From the article: Why Are Beginning Magicians So Over-Confident?
Why do beginning magicians often have these out-sized expectations of their abilities to perform magic and entertain?" I welcome your comments. Share Your Opinion
Clowns and Magic
- Re: "Every clown that does magic is a beginner. How do we ask them to stop doing magic. " Well I am a clown, magician and specialize in Mentalism. (Note: not with kids,) Award winning Member of the Otago Magic Circle, Former President and Secretary, member of IBM, attended International Magic conventions and heard from Daniels, John Carney and Whit Haydn. I have performed for the NZ Police, and hundreds of schools and parties all over the world and more. Magicians have a bad habit of treating clowns as the poorer cousin form the other side of the tracks. When it comes to talent magicians do magic and maybe balloons, but clowns do that and will often juggle, spin plates, balance things, stilt walk, ride unicycles, paint faces and more. I make sure that everything I do is to the best of my ability and if that is not to a high standard I move to something else. Children also will respond to a clown more than a magician. When it comes to down right talent call a clown!!
- —Guest Dave H
very interesting...
- I think your reaction to beginning magicians is just a sign of your own lack of confidence. Remember, someone had to suffer your/ all of our first tricks. You should be thankful that you have been able to advance in an art that so many people wish they could.
- —Guest hypnotrick
Over-Confident is an understatement
- When a friend of mine and fellow magician who started into the art of magic many years ago; he claimed that he invented all moves from S. W. Erdnase?!! WHAT A PILE OF SH-T!! There is nothing to prove and those who try too hard are obvious are exceptionally shallow. That is a another reason why the public hold magicians a level equal to that of jugglers and circus side show performers. Nobody wants to be "magic'd to death by those who do not have an understanding of the art. Of course there are pros who do the same thing as well. When a beginner goes to a dealer, he'll become blind to the reality of what it takes to truly entertain lay audiences. Everything takes practice. Anything great was and never is going to be easy. It's bizarre of how beginning magicians think it's easy and no practice required. They are fooling themselves and antagonizing the public. My advice is don't give up your day job.
- —Guest D M Z
I Don't Mind
- At my last table hop gig I had three magicians watching. One went to magic camp. The other two asked if he could show me a trick. I like to watch beginners work so I said "sure go ahead". The first was the collored disk in a bronze container. He called out the one I selected. He presented it very well. I took it as a compliment. He had watched me work for a half an hour then asked if he could show me his trick. The next wasnt so good I selected a card and returned it to the top of the deck he cut the deck and put his whole pinky at the break. He found the card and before I could tell him he did not need to use that much of his finger for that move he ran away saying he had fooled me. I sat there and smiled as I remember what it was like when I started doing magic.
- —justneal
Not Fox's fault
- Watch it again , He was ASKED to show a trick . And in true Letterman fashion ,which is no one can have more attention than me, the spectator Dave ruined the trick. Not every one who performs a magic trick need to be Copperfield.
- —Guest PAymerich
New Magicians
- I worked Restaurants, when I worked in Bullhead City, AZ. I had a Magician come in once, to one of my Restaurant Accounts, that had a Poster in the lobby, to advertise that I was there. Even so, this jerk came in, with his Props, and asked me if I would mind if he showed some of the Restaurant Guests a Trick? Would i mind? What did he think I was there for? I explained that he needed to practice his vanishing act, at that very moment! I have also seen Magicians go to a Magic Shop, back when there were still some good ones, and buy a Trick for a Gig they had in a few days! Then there are those who like to get in your face, and be arrogant, and think they are good, because they think they are fooling people. THAT IS NOT ENTERTAINMENT! I do agree that we all have to start somewhere, and we need to encourage others in our Performing Art, but New Magicians should "limit" their Public Performances until they can do justice to the Trick they are trying to Perform.
- —Guest Allen
Advice to Beginners
- Perhaps your real problem is not with overly enthusiastic amateurs, but with amateurs who just want to show off and who don't learn from their performance mistakes? And as MDodge says in the comments, maybe part of the problem with that is the "fool your friends" style of magic marketing. If I were going to be offering advice to beginners, I'd have to say: -Master both the mechanics and the presentation of the trick before you show anyone. -Pay attention to your audience; if they seem bored, then your presentation needs work. -Don't try to "show off" to professionals; they've already seen it. If you say you're a novice magician and they ask you to show them something, that's fine; if they don't ask, don't assume they want to see what you've got up your sleeve. -If you want an honest critique of your performance, ask politely, but don't pester. And remember, "no means no." That's the advice I follow, at any rate. So far, so good.
- —Guest Chris Hicks
Clowns Need to Stop Magic
- Every clown that does magic is a beginner. How do we ask them to stop doing magic.
- —Guest 666Magic
Beginners Have to Perform Too
- I understand the problem with beginners doing tricks before they are ready and making magic look bad. But beginners have to perform to get better. You yourself say that some of your early work wasn't the greatest.
- —Guest Bakstab222
Magic Advertising Is the Problem
- The problem is the way that magic is sold to the public. "Fool your friends" "Be the center of attention at parties." This only tells the beginner and non-magician that they can use magic to show off. This isn't just a problem with beginners. I have seen some so-called pros who suffer from the same problem.
- —Guest MDodge
