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gillesA4 Special user Brussels, Belgium 593 Posts |
Just wonder, how did you get involved into magic? I mean, how, and why, did you fall into the booby-trap? I'm 47, last february , there was this annual gathering of the belgian actors, "L'union des artistes"; a friend of mine - actor, and magician as well- presented the well known trick "La malle des Indes"; and an Orson Welles booktest; I knew he was a magician for, say, 25 years; but the booktest drove me mad, I ran amok and browsed the net for days to try to find an explanation- I still didn't found btw-.
I was caugh up before I only knew it... That's how it all began for me; I wonder how all the keen members of this forum get involved... If I'm not inquisitive of course! Be good, all of you!
We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. (A. Einstein)
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Shakey Veteran user In over 4 million i've made 360 Posts |
About 9 years ago a mate of mine (not a magician) vanished a silk in his bare hands - I found out how it was done - and I started on this incredible journey.
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evolve629 Inner circle A stack of 3838 Posts |
Caught the magic bug in 2004 and there's no return.. I think it was the Raven, or Dough, or possibly the magical hot rod that started my quest of learning.
One hundred percent of the shots you don't take don't go in - Wayne Gretzky
My favorite part is putting the gaffs in the spectators hands...it gives you that warm fuzzy feeling inside! - Bob Kohler |
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Jaz Inner circle NJ, U.S. 6111 Posts |
I always had a passing interest and had learned a few tricks during my teens and twenties. During those years I had bought Tarr's "Now You See It, Now You Don't", a TT & silk and knew a couple of card tricks.
Some years later, when my girls were older, we went on a camping trip at the NJ shore. It rained all week and while walking on the boardwalk I came across a magic shop. In hope of keeping the trip alive I went in and bought Scotch & Soda, Glorpy, Steel Ball and Tube, Svengali Deck and I forget what else. That's basically it. That was twenty or so years ago and I'm still enjoying it. |
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magicalmike New user somewhere and everywhere 28 Posts |
When I was eight I saw a magic show at a friends birthday party. All I remeber was the PBand J illusion. I loved it. When I turned 14 and a half curosity got the better of me when a friend showed me one of those simple math card tricks. I looked up how to do it. Then I started looking more and more found some magic websites. Started out with cards. Got good, and now I'm moveing on to coins.
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Father Photius Grammar Host El Paso, TX (Formerly Amarillo) 17161 Posts |
It was the early 1950's in Dallas, Texas. We actually owned a TV and twice a week this guy came on for 15 min with a show called Time for Magic. He had an assistant who was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Somehow I knew what he was doing was being done by natural means, but I wanted to be able to do it. I was hooked. My first magic instruction were some pamphlets he offered for sending in 6 Dr. Pepper bottle caps. My first magic apparatus was a wand and Budha paper trick he gave out at a supermarket show in exchange for a 6 pack of Dr. Pepper and a package of Neuhauf franks. Then he and his wife/assistant offered a magic kit they put together in their apartment through a Dallas Dept. Store. I , of course, had to have one. I have never looked back. Mark and Nani moved on from Dallas to bigger and better things and remain good friends to this day. My Dad, a couple of years later, introduced me to "Uncle Harry" on a trip to California. He was the only other person that I had ever met who was a magician besides Mark and myself. I even tried to convice him he needed to learn magic from Mark Wilson. Of course, at that point in my life, I had no idea who Blackstone was. I've loved every minute of it for over 50 years now.
"Now here's the man with the 25 cent hands, that two bit magician..."
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kosmoshiva Loyal user Canada 255 Posts |
When I was six, I wanted to make my big brother disappear ...
:)
Don't forget to breathe.
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PirateJohn Regular user Anaheim, CA 156 Posts |
I was a big fan of David Copperfield when I first saw him on TV. I was probably about eight years old. I wanted to learn how to do magic, but I didn't know how to go about learning. It wasn't until I was sixteen that I found a mentor that took me to Hank Lee's Magic Factory and I got started.
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Erdnase27 Inner circle 2505 Posts |
I was a big fan of dutch magican hans kazan. that's how I rolled into it ..
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gillesA4 Special user Brussels, Belgium 593 Posts |
Thank you for these nice stories, some funny, some romantic...Looks like it brings us back to childhood most of the time; Am I the only one being bitten so late in life??
We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. (A. Einstein)
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DomKabala Inner circle I've grown old after diggin' holes for 2827 Posts |
When you are laying in the grave, it's too late to be bitten. I too, began when I was a child in the '50s and '60s. My main influence was Mark Wilson and his Saturday morning show (CBS) "Magic Land of Alakazan". I've been a hobbyist off and on ever since.
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." |
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The Amazing Noobini Inner circle Oslo, Norway 1658 Posts |
No, I too started late. Last year at age 38.
For me the beginning was less romantic perhaps. As a kid I had been obsessed with cards but I never knew card magic existed. I thought magic only involved sawing women in half and pulling rabits and doves from hats. I had however seen a spaghetti western with a card shark who did impressive shuffles so I tried to invent my own ways of dealing myself a few controlled cards in a poker game. But I knew no magic or real sleights and moves. It was all very primitive. And kids don't play much poker so I didn't get to use it. Then last year I saw a video on YouTube and I thought wow! It was, I later learned a version of Chicago Opener. Afterwards I saw a clip of Lennart Green. Bigger wow! So I googled a little, actually looking for coin tricks. I didn't believe someone like me could learn any card stunts so late in life. I practiced coin rolls and things like that for a little while and then I Googled my self onto these forums somehow. So almost exactly one year ago I started practicing with cards, trying to make up for all the years I wasted doing other things. It's going pretty good so far. People look at me a bit oddly when I say that I have quit my old life to start anew as a magician.
"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) |
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Joker63 New user 48 Posts |
Quote:
On 2007-11-05 03:20, gillesA4 wrote: I'm 43 and only really started a couple of years ago. Still very much a hobby. I started because we walked into a Magic Store (named the Magic Store), one of the guys behind the counter showed us the dynamic coins - drumming up business I guess. We bought them for my son (then six, now eight). We went back the next day an bought a few more tricks my son could do, then I got interested in cards. Bought some packet tricks, Card College One - then the rest! I still go back to that Magic Store whenever I am in town and but something new for me and the kids. Great hobby, I use it in my teaching (outdoor education) as an ice-breaker mostly. I'm fairly sad that I didn't start earlier. So much to learn and perfect. cheers Daryl |
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Jaz Inner circle NJ, U.S. 6111 Posts |
While I dabbled over the years, I didn't really get serious until I was in my mid-thirties.
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J.Robert Loyal user Gettysburg, PA 240 Posts |
As many people, I had an interest as a child and teen, just a couple books (I still have "The Klutz Book of Magic" that I started with). It didn't bite me seriously until a few years ago when my father-in-law took us to this magician's club (he had a friend that was a member and got us in). Before that day, I had never heard of The Magic Castle, but I sure can appreciate it now! The next day I was at Hollywood Magic buying all kinds of crap (on a seperate note, last time I was there they were trying to sell me a knock-off of Masuda's "WOW", so I won't be giving them anymore of my business). Anywho, that was a few years ago, now I'm having a blast doing shows, going to lectures and conventions, and all the other great benefits of being involved in this artform. I say all the time that I wish I had gotten involved long ago, that maybe if I had I'd be doing this professionally now. But oh well, better late than never. -J.R.
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The Amazing Noobini Inner circle Oslo, Norway 1658 Posts |
Great! I need to hear these stories of people who like me have started late and still managed to become proficient! Because sometimes I lose my hope a little when I hear everyone younger than me say how they have decades of experience behind them.
It's probably too late for me to learn things like XCM (Thank God) but the booklearnin' is probably easier for me now than it would have been had I been very young. Probably the hardest part for me seems to be to find the huevos to start performing in front of strangers. That would have been easier had I done it as a cocky teenager. Also I feel that it is more pathetic now should I fail miserably, as anybody my age are normally a pro at whatever they do. Do you guys have any thoughts on the pros and cons of you having started late?
"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) |
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Hearttau Elite user New Jersey: Exit 15 E 423 Posts |
Well, It all started with a clown magician way back in 1969. Long story short, he had me pulling hamsters out of my cap in no time. He even made the special cap for me. I first performed at an Elk’s convention in Atlantic City, NJ in 1971 or 1971; I was seven or eight at the time. I did easy silk and flower productions, and of course, my not so famous hamster in the cap routine. I stopped doing magic when I went to college and I just got back into it this past year. I’m forty-four now, so if you do the math, I’m really a beginner all over again.
My main focus now is Gospel Magic since I’m a Brother of Charity. I just started performing for church groups and nursing homes. Noobini, A volunteer gig might be just the ticket to get you over your jitters. I can guarantee even if you flub a trick or two, you’ll be apprenticed for your efforts 99% of the time. Dave
Lentidigitator: “A magic artist who performs slow motion magic”... Rene Lavand
"Peace and all good"... St. Francis "Hold on to your joy!"... Me http://mysite.verizon.net/hearttau/ |
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Jay Austin Regular user 184 Posts |
I first saw a magician when I was in the first or second grade. The only thing I remember is the guillotine. After that I would always watch anything dealing with magic. I learned a few simple card tricks and a few other things. The next major experience was when we went to Disney and I went into my first magic shop. I walked out of there with a set of linking rings, a magic light bulb, and a needle through balloon (tube version). I again lost interest. Then when I was working as a paramedic I found out that some simple magic tricks would take kids attention away from the situation. I would do some simple things to help quieten a screaming kid in the back of the truck as long as they were not in a life threatening situation. I started doing kid shows and a few other locations. I got burned out on shows so gave up preforming. The only shows I would do were for my wife's classroom. Last year it all became fun again. I am basically doing school shows. I have become involved in our local club and started interacting more with local magicians. I have started going through the Chavez course.
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VcosNJ Inner circle 1179 Posts |
When I was still young, my cousin would fool the heck out of me using a hankerchief and making it jump up his arm. He wouldn't tell me how he did it, and that whole summer, I just wanted to know the secret. My curiosity was really getting the best of me. After a few years, David Blaine had his first special. Again, I was hooked and that's how I started. I searched the internet and found Ellusionist. I've been a magic junkie ever since.
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Banester Special user 669 Posts |
My Grandfather would perform magic shows for us when we visited or they came to see us. When I was around 9 he would take me behind the scenes and show me how to do a trick or two. As time went on he would bring me to some different magic conventions. I even met Kreskin several times, he was a good friend of my Grandfathers. I think the turning point was when he built me a custom magic set which I still have to this day (29 yrs later). It has a Svengali deck, haunted deck, magnetic dime under matchbox and several others.
I took a break from magic when I was first married, but I have been getting more and more involved as time goes on. Few more years and I will pass down that magic set to my son, I am so excited!
The art of a magician is to create wonder.
If we live with a sense of wonder, our lives become filled with joy -Doug Henning- |
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