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ibm_usa Special user In Your Mind, Ky, USA 722 Posts |
I'm a psychological mentalist ( in that I don't do any of that supernatural tidbit). Before I get into my question just let me give you a little biography of my performance past. I started out as a magician performing mostly stand up. Around 2008 - 2009 I experimented in mentalism and fell in love, matched my personality, the pace I like to work at and it was just an overall perfect fit for me. I've been thinking expanding my market - I have performed my mentalism act/demos in the local bars but the noise level is such a pain in the ass I've found it more trouble than its worth. I figure visual sleight of hand would be a better fit. The one thing that is bugging me and keeping me from doing this is .... Since I live in a medium sized college town the chances of my audience members / clients who know me as a thought reader might stumble in and you one can only imagine the confusion that would follow (I'm a purist and I don't want what I do as a mentalist to be confused with what a magician does). Maybe I'm over thinking this.... Yes - people in this town know me as a mentalist and only twice since I've been here has someone called me a magician.
"You may think that i only talk of things from the past, you know, history, well magic is history"
-Guy Jarrett "Curiosity isn't a sin Harry, but it should be exorcised with great caution." -Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) http://www.jordanallen-mentalist.webs.com/ |
Bill Hegbli Eternal Order Fort Wayne, Indiana 22797 Posts |
It looks like you answered your own dilemma, say with the mentalism, find a different place to work that fits your looking for. There are all kinds of bars, those that are quiet and piano music, with lost of talking going on. Sounds like the town is to small anyway to make a living, if everyone knows you as a mentalist. Why not expand your territory.
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Mindpro Eternal Order 10587 Posts |
Unlike most these days, I feel strongly that mentalism and magic should be kept separate for many reasons, especially as it pertains to business. I can understand your concern and where you are coming from. I also feel performance dynamics are just as important (sometimes even more significant) than talent and skill. There is no point and little benefit attempting to perform mentalism in a venue that is not proper for mentalism, the desired mentality of the audience and with the performance dynamics needed to success.
One of the things I see so often is when a performer creates a show THEN tries to find someone (person or venue) to book it/sell it to. In reality that is a basic default mentality. It is far better to first determine the market (and performance dynamics) desired, THEN create a show to meet this need and criteria. When done correctly you will have the best show for your desired market and a much more optimal outcome. Many have to learn this the hard way, if ever at all. Compromising these things just to perform in a less than optimal performance environment or venue doesn't benefit anyone. Sure you get a bit of stage time perhaps, but you will not likely go over as well as you wish, the patrons/audience will not see you as you desired to be seen, and the performance can't possibly be as strong or impactful as you desire due to the dynamics. Of course this is all on top of the issue that mentalism and magic audiences are completely opposite in belief and expectation, so why would one want to risk the confusion? Mentalism has been a buzz word in the magic community in recent years, however, truth be told 95% of those calling themselves mentalists aren't at all, they are simply magicians doing mental magic. (Now I'm sure others that will fall into this exact category will chime in and tell me how wrong they feel I am, which again, is part of my point.) No where is this issue more understdnable than in the business operations of mentalism. |
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