Performing Arts : Magic Tricks

Duncan Davis

Learning Magic Tricks As A Hobby

      The first thing that we think of when we hear the word magic is simply “Abra Cadabra” and “Shazaam” which is good by the way. I’m sure many of you guys might have considered performing a trick or two to impress your friends or something like that. But hey, aren’t you supposed to know how to perform a bit of magic trick for that? So if you’re all pumped up to learn how to perform a magic trick, you can take it up as a hobby you know. Besides, it’s not like everyone who knows magic HAS to run and join the circus. So yeah, taking up as magic as a hobby could be quite worth your time, when you’re not doing anything important that is. Lets face it, you’ll be a hit at the parties when you show off some of your skills. And all that depends how passionate you are about pursuing this hobby. You should not have any difficulty in choosing the right kind of trick to learn because quite frankly, there are millions of tricks out there you can choose from. Besides, all you need is some props with you and voila, you’re all set up as the great Houdini himself.

       This might as well be the best hobby out there for your kids for the simple reason that they are easy to learn and the word “tricks” is like the magic word that will keep your kids and even adults glued to this marvelous hobby. Lets admit it, unlike other hobbies that need the person to be careful and also a lot of practice, magic isn’t the same now is it? It hardly requires any practice or any preparation of any sort. Now when we talk about magic, the first thing that you have to understand is that this ain’t the real magic like the one you must have heard in fables. Lets leave the magic of Merlin aside for this time and make it clear that what we are talking about is nothing but simple illusions, simple tricks, that is all. No black magic involved in this hobby, although you might want to make your audience believe that the “truth is out there”. So what are the different kinds of magic out there that you can specialize in? Lets see, there are the three Ps, i.e., Production, Penetration and Prediction. The 2 Ts, Transformation and Teleportation and of course, Vanishing, Restoration and the “Oh so Famous”, Levitation.

       Let us see what each of these categories have to offer us shall we? In case of the Production tricks, all the magician has to do is produce something out of nowhere. This is a trick that is quite contrary to the Vanishing act. A well-known example would include pulling a bunny out of your hat, removing a dime from any of the participant’s ear, etc. This trick is surely made to stir some eyes in surprise. In case of the Vanishing act, all the magician has to do is take something and poof!!! Simply make it disappear right from underneath the participant’s nose without them even being aware of this. This is a trick that is totally the opposite of the Production trick. One famous trick would include presenting an empty box to your participants and then at the snap of your fingers, revealing that your assistant was in there all along. Then of course there is the trick so that you get to experience the “awe” of little children, making a dove disappear from under a cloth.

      How can we even forget the Transformation act that we are so much intrigued by on so many occasions? In this trick, the magician has to change something into something totally different, like changing an object from one part to another. This is nothing but a combination of the Vanishing and the Production acts. Changing a color of your hanker chief is a well known trick in this respect. Another trick to add on to the mystery of your performance would include letting a participant choose a card from an entire deck which is totally undisclosed to you and then later presenting the same card that the participant had chosen in the first place. Oh yeah, that’s just a bit freaky but hey, that’s exactly the stuff that magic is all made of. Then comes the Restoration trick in which the magician asks for the participation of the audience. He may call one participant to the stage and may be destroy his watch or something like that only to reveal that object in its undamaged form quite to the surprise of the participant and to the cheers of the audience. You can also tear a piece of paper into 4-5 pieces and reveal it in its original form to your audience. And, then there is the one that is Oh so popular. By sewing the box with your assistant in it and reattaching the box only to reveal your assistant pop out of the box like nothing ever even happened.

       The Levitation trick is one trick that involves a lot of trickery on your part so that your audience never sees through it. This is nothing but creating an illusion so that the object or even yourself appear to be floating in mid air. One famous act that quite a few must have witnessed on television must be the one in which world renowned magicians David Blaine and Criss Angel hovered in mid air for several seconds quite to the astonishment of the onlookers. One thing that you have to remember is that they are street magicians and are very good at creating illusions. This means that it requires a lot of practice, unlike other tricks that you usually tend to come across like the common card and coin tricks. Floating a metal object in between your hands is perhaps the easiest of all the levitation tricks out there. The Penetration trick is one admired and performed by many magicians. This would involve a magician taking something like a sword and passing it through a box with his assistant in it with the assistant walking away from the act practically untouched.

So there, the different kinds of magic that you can all be interested in, what more of a hobby would you like? Who wouldn’t want to see the audience being captivated by the mysterious tricks of the magician and leave them asking for more? If you’re all set on doing that, then magic tricks is the perfect hobby for you.

The Many Types of Magicians

Magic is a wonderful hobby that anyone can enjoy.  It doesn’t matter how young or old you are or even where you live.  Becoming a magician is fun and easy when you follow these suggestions.

There are many different types of magic, each specialty appealing to different types of hobbyists.  One of the most popular forms of magic is called “close-up magic.” As the name implies, close-up magic is performed just inches away from the audience.  While it may seem harder to fool the audience when they’re so close, in many cases it’s actually easier to do than you’d think.

The props of a close-up magician are smaller than those used by the stage illusionist.  While the stage magician struggles to vanish large things like tigers and people, the close-up magician can perform miracles with small hand-held objects. Vanishing a quarter is a lot easier than sawing a lady in half! That’s because when an audience is very close they see less, not more.  The stage performer is fully visible to the audience, head to toe.  But a close-up magician is so close that the audience can only focus on his hands and face, and not all at the same time.  So in fact close up magic appears to be more impossible than stage trickery but that’s only an illusion.

Another popular form of the art of sleight-of-hand is called “street magic.” Street magicians perform in public spaces for passersby.  Some perform strictly for tips, by passing a hat around but many perform just for fun. With just a handful of props a magician can get lots of practice and experience. By aggressively building a crowd and soliciting tips a good street magician can make up to several hundred dollars a day, if located in a high traffic area full of prosperous tourists. The hardest part of street is holding a crowd’s attention long enough so that they feel obligated to donate a dollar or two. Performing for tips may not be permitted in your city, your local municipality.

Comedy clubs are always looking for funny acts.  A good magician who can combine comedy with amazing magic tricks will find audiences and club owners eager to pay. That’s because most standup comedians lack visual appeal and many comics are very similar to another.  A good stand up comedy magician provides variety and good entertainment that comedy clubs know will impress audiences. Getting your first gig in a comedy club takes a good bit of work.  Put together five to seven minutes of your best magic and build at the least two to three laugh lines per minute. Search for open-mic opportunities at local comedy clubs and sign up for as many as you can.  Don’t be discouraged if your first time on stage isn’t as easy as you’d hope.  With persistence you can put together a strong comedy magic act that will play well in comedy clubs.

Another specialty within the art of magic is the kid show magician. It may not be glamorous but being a kid’s birthday party magician is one way to have a steady flow of paid gigs.  Entertaining children with magic requires patience, enthusiasm and a good rapport with kids.  Unlike adults, kids aren’t shy about calling a magician out if they figure out how a trick is done.  You may think that entertaining kids is easier than working for adults but that’s not true. Kids have a very short attention span and they are not able to grasp abstract concepts. That means you can forget about doing card tricks or any type of mind reading effects.

The world of stage illusions is well beyond most hobbyists in magic.  Large illusions cost thousands of dollars and require elaborate staging and assistants which most hobbyists can’t afford. There are hobbyists that do enjoy collecting illusions, particularly ones that have been performed by the famous magicians of the past.

One of the most exciting fields in magic is the world of mentalism.  Mentalism is a form of conjuring that gives the illusion that the magician has psychic abilities. Mind reading, mind control and psychokinetic effects are among the most popular mind tricks that magicians do. While mentalism tricks usually require very little sleight-of-hand skill, not many magicians can perform them convincingly. A great mentalist needs to be a great actor who can make the audience believe the tricks are real.

Getting started magic has never been easier. The Internet has opened up a world of magic tricks through videos and easy to purchase tricks. The best way to learn magic is by studying with a professional magician who specializes in teaching beginners. Your local magic shop may be able to help you find such a teacher.

Author Brian McGovern is a magician in New York City. He regular performs magic shows in Brooklyn and other parts of the city. He's also one of the many professional magicians on Long Island. He's been performing magic since the age of six.

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