Well, I'm pretty depressed right now. Here's why.
You see, last night I was at my church and my youth pastor was talking to us about illusions and different things. Well, he started talking about my friend and I because we do magic and asked if we could do something quick. Well, I got all excited(expecially because my sister and her friend were there, who really don't care for magic, and now I thought, "heres my chance to show them what it's all about!!) and jumped at the oppurtinity. Well, I was nervous, but I went right up there with a 1/2 dollar. Anyways, usually I can muscle pass pretty good, but last night it seemed like I was cursed. I tried it over and over but it just flipped over on my hand, so I quickly got out my english penny which is lighter and tried it. Well, it pretty much did the same thing. By now I was turning red, and sweating. Well, I won't go farther into it, but let's just say, I sucked.
I went back and sat down next to my friend, told him how I thought I did horribly hoping he would say, "Nah, it wasn't THAT bad", though of course he agreed with me.

well, sorry but I had to share, thanks for taking time to read it,
Michael

P.S. Oh yeah, what bugged me even more is that once I sat back down I tried muscle passing and I did fine. I even was coin rolling like you've never seen. Of course, I doubt all them saw that.

I will work on moves for weeks after I know them perfect and yet still have a hard time when I try it in front of someone. So don't worry to much about it! Happens to all of us. It just lots of performing to get used to people watching you and on the spot stuff even more so.

I've performed on full stage. For large audiences. for a few celebrities and I had no trouble at all with nervousness. OK, I've felt it a little at times but it didn't effect my performance.

Then I got up in front of a group of fourth grade kids and my hands started shaking like crazy. I had to switch to some tricks that didn't require as much sleight of hand of focus on my hands for a while until the shakes went away.

Many things can effect this. Moods, being tired or not feeling well. Or one could just have a bad day.

One thing that might help is to try and get yourself syked up before each performance. It's kind of hard to explain but you sort of "Become the entertainer". It's a feeling that comes to you and it usually comes with adrenaline. Don't worry, if this feeling hasn't come to you yet it will with experience.

You where obviously put on the spot here. Not only that is fallowed a talk in a church about illusions. then you hand people you wanted to impress. Specific people. That's a lot of pressure. To top it off they where friends and relatives who "didn't like magic much" and aimed to change that. That's a lot of pressure.

Other then what I suggested already above. Here's another suggestion. Learn, or come up with a trick that is better for large groups and doesn't require that kind of "Focus on the hand" moves. A muscle pass is great but it's not a very entertaining piece alone. Maybe do something that uses an assistant from the audience.

There is a saying that goes something like this:

IF a cat steps on a hot stove. It'll learn it's lesson and never walk on the hot stove again. But it will never walk on a cold one either.

It goes something like that. The message is that just because you had this bad experience it doesn't mean that situation will have the same results next time. Learn from it. Figure out what you would do if that situation comes up again. Then when it does happen you'll be prepared.

Ron Jaxon

You had two different coins> perhaps an impromptu copper/silver routine would have been appropriate?

That sounds like a nightmare come to life. And Church people yet! I have had some very depressing experiences with church folks. seems they usually think you are the devil.

Posted: Dec 18, 2004 10:08am
Quote:

On 2004-11-29 21:38, SOHartist wrote:
Well, I'm pretty depressed right now. Here's why.
You see, last night I was at my church and my youth pastor was talking to us about illusions and different things. Well, he started talking about my friend and I because we do magic and asked if we could do something quick. Well, I got all excited(expecially because my sister and her friend were there, who really don't care for magic, and now I thought, "heres my chance to show them what it's all about!!) and jumped at the oppurtinity. Well, I was nervous, but I went right up there with a 1/2 dollar. Anyways, usually I can muscle pass pretty good, but last night it seemed like I was cursed. I tried it over and over but it just flipped over on my hand, so I quickly got out my english penny which is lighter and tried it. Well, it pretty much did the same thing. By now I was turning red, and sweating. Well, I won't go farther into it, but let's just say, I sucked.
I went back and sat down next to my friend, told him how I thought I did horribly hoping he would say, "Nah, it wasn't THAT bad", though of course he agreed with me.

well, sorry but I had to share, thanks for taking time to read it,
Michael

P.S. Oh yeah, what bugged me even more is that once I sat back down I tried muscle passing and I did fine. I even was coin rolling like you've never seen. Of course, I doubt all them saw that.

That sounds like a nightmare come to life. And Church people yet! I have had some very depressing experiences with church folks. Seems they usually think you are the devil.

Actually, just about everyone at my church likes my magic, with the exception of my sister and her friend(well, at least when I AM doing it, probably because I coin roll or do sybills too much)...or at least they don't think it is evil. Though there is this one girl(happens to be one of my sisters friends....go figure), I don't know, she says magic it IS evil, but seems to enjoy watching it. Though she is also my most favorite heckler... She seems to think she knows how everything is done... its annoying.
Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that its pretty cool when 99% of your church likes magic. But your right, it was a nightmare. I'm probably not making any sense....I need to get some sleep.

For now,
Michael

Start the performance with something easy, something you feel totally confident about.This will get you thru the first adrenalin rushed minute or so of being before an audience. Then when you've had a 'kill' or two, and your confidence is high, and the audience is on your side, you can bust out some more difficult stuff with greater ease.

My hands are shaking when I perform a trick that I have never performed before. Very nice when you have to use some sleights. But well, I get used to it. Now I try to show new tricks to people who I know that they will say it was a good performance althought it was not...... Next time is better then.

Magixx

That would be incredibly embarrassing, yes.

But when such things happen, I always try to comfort myself with this little tidbit about David Copperfield my brother read online a few years ago . . .

You know that awesome illusion of his called LASER where he saws himself in half in full view and uses his hands to "walk" his legs down the stage? He was doing that one night and somebody had left an electric cord right in the way of where he was going to be walking . . . he trips and falls while split in half, thus revealing the secret of the illusion. (I imagine it was probably hard to get back up in a hurry, too.). The whole audience laughs.

I don't think he even performs that trick anymore.

But what I'm trying to say is, hey, it happens to everybody - even the best of the best.

Now THAT would be the ultimate embarrasement! Especially with the reputation he has. Poor guy.
Thanks, that does help.

You should have done a levitation. This would look cool in a church!

Course I didn't have any IT on me...........oh but if I did That would have been great.