Magic, a Nobel Profession

It is nice to see traditions that are passed down from father to son. There is just something special about a family skill that is passed on from one generation to the next. It is wonderful when you see people sharing their talent because they love what they do. There is a sense of pride and professionalism. In any case, the real winner is the customer.





If you love magic, it may not necessarily be part of your family tradition. In that case, you will probably need to find mentor outside your family. Chose well, there are a lot of great magicians in this world. If you are lucky, perhaps there is a magic shop near you where you can get personal instruction and tutoring on a regular basis.





We are very fortunate to live in a world full of gadgets, multimedia, Internet...DVDs and the like. It is easier than ever before to get information on any subject you are interested in.





There are so many great teachers and performers out there. However, my suggestion for anyone who is starting out, is to do lots of research. Buy lots of illusions. Learn as much as you can to figure out what kind of magician you want to be. By that I mean...there are many kinds of magic. Take two examples, stage magic compared to street magic.





Stage magic is a nice venue...street magic is also beautiful in the right hands. However, if you are born to be a street performer, you shouldn't invest most of your time trying to work on stage. On the other hand, if you were made for the stage... it wouldn't necessarily kill you to do street magic, but you should really place your focus on on the stage where you belong.





One of the best places to learn magic is on the Internet. There are many places where you can learn magic for absolutely free. I have mixed feelings about that. You tube has an innumerable amount of surprisingly and impressive tutorials on magic and illusions.





Some of the "best stuff " is still the stuff you have to pay for the traditional way. To me, when you have to pay for something, you have more respect for it. You are not in a hurry to give away the secret because you spent your hard earned money on that illusion. You will realize what I am talking about when you are performing an illusion you really love in front of a group of people...they are awestruck..then out of nowhere some wiseguy blurts out, "Oh yeah, you used a thumb tip, I saw it on you tube."





There are so many great, professional magicians who teach on DVD, or sell illusion products that will make you a better performer. Sure everybody knows the names Criss Angel, David Copperfield, and David Blaine. However, if you yourself are becoming a magician, you need to do some research and learn some of the other names behind magic...and there are MANY...too many to mention.





I will name just a few. This is by no means a complete list...not even close. This list is just to wet your appetite and point you in the right direction. You will discover your own list of favorite people to learn from as time goes by. Michale Ammar, John Cornelius, Jay Sankey, Daryl, Michael Skinner





There is also a wonderful training course for free on you tube. If you want to get out there and be a real magician, if you want to learn how to do paid performances, If you want some great research material to start you off in the right direction. This course is for you.

However, it's not just for beginners. Even if you have been performing for a while, and just want some ideas to help polish up your act , you will find this information helpful. Perhaps you need help figuring out how much to charge your clients or how to negotiate for more money...or even how to get gigs lined up ... you will also find this course useful.

The link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNVc_CLtJyc There are at least 26 lessons in this course. Each one is only a few minuets long. You can watch them all in one sitting, or you can watch a couple at a time it's up to you. When you download the link, the title should read "Lesson 1: Magic is a 24 Hour Job - Brian Campbell. Enjoy.

Last of all, I will tell you the same thing I always tell every magician that I coach...after you've been in magic for a while...you really have to invent your own stuff. That's just my personal opinion, but I think it's a legitimate point.