you see a trick you like the look of, whether it be on line, at a magic convention, or even in a brick and mortar magic store, before you take out your wallet, I invite you to try a little exercise. Create a picture in your mind of what you may be able to do with this effect. Look at the props involved and stretch your imagination to greater limits. See yourself performing this in front of an audience of children. Consider all the possibilities, and envisage the reactions you are likely to get. Don’t hold back with this creative process. I am not telling you to immediately come up with a clear cut routine, complete with patter. Just consider your own personality and style, and attempt to run with it as your imagination wanders. If this prop is demonstrated by a dealer, and it seems dull, be careful not to dismiss it. One man’s garbage is another man’s miracle! I will not pretend that this is an easy exercise, as it is actually quite a hard thing to take away external influences. “It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.” Henry David Thoreau If you have ever been in a position to sell a house, you will know that a realtor will tell you all sorts of things that need to be done to make it more saleable. This may have nothing to do with the structure of the house, but simply the way you have your furniture arranged, the fact that there are dishes all over the kitchen, or the lawn has not been mown. The reason for this is that many buyers have no imagination. They cannot comprehend that once they buy the house, all the furniture will be gone, there will be no dirty dishes in the kitchen, and it will be a simple task to mow the lawn. It is the same with a magic prop. Never take it at its face value, and, dare I say it, never perform it in exactly the same way that it says in the instructions or on the accompanying DVD. You don’t want to be a clone. You want to be your own wonderful and unique self. So if after this exercise your mind is buzzing with ideas, and the whole routine seems to fit your style, then I think you are getting a hint that you should get out your wallet. However, if your imagination of where to go with a routine with the prop remains stagnant, then I suggest you move on. It will still be there if you get a sudden inspiration at a later date. I am also a big believer in using non-magic props in your magic show. I love browsing through discount stores, antique shops and even Goodwill! I also enjoy garage sales. There are so many unique treasures at these outlets that lend themselves to the creative magician. I would encourage you to try the same imagination exercise that you do with the dealers who specifically sell magic props. I was a big fan of the late Edwin Hooper of Supreme magic. I know that many of the items that were manufactured were adapted from products you may well find in your local store. If any of you own some of the metal props of his like Run Alien Run, Run Ghost Run etc., I would ask you to take a flashlight and look inside the metal. You may well see some printed writing on there, as some of them were made from old biscuit tins! “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” Michelangelo The other misconception shared by many children’s entertainers is that the props used in an act have to be colorful and showy. The truth is that entertaining children has really got nothing very much to do with what the props look like. The props are merely a vehicle for you to project your wonderful and entertaining personality. You want the children to laugh at your silly antics, to be baffled by your clever magic, but most important of all, you want the children to be entertained. Always remember that you are an entertainer first, and a magician second. You can have masses of expensive and colorful props, fancy backdrops, tables with your name silk screened professionally on the front, the latest and greatest sound system and a tailor made costume. However, if you are not entertaining then your investment is of no value. I have recently converted a garage in my Sedona home into a Magic Theatre. I have my own stage, lights and sound. This is where I practice my new routines, and brush up on old ones. I know that many of you will have a Magic Den in your home, and I suggest that this is where you retreat to while working on your show. I advise you to design the room as a creative rehearsal place, complete with a large mirror. Here is another suggested exercise. Go into your den, and find a prop on your shelf that you have never used. It may even be something that you bought at an auction and discarded because you did not know what it was. Try and build a routine with this prop from the ground upwards. Let your imagination run away with you, and you may surprise yourself what you come up with, especially if you put no limits on your creativity. Also try the same exercise with something that is not a magic prop. It could be a pet’s toy, an old telephone, a pencil, a CD, a pair of socks, a picture frame, in fact any object that you may have lying around your house. This may be a little harder, but there again the possibilities of performing magic with everyday objects are limitless. To summarize, we live in an information age where we are bombarded with so much “stuff” that we need to be extremely selective about the material we use when preparing our shows for children. There are some advantages to having so much information, as it was not always the case. However, to use all this information wisely it all comes down to the imagination of the individual performer. Look and listen to as much of what is out there as you can, but at the end of the day, you are an entertainer, and having an entertaining show in the eyes of the children is all that matters. Always be true to yourself, and here is a little tip. Always listen to your audience, which in your case will be children. This is far more valuable than listening to advice from other magicians. Magicians can sometimes pull you down, whereas children can build you up when you are entertaining them. At the end of the day, if the children in your audience are smiling, shouting out, laughing and clapping, then you have succeeded. |
Robin4Kids Veteran user Lower Alabama 396 Posts |
Some great memories of "the good ole days" and observations & suggestions that would do us all some good. Having grown up in the South during the 50's and 60's, I remember my parents encouraging us to go outside and use our imaginations to play. They would remind us how lucky we were to have television (3 black & white channels!) and were always concerned we were watching too much tv. I did get my earliest exposure to magic through Mark Wilson on tv (and magic kits) during those times though.
Being from a small town in the U.S., having a magician for a birthday party wasn't even heard of. The first live performances I got to see were by the same magician who came to our school every year doing most of same tricks year after year. I wish I knew who he was, but in those days most magicians didn't promote their name, but just advertised Magic Show! on the posters at school. I believe that growing up during those times has given us the ability to be more creative, but I think we have gotten spoiled by the technology and distractions that eat up our time and don't utilize our abilities as much as we should. It has been fun for me to look for new ways to present routines and gives me a new challenge to keep things interesting. I think too many of us depend on creative performers such as you to do the work for us, creating entertaining routines with clever props. For that we thank you!!! |
Jolly Roger V.I.P. Sedona, Arizona 1667 Posts |
Quote:
On 2013-06-29 07:57, Robin4Kids wrote: You are so right Robin!! I must say that I am not a big fan of DVD's because they can stifle your creativity. I know many magicians, both children and adult, who will copy not only a routine exactly as it is performed on the DVD, but they will also copy the patter. This will work up to a point, and the audience will be unaware, but it leaves out the main ingredient which is YOU!!! Entertaining children is not about clever tricks and a funny script. It is not about copying others, practicing, and therefore believing you are the new local Rock Star! It is about being your own unique creative self! At the end of the show, you want the kids to remember YOU! You are the real magic! |
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