|
|
Go to page [Previous] 1~2 | ||||||||||
calexa Inner circle Germany 1635 Posts |
Hey Corey,
have you ever thought about the "Why" behind your fear? I tell you a little story: Before I did my first show, I was worrying the whole time that I would do something wrong. One hour before the show I was talking about nothing else. But suddenly I realized: even if I´m the Master of Magic, something can go wrong. There is NOTHING that I can do against it, even with my very best preparation. So I said: "So what", and went out on stage. Everything was ok..... I still worry, and things go wrong, but now I can live with this fear. Ask yourself what your specific fear is! Magixx
Optimists have more fun.....
|
|||||||||
Gary Dayton Special user New Jersey 542 Posts |
I had a similar experience. I went to an IBM ring meeting and was asked to perform a card trick. I had been working on Dia Vernon’s “Cutting the Aces” from Stars of Magic and used the same patter as prescribed in the book (i.e., about a tough, one-armed gambler who lost his arm in a knife fight after being caught cheating). I too, got extremely nervous, with wild thoughts running through my head (like, “these guys already know this trick,” and “they’ll see right through me,” etc.). Well, with thoughts like that, I was already defeated.
I’m not sure which feeling was stronger: the paralyzing fear I felt in front of all those skilled magicians or the absolute terror I felt at seeing my hands shake uncontrollably! I literally could not get my hands to stop shaking. I was supposed to be acting the part of the one-armed gambler (Ha!), and as my voice got shaky and weaker, I just knew that I was the world’s biggest fool at that moment. I was embarrassed and woefully ashamed of myself. If ever there was a more embarrassing time in my life, I can’t think of it. In fact, on a scale of 1-10, that was a 10, no doubt. But like you, I still loved magic and still wanted to perform it. Somehow, I got invited to a few informal jam sessions with some of the same magicians. Difficult as it was, I went. At first, I just did a move or two (e.g., “Well, this is how I do the double lift”). Still, I was nervous, but noticed that I wasn’t as nervous as that 10 experience. It was actually really helpful to compare the anxiety I was feeling at the moment with that dreadful experience at the Ring. Since nothing was ever that awful, the comparison was helpful (e.g., “Well, yes, I’m nervous now, but this is only a 7.5. It’s not even close to that 10”). Gradually, I got to the point where I could do a complete trick, then a few tricks, and finally a performance. I think what helped me most was persisting, but on a gradual basis. Taking small steps was always less scary, and I was able to build on each little success. The other thing that was helpful was to compare how I felt at the moment to that dreadful experience. Over time, the fears subsided. When I got to the point where I could rate the fear as a 3 or 4 I thought, “Man, I can do this.” Hope this is helpful. Don’t give up, and try to remember: you are much better than your fears! Gary |
|||||||||
abc Inner circle South African in Taiwan 1081 Posts |
Corey,
After what I read about the performance at your girlfriend's family it seems tha your nerves ease up once you get going. That is perfectly natural. What I suggest you do is open with something almost self working that doesn't require difficult sleights and is angle proof. Even a little mathematical trick a joke or an intentional mistake to build up to something later. After that is done you will feel a little more relaxed. Here is an example. Force a card but don't reveal it immediately. In fact get it completely wrong but make sure that for the duration of the performance everyone knows you can make mistakes because the your powers become weak or the gods of magic are taking a nap or whatever but make sure they remember that first card. At the end of your performance say BTW I was just joking about making mistakes. Then produce the card from your beer can by cutting it open or wahtever you want to do. The point really is to start with something that can get you to relax and then close with something that corrects a previous apparent mistake in a magical way. That way if you do screw up in the performance the message would be that you could fix it magically if you wanted to. All the above obviously depends on your character when you perform but they are just ideas to give you a way out. Last note. Everyone messes up at some point in time so don't sweat the small stuff. I could write pages on silly mistakes I have made or things that have happened. Good luck mate. |
|||||||||
magician2000 New user Phoenix, Arizona 62 Posts |
Corey... I know what you mean on the stage fright... You would have thought that working for the better half of 20 years behind a bar would prepare me for speaking in front of an audience. Boy was I wrong. I was invited to speak at an International DIA (Drug Information Association)conference in Amsterdam. It was only going to be a 20 min talk with 10 min Q&A. Now just being a poor Italian kid from Jersey, with no more than a High School education and 15 years enlisted in the Navy, I was up on the platform with 5 other speakers all with their PhD's, and these guys were the Rocket Scientists in their field. Everyone in the audience was given as part of their package a feedback sheet for each lecturer. It had to be the longest 20 min of my life. I know that I had practiced the presentation at least 30 times, which in my opinion now, was about 70 times too few. In my mind, I felt that I was speaking way too fast, yet I could not slow myself down for the presentation. A few weeks after the conference I was speaking to my friend who invited me to speak and said that the feedback from my lecture was over all very good, but yet in my mind I was blowing it in front of the entire crowd. It is amazing how our mind can trick us in to believing what we want it to, if it wasn't we as entertainer would be in trouble. Although that being said, my heart will still skip a beat when I even think about that presentation.
Dominic Marion
Sèan's Bar Athlone County Westmeath Ireland "Create a world where science and technology are celebrated... where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes..." (Dean Kamen ) |
|||||||||
TRUMPETMAN Special user Naples, FL 705 Posts |
Ahhhh, I love hearing these audition night stories !
Abouth two months ago, I took my son to his first ring meeting. There is no youth chapter in our neck of the woods, so we decided to give the local Assocition meeting a try. Our local group is composed of both SAM and IBM members, and the whole lot are basically retired pros. What an audience to audition for ! My young son came through with flying colors, until after the applause. As he was packing the trick to leave the performing area, the gimmick fell out of his hand to the floor. He was beside himself, and fighting back tears. I came up to the stage to let him know it was OK, and ended up taking over to do a trick. As I turned to face my fellow conjurors, my stomach flipped like on a 100' roller coaster dive ! What's funny is that I performed as a professional musician with a very well known rock group for years, and never really suffered from stage fright before that night at the magicians' meeting. An audience of your peers is a real pressure situation. However, as I looked at my son's face, I realized it was time to set an example, and I proceded to perform the trick. Although my patter was a bit shaky (someone even shouted from the back that my son should go up and "save me " !), when I got to the climax, the effect was one most of the retired magicians had not seen ! Not only did they applaud, but they seemed curious as to where I got the trick ! Bottom line, they remembered the trick, not the nerves. There are a lot of techniques that have been dicussed in the music business for avoiding crippling stage fright, but the one that worked for me was knowing I needed to set a good example for my son. Corey, maybe you should hang with some kids who do magic, and talk with them about their feelings regarding performnace jitters. I have to admit, even at 46, I learn more from children every day than I have from all the adults I have encountered..... Best of luck ! Mark Pettey Naples, FL
Mark Pettey
Naples, FL facebook.com/robbietheringmaster |
|||||||||
Corey Harris Inner circle Kansas City, MO 1229 Posts |
Wow, This thing is still going. LOL. This is one of those posts that I believe should be made a sticky on the forum. There has been so much great advice shared on this post. My nerves are not quite as bad as they were. I have been showing some things to some magicians in some normal settings. I actually got to meet a few kids at the SYM meeting this last weekend. They are all extremly confident. It is pretty crazy.
|
|||||||||
John Bowlin Special user Maryland 827 Posts |
Gotta throw in my two scents... For what it's worth, when you do perform in front of that group of magicians it will be probably be the toughest crowd you ever face. And chances are..from what I've read..they'll love ya! They may not jump up and down or hold their lighters up for an encore but if that group just smiles and golf claps you were a hit!
I went to see Joshua Jay at a lecture two nights ago and of course the group was a mix from beginning magi to working pros. Josh is awesome...great mechanical skills, very cool demeanor, funny confident delivery and he's a tall guy with a commanding voice. In fact I couldn't believe his composure for a 23 y/o guy. He went thru a few really great effects and I responded to one with a "yea!..awesome dude!" while everyone in the place gave him a golf clap. A few people kinda looked at me like "excuse me but we're magicians here". I'm telling you he would have had to strip naked and flown around the room to get a rise out of these guys(def no pun intended there). I'm new back to magic and I'm with ya...I dread performing my first routine in front of the local group. Seeing that lecture really gave me more condfidence though, Josh knew he was spot on and I think I'll know to. And if I'm not I'll bet I get at least the same golf clap that Joshua Jay did. |
|||||||||
magicalaurie Inner circle Ontario, Canada 2962 Posts |
I agree with what many have already stated here. The only way to get more comfortable with performing is to perform. It sounds like you prepare very thoroughly and are quite competent. Focus and control will help. Own your performance. Enjoy it. Don't defeat yourself. The audience wants to see you do well. Proper breathing technique is very helpful in calming nerves. A few deep breaths and controlled breathing during your performance will help ground you. Stay focused on your performance, not on what you think others may be thinking. You know your stuff, you are competent. Breathe. Allow yourself to take your time and enjoy the performance. You love magic. So do they. Good luck!
|
|||||||||
alson Regular user 143 Posts |
Corey,
I use to do the wrestling thing ,yes it is a driffernt kind of perfoming . The thing about me in that field was I was never me so it came it.But I was in magic before wrestling . I just finish 3 shows in one day and you know what at the start of the show I was nervousness. One of my assistant look at me and smile , and said too much coffee. This I think never go away ,and I,am so sure it should because it keep you on your toes.Give yourself time and do what feel right for you and yes it does get easier. Alson |
|||||||||
español jeff New user 81 Posts |
Corey,
The performing arts are filled with artists, actors, musicians who get so keyed up before a performance that they'll get physically ill. I, too, have a similar problem. I'm determined to start small - working my way up from my wife and five year old son (who is a though audience in his own right). Think of what the performing world would be if all who got stage fright had quit. Me, personally? I'm determined to go as far as I'm able. One coin at a time. Jeff |
|||||||||
Will Tsai Loyal user 209 Posts |
Just popping a Merry X'mas here!
|
|||||||||
The Amazing Noobini Inner circle Oslo, Norway 1658 Posts |
Lol. A 3 year 2 months old thread on stage fright bumped to wish everyone a Merry X-Mas. Nice but a bit eccentric perhaps.
I found this thread a very interesting read. So many completely different people from different walks of life finding themselves in the same odd situation. It's like the pilot episode of Lost. I found the below quote quite good! I've been trying and failing to articulate the same thought a few times in other threads about nerves. I think that this at least describes my own situation perfectly. Well... would be interesting to have a follow up and see if the original poster's stage fright has diminished. Hope so! And Merry X-Mas to you guys too! Quote: On 2005-09-02 11:25, sethb wrote:
"Talk about melodrama... and being born in the wrong part of the world." (Raf Robert)
"You, my friend, have a lot to learn." (S. Youell) "Nonsensical Raving of a lunatic mind..." (Larry) |
|||||||||
Lbuford Regular user Los Angeles, CA 157 Posts |
I know this is old but I want to add my 2 cents. I'm a beginner and I do get nervous to when it is not my husband. But I'm one of those people who will just continue to do it anyway. I'm planning my debut at work for our next party function. They don't know it yet though.
Loreen
"Hindsight corrects the mistakes that foresight could have prevented" |
|||||||||
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » New to magic? » » Performing Issues (0 Likes) | ||||||||||
Go to page [Previous] 1~2 |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.05 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < |