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MagicDr Regular user Los Angeles, CA 111 Posts |
I'm wondering how other magicians deal with nervous hands when performing. I tend to get a bit shaky when beginning a set of tricks, but goes away as soon as I knock a few tricks out. I do well in front of the mirror and camera but when I am put in front of an audience, I am taken a notch down. Sometimes my patter doesn't flow and my hands get stiff out of fear
Don't get me wrong, I WANT to perform for people. I love the performance aspect, especially when they ask for encores or speculate that a divine force drives my effects. I'm juts looking for a way to get my prime in front of people by taking the fear out of my performance. I want to do what I do at home after countless hours repeating tricks under fire. What are some of the strategies you use to overcome this obstacle? By obstacle, I'm referring to reaching "the zone" when the performance just seems to flow |
DWRackley Inner circle Chattanooga, TN 1909 Posts |
Isn’t it comforting to know that you’re normal?
This happens to all of us, even after years of performing. It’s nothing but hormones, and it’s related to the “fight or flight” response. It’s really just your body’s way of preparing you to do awesome stuff. It’s also exactly the same chemical change that happens when you ride a roller-coaster or fall in love. The thing that makes all the difference is the way your mind, your own thought process decides to handle the situation. The best thing to do is to plan simple (some would say “foolproof”) effects for the beginning of your show. After you’ve made them applaud a couple times, you be rolling right along. You just need to get over the hump. When I first started, I would plan a water pitcher effect for third or fourth in the line-up. I would always sip the water “to prove it was real”. Actually my mouth was so dry I could barely speak, and this was my remedy. Keep at it. You’ll start learning to compensate, and then before you know it you won’t be needing so much compensation. Remember, you are the entertainment. They WANT to see you do a great job. If your attitude is one of “Let’s have some fun” and not “Hey, I’ll bet I can fool you”, they’ll be on your side. That’s when it gets to be V-E-R-Y easy! Have Fun! (And welcome to the Café!)
...what if I could read your mind?
Chattanooga's Premier Mentalist Donatelli and Company at ChattanoogaPerformers.com also on FaceBook |
bowers Inner circle Oakboro N.C. 7024 Posts |
And always remember when your nervous.
you will tend to go faster with a trick. and sometime mess up.just slow it down and concentrait on you trick an not the audence. todd |
Dynamike Eternal Order FullTimer 24148 Posts |
Keep showing people you meet. It is the best psychology to stop from shaking because you will get use to it.
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MagicDr Regular user Los Angeles, CA 111 Posts |
Thanks for the advice, DWRackley. I will take heed of starting small and moving big. My mentality was to knock them out with a big trick first to grab their attention, then tone it down as I rebuild it for a finish. I will rework my sets to accommodate your advice. I admit that I prefer a big intro, but I'd rather have a cool head than take an unnecessary risk and ruin the rest of the performance
Bowers, I notice I do tend to go fast when I'm nervous. That was actually one of the first things I fixed. In my younger days, I was an outdoor salesman and I learned to talk slower and more deliberately. That is some great advice, though I agree that repetition does desensitize the nerves. I need some spectators Dynamike! : ) |
Dynamike Eternal Order FullTimer 24148 Posts |
Do not wait for them to come to you. You go to them. This regards small pocket sized close-up tricks (coins, rope, cards, etc). It is easy to find your layman. When I was in my early 20's I used to carry a see thru bag to malls and video game carousels so I could show tricks to people. I was addicted at wanting to show people. Nowadays I never leave my house without my sponge rabbits and a couple of coin tricks. I still perform them on practically everyone I meet.
For example, when I am at a cashier about to pay my groceries, I pull out Extreme Burn. I ask if they accept Mexican Pesos. They always say no. I say "Well I have no choice, I will make it American money". I change the pesos into dollars. The layman be amazed. Another example, I am sitting down waiting for my food at a restaurant. As I am handing a sponge rabbit to a waitress, I say "Can you throw this away please?" I do the Retention Vanish making it disappear. The waitress puts her hand out, next notices it is gone. That breaks the ice as they ask to see another one. Another example, I receive my change from a cashier of any store. I do the shuttle pass. I tell them to keep the change. They reach for it and notice it is gone. That is the quickest and best way to get used to your props. Just do the trick quickly without making any long story with it when you are in a line because there may be others behind you. At a dine-in restaurant you will have more time to perform the longer tricks as she comes to your table. |
ViolinKing Veteran user a loyal user has no more than 307 Posts |
Wow, Donatelli, a lot said.
I'm different because I'm normal, and I wasn't always. Get it? I'm like you and all the people Donatelli implied are normal, and its an odd thing considering how I was before the age of 23/24. I started playing violin in 2nd grade, and never got nervous. I got excited, and I knew how to perform. This carried on into drama in high school. I always wanted to perform, to be on stage. (However, the few times I performed magic for an audience, I did have a severe case of jitters.) Somehow, after highschool, I lost my 'cool.' I've been performing magic in a bar for about a couple of months now. I've noticed that my body literally does shake. It literally shakes, and its an almost foreign entity in the sense that its not driven by any kind of fear. I believe it is improving. Obviously it improves over time with any trick... and I feel it improves in the sense that its not as bad now as it was earlier, no matter what the trick. Sometimes I think that drinking helps. It doesn't, but that never stopped me. |
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