No one would expect to immediately play a tune when handed a flute for the first time. Then why does the general public often assume that anyone can perform our tricks with no training or practice?
Effortless
I recently received an e-mail from a mother who caught my show at a family event. The mom said that her young daughter couldn't stop talking about my ability to pull money out of the air ("Miser's") and wanted me to tell her where she could purchase the trick bucket and coins so her daughter could perform it.
Of course, the illusion of pulling money from the air doesn’t come from a prop but from the skills of the performer. I've fielded similar requests after performing sleight-heavy card effects with a regular deck. A spectator will ask where he can buy a deck so he can do the trick too.
The Routines
I have intentionally incorporated difficult flourishes into many of my routines to demonstrate to spectators that I have skills and spent time developing the magic that they see. For example, my "Miser's" features a four-coin roll-out. Despite this, the trick is still credited to the prop.
My initial response was to be rather indignant. However, after some thought, I'm now flattered.
You see, because of the illusion that I created where I appeared to pull coins from the air and deposit them into a bucket, the audience had no idea how this could be happening. As a result, their natural inclination was to assume that there was some trickery with the bucket and trick coins. It's not a put down, it's actually a compliment.
So how did I answer the inquiry? I wrote back to the Mom and encouraged her to nurture her daughter's interest in magic with some good beginning books. It's probably not what the Mom or daughter wanted to hear, but it's the best path to learning magic that I know of and it worked for me.
More Reading:
Choosing Magic Tricks
The Five Biggest Mistakes Made by Beginning Magicians
Buying a Magic Set for a Kid
Beginner's Books and DVDs
Comments
One reason that non magicians assume it is the apparatus (trick cards, coin pail, etc.) is that we have propagated the idea that “once you know the secret, it’s easy!” as if the “secret” is all that matters. What I tell people is that if magic was easy, everybody would be doing it!
“…why does the general public often assume that anyone can perform our tricks with no training or practice?”
Why?
Because unfortunately too many performing magicians also seem to believe this.
Nick,
Amen, brother. Amen.
TJ
Advertising material for magic props often promotes this perspective as well, with statements like “Learn in minutes,” “You’ll be performing this an hour after you open the box,” and “The props do all of the work for you.”
I believe, if a parent has been in a toy store recently, things have changed from the Adams Gag Rack to Cheap Magic Kits and yes the “Easy to Learn” sales labels don’t help much either. I remember as a kid, I knew the difference between the 8″ thin ring set I had and the set that performers used was much different. I even at one time, due to the Locking Ring, thought that method I knew was different.
To use Wayne’s analogy in conjunctoin w/ Tommy’s observation, even playing a concert grand paino is easy, when you know how, oh yeah and have spend countless hours learning to play the instrument and make a showpiece out of it.
The piece which is missing in the “easy to do” labels is, the clause, “On top of what I just showed you, you need to have some smidge of acting skill, no take that back.. a lot of acting skill” to really, really pull it off.
A final thought. Even notice that Magic Shop dealers never show you the misers dream or better yet, a great routine w/ the Cups and Balls? It’s because, even though you could upsell a video or even god forbid, a book on how to take your “prop” farther, parents don’t want that and then get frustrated when the Tenyo instructions cover just the basics.
Just because you can type, doesn’t make you a good writer. Just because one knows the secret doesn’t make you a performer.
I always say the magician’s greatest skill is the guts to get up and actually perform.
Another reason why people think the secret is in the secret is because performers don’t put much though into their routine patter. They just make their illusions puzzles that the audience has to solve, without putting much entertainment value into it. A really good magician has to play so many roles: actor, comedian, magician, etc.
The reason they do not put the same expectations on a musical instrument is that most have tried it.
They have tried to play and know how hard it is and also know reading sheet music is also difficult at first.
But most magic sets and shops do push effect that one could do, if not perfect, in a few minutes.
That is, their experience is of store bought sets that do have near self working props.
Since very few children’s magicians use complex sleights, they have correctly made the assumption that a store bought prop will do the work.
And they would be correct. While they may not do it the way you do, there are props that could give the child the satisfaction they are looking for and give a similar effect.
What the requests you are getting is demonstrating is that the audience knows you can buy magic secrets and props and just assume since you make it look so easy, that the working is mechanical.
So I guess if one wants to cut down on this notion, one has to put away the shiny buckets or tell a better tale so they are not thinking about the props you are using.
Good luck.
You cant blame a dealer for selling easy to do tricks. He needs return customers and this is not a bad way to sell. But what I will tell you is that it is better to start by reading books on magic or anything else for that matter. By reading you find more of the ins and outs of what you are trying to learn. So if you decide that the subject is not for you you can let go of it easier than if you buy a lot of props and equipment.