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billm55 Regular user Des Moines, Iowa 144 Posts |
I teach business classes at a womens prison and as a rule, perform magic at the end of each class. Tonight I was making some coins appear using a Trabucco Holdout. I had no problem making them appear but when I was at the point of making them disappear, which would have involved a French Drop or a Pinch Vanish, I hesitated and decided not to go any further. Although I've been practicing these two methods, I just don't feel confident enough to perform them yet. I'm wondering if I'm just suffering from a lack of confidence or perhaps I'm not quite good enough yet. And, I'm wondering if I should just jump in and do them with the risk of making a fool of myself, or wait until I'm absolutely sure that I have them down. Has anyone been at this point with their magic, and if so, how did you deal with it. Any comments would be appreciated. Criticism accepted willingly.
Bill Mogolov
The Mental Magic of M |
davidpaul$ Inner circle Georgetown, South Carolina 3086 Posts |
I think you have answered your own question. If you lack the confidence, and feel you haven't mastered the routine / sleight, then you did the right thing.
On the other hand, if it's just a matter of introducing something new that you normally don't perform but HAVE given the effect sufficient practice then you MUST go for it. I encounter this scenario quite often in my restaurant work. I'm always introducing new effects for those customers who come in repeatedly. It's always a little nerve racking when you stretch and go beyond you comfort zone. Heck, I've screwed up effects I've done thousands of times but you learn to cover up the mistake or act as if nothing happened and sometimes you just don't and say oops! Hopefully this would be a very rare occurrence . We are human. Always give an effect or sleight the respect and time it needs and deserves. After that just do it. That's the only way you are going to gain confidence and improve. That's my 3 cents. David Paul
Guilt will betray you before technique betrays you!
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Andy the cardician Inner circle A street named after my dad 3362 Posts |
Do not worry . . . your hesitation is normal and often happens when we try something new infront of the audience. How ot overcome it? Practice and practice until you can perform the sleight without thinking/concentration. Once you are there, you will not feel fear or doubt, as the move happens almost automatically.
Cards never lie
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Mustang Veteran user London, England 316 Posts |
Whilst no one here would advocate exposure, if after practising in front of a mirror you still aren't sure if you're good enough... I would suggest finding someone close to you who you trust to try your stuff on. Someone who will be fair and critical and who will prolly not realise that in taking this role they are going to be attacked with your new effects for the rest of their lives I found this to be helpful, especially because someone close to you (like a girlfriend etc.) will see you perform /practice so many times, they are likely to learn some of your methods eventually anyway!
"A magician is one who appreciates the difference between knowing how a trick is done, and knowing how to do a trick."
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DomKabala Inner circle I've grown old after diggin' holes for 2827 Posts |
You can't learn to swim without jumping into the water. You can go thru the motions on dry land, but you have to jump into the water to really learn and see if you'll "sink or swim". Overcoming the fear of water is the first step. Get the analogy? Confidence/self assurance doesn't come easily especially in the performance arts, but the only way to circumvent the lack of confidence is to perform and perform alot. Be ready to accept failure and learn from it instead of being deterred by it. Practice earnestly in private until you cant't do it wrong before performing in public and don't look back if you fail...
Cardamagically, Dom :)
We don't stop playing when we grow old...we grow old when we stop playing.
God is enough, let go, let God. Gal 2:20 "Anything of value is not easily attained and those things which are easily attained are not of lasting value." |
billm55 Regular user Des Moines, Iowa 144 Posts |
Great advice from all of you. Thanks.
Bill Mogolov
The Mental Magic of M |
sjballa147 Loyal user Tennessee 278 Posts |
Give it a shot. Remember, only you know what you are going to do. Your audience does not know what your going to do until you do it. So if you mess up, play it off like it is part of the routine.
Best of Luck Shane |
davidpaul$ Inner circle Georgetown, South Carolina 3086 Posts |
A quick note.
I saw Lance Burton recently in Vegas. Now this guy has done countless shows, in every venue you can think of in front of thousands of people. He screwed up the appearing candle. Now it could have been a prop malfunction, but regardless of who's fault it was it still happened. He just continued the routine as if nothing happened. It did not hurt his show in the least. This was good for me to see. Just goes to show you stuff happens no matter who you are or how good you are
Guilt will betray you before technique betrays you!
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Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
You have a unique performing situation at the women's prison that you should take advantage of to work on improving your magic skills: you have a captive audience and you are the best magician they are likely to be seeing for quite some time, certainly the best one they have seen that day.
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
Christopher Lyle Inner circle Dallas, Texas 5698 Posts |
Spellbinder...
You're right..he does have a CAPTIVE AUDIENCE!!! HAHAHAHA!!! I've seen DC mess up on stage before and I once saw Bill Malone screw up Sam the Bellhop. The differnece was BM got out of it and only a Magician would have known that he screwed up! DC on the other hand... HEY...we all have a bad night right?
In Mystery,
Christopher Lyle Magician, Comic, Daredevil, and Balloon Twisting Genius For a Good Time...CLICK HERE! |
jaded New user colorado springs 73 Posts |
I always had confidence issues when it came to sleight of hand. My fear comes from having smaller hands, so it is difficult for me to have the proper shade to cover my sleights. So I started doing more elaborate stories for better misdirection. I noticed that my magic immediately started becoming more entertaining! So then I switched gears... Bizarre magic and mentalism focus more on great patter and less on sleights, so that became my new magic of choice. I had been doing straight mentalism for months, then I decided to switch things up and did some "old" material for fun. It is amazing how easy the sleights were now, because my attitude had changed... My attitude before was, "I have to get these sleights down. If I don't, I will ruin the whole trick! Then they won't believe anything I am doing and I will appear to be a poor magician!" I was putting a lot of pressure on myself! But here is how my attitude is now, "This trick is pretty entertaining, but if I screw up the audience won't care and neither will I because I have already have stressed that this not the type of magic I perform anymore." This change in attitude has actually inspired me to start performing more tradition magic and sleight of hand.
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billm55 Regular user Des Moines, Iowa 144 Posts |
Good point, Jaded.
Bill Mogolov
The Mental Magic of M |
David Fletcher Loyal user 238 Posts |
The venue is perfect - teaching business classes and in a prison - to convey a message. Something like:
1. We're all human and can make mistakes, but we keep going and try better next time. 2. Progress, not perfection. 3. Very appropriate for a business class - mistakes happen; it's not the end of the world; keep working on your skills and you'll make fewer and fewer mistakes. In mentalism some say to not be 100% perfect to show that you are a human being. Just do the effects and see what happens and apply these same ideas to your magic. Try it, you'll like it. David Fletcher, human being
You have to give it away to keep it.
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Brad Burt Inner circle 2675 Posts |
RULE Something or Other: If you don't tell your audience you screwed up most of them will have no idea that you did. As noted above, Lance Burton flubbed the Appearing Candle for some reason yet just went on as if nothing had happened!
There is nothing funnier in a painful kind of way than seeing a magician make a mistake followed by, "Oh, rats! I blew that one!" Look at the audience when this happens and you will always see folks with questioning looks on their faces, having no idea until and even after the magician 'ratted himself' out! Don't tell 'em. Just act as if whatever happened was EXACTLY what you expected. Best,
Brad Burt
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Eoas New user Australia 40 Posts |
Great advice about not revealing your mistake! I've had this problem, and forgot you can just 'go on with the show'! Thanks!
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Tom Cutts Staff Northern CA 5925 Posts |
I can't believe you are using a holdout before you got the French Drop down. That is frightening to think of. Sign of the times?
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goldeneye007 Inner circle London 2423 Posts |
Great advice guys! Thanks!
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