Books regarding improving performance

[Tower of Lunatic Meat]

Daughter-face and I are mulling over the magic equipment and she’s having a blast with it and want to go further.

We have a few beginner books, but nothing regarding how to improve performance.

I know about ‘Maximum Entertainment’. Would that be a good starting by point for both of us to go over together? Or are there better choices?

 

[Gabriel Z.]

I have been referred to The Magic Way by Juan Tamariz. There is also Strong Magic by Darwin Ortiz. The honest truth if you want to get better at performing is just to perform more I believe. I could be wrong, if so just disregard this post. I know @RealityOne will contradict me in some way.

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

How old is she?

The best books in my opinion are Maximum Entertainment and Scripting Magic 1 & 2 by Pete McCabe as a close second.

Strong Magic is good, but there are several points that he kind of lost me in that he tends to reference his own books frequently (which feels like a pop up ad to me as I'm reading), and I have a hard time taking certain thoughts seriously when I know he's referencing card tricks.

Jamy Ian Swiss' "The Complete Works" has been enjoyable, but like Ortiz I find that his ideals are on point but I wonder if they get lost when he performs. They both talk about creating significant and meaningful routines and scripts, and then do what have seemed to me to be fairly trivial performances. I presume I'm missing something in that I haven't seen them perform live and give the benefit of the doubt until I do get a chance to do so.

The Show Doctor is the collection of Jeff McBride's columns from the same name. It is Jeff examining a performance and giving advice on how to improve it, so that would probably be good for this scenario.

Can't forget Magic and Showmanship by Nelms. Cheap, too.

Absolute Magic and Pure Effect by Derren Brown are also quite good, but you have to be a collector to want to pay the current price for them. I got lucky in that I got one as a gift from my wife (who got a good price from what she tells me), and then found the other for half what most people ask for it. I have seen them go for $300 each, but $150-250 is more common.

Another underappreciated gem I think is Alchemical Tools by Paul Brooks.

I recently read Our Magic by Maskelyne and Devant and found it rather enjoyable and much more focused on the presentation aspects of magic than most modern books. I also found it very interesting that the thing they complain about in the book are still 100% relevant today. However, this is a dense book and I wouldn't expect most folks to read through it unless they are fairly dedicated to reading magic books.

Other books of note: The Osterlind Trilogy (just rediscovered this a little while ago tucked way in a box I never unpacked when I moved), Mastering the Art of Magic by Eugene Burger, The Paper Engine has lots of tips about performance throughout, Tangled Web my Eric Mead, Magic Matters by Robert E Neale (and anything else he wrote if you can find it), The 5 Points in Magic and The Magic Way by Tamariz.

And while I'm at it, anything on acting.

 

[Tower of Lunatic Meat]

How old is she?

She is 9. At the moment, we are trying to find what she is most interested in working with and mulling over our current inventory of magic props and things.

She likes anything that can be easily carried. She wants almost nothing to do with playing cards (I’m not the biggest on card tricks either. I like some card tricks but not many, whereas she has a complete aversion to them. She has a couple packet tricks she enjoys doing). And she likes ‘reading minds’. Currently trying to diss out if she likes mental magic, or leans more in towards mentalism.

I know it’s a bit more than what you asked, I figured I’d give a bit more context

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

In that case I wouldn't focus too much on worrying about theory yet. She's young enough that you could probably just try your best to teach her good performance habits, and then later let her go back and study/codify what she already knows in regards to theory and philosophy.

Karl Fulves' Self-Working Mental Miracles might be a good thing to try. Practical Mental Magic. I'm the type who would see if she liked CMR, suggestibility tests, and "which hand" kinds of things now - so that the skills seem like an innate talent when she's older.

 

[RealityOne]

I have been referred to The Magic Way by Juan Tamariz. There is also Strong Magic by Darwin Ortiz. The honest truth if you want to get better at performing is just to perform more I believe. I could be wrong, if so just disregard this post. I know @RealityOne will contradict me in some way.

The Magic Way is a good read and has some great effects. It is very thought provoking if you have a basis in theory but I wouldn't recommend it as a first book on theory. Strong Magic is probably the most extensive book on magic theory out there. It is best for people who have a good amount of experience performing because it provides a context and nomenclature for things that you have experienced. I agree that the best way to become a better performer is to perform more. The continued performance combined with an exploration of theory does help take it to the next level. That wasn't too contradictory... was it?

The best books in my opinion are ...

Maximum Entertainment - This is the most practical book on the performance of Magic

Scripting Magic 1 & 2 - I think this is good to explore scripting, but less so on theory beyond that.

Strong Magic - I think the other books are probably better. I do like Designing Miracles. I saw Darwin perform and lecture but I was not particularly impressed -- I admit I had very high expectations reading his book but his performance wasn't significantly different than other magicians I've seen.

The Show Doctor - Jeff is amazing. His columns are responses to questions which cover a whole bunch of stuff. There is an overarching theme that it is written like he is advising people on medical conditions. I've seen Jeff perform and lecture and have attended workshops with him. He walks the talk.

Magic and Showmanship - They had me with the ham sandwich.

Absolute Magic and Pure Effect by Derren Brown - Good, but not great. At least Absolute Magic. Haven't purchased Pure Effect yet.

Alchemical Tools by Paul Brooks - That has been on my to buy list since you mentioned it to me in NYC.

Our Magic by Maskelyne and Devant - There is a lot that can be learned from that book. The best part is that it explains it in the theory sections but puts it into practice in the sections discussion effects.

Mastering the Art of Magic by Eugene Burger - Anything by Eugene Burger is amazing. He has a sense of how to imbibe magic with importance.

The Paper Engine - More about mechanics than performance. Good stuff about tension in performing.

Tangled Web my Eric Mead - I found most of what is in there trivial magic. I like Eric and like to see him perform, but there wasn't much substance beyond the effects.

Magic Matters by Robert E Neale - I lover Robert E. Neale, but Magic Matters was a tough read. The Magic Mirror (which I think he wrote with David Parr) is also good, but more heavy on the theory. Life, Death and Other Card Tricks is great... if you can find it. I think of Robert E. Neale to be more of a philosophy of magic than a theory of magic.

The 5 Points in Magic and The Magic Way by Tamariz - Five Points is a great resource for how to use your body in performing. As I said above, The Magic Way is something that needs to be read once you have a basis in theory.[/QUOTE]

Would that be a good starting by point for both of us to go over together? Or are there better choices?

My top recommendations are Maximum Entertainment and Transformations: Creating Magic Out of Tricks by Larry Haas.

Maximum Entertainment is the mechanics of performance while Transformations is the concept of how to design routines. For working with her, I would start with Transformations. Larry's main concept is that you take a trick (i.e. the method) and add elements to it that make it a performance piece. That concept is truly transformational because you no longer look at magic tricks as "that is a cool trailer" but more so as "how can I take that and personalize it into something that would be a signature piece for me to perform." For a young performer, the idea of having material that is polished and "presentation ready" is essential.

Also, go over to Vanishing Magic and pick up the free e-book Over/Under which is directed toward young magicians and their parents.

 

[Gabriel Z.]

That wasn't too contradictory... was it?

Just about right.

 

[RickEverhart]

Correct me if I am wrong but 9 years olds are typically in 4th grade right? Unless she is reading on a high enough level I am not sure she will truly get an understanding of the written text. I don't know your daughter or her comprehension level. Most 9 year olds can read the words on the pages, yes, but to grasp the material, comprehend it and apply it could be a bit difficult at this stage. Just my two cents. I could be way off base but have been teaching 4th grade language arts for 18 years.

 

[willtupper]

There's one book that I think would be perfect for your daughter (and you, and everyone). That book is A Book of Magic for Young Magicians: The Secrets of Alkazar, by the great Allan Zola Kronzek.

Look it up on Amazon (I'd post a link to it here, but I'm not 100% sure that would be proper). It's a short book, just over 120 pages. But it's told as a story between a magic student and his teacher. And each chapter covers a principle behind performing, followed by a few effects that illustrate that principle. It's a perfect method for learning, IMO.

And the thing is, at the end of the book, you're left with a show. You know about routining. You know about patter. You know how to put things together, link one effect after another. It'll be a small show, probably (although there are options for stage effects and shows given, too), but it'll be yours.

It'll be a beginning.

If there was one book I would recommend to beginners, more than any other, it would be that one. I've no proof of it, but my hypothesis is that magic isn't a bigger phenomenon in the world because beginners quicky become overwhelmed. They get Mark Wilson's wonderful book (so many effects!). They get Royal Road to Card Magic (so many techniques! So much archaic language!). They get told, "This is what you've got to know." All by folks who were told the same thing when they were coming up (they being the proud few who didn't give up).

The Secrets of Alkazar teaches 15 effects. That's IT. But they're all couched in the REAL secrets of magic. Misdirection. Handling. Naturalness. Routining. It's wonderful.

How much do I have the book? I'm on my second copy. I read the first, studied, underlined and made notes, until the thing fell apart.

And, bonus! It's only $7.95.

It may, in all seriousness, be the best money in magic I've ever spent.

I've only told one other person about it, ever. But, honestly. I can't recommend it enough.

So, yeah. That's my suggestion. I really think you and your daughter would love it.

I think everyone would.

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

There's one book that I think would be perfect for your daughter (and you, and everyone). That book is A Book of Magic for Young Magicians: The Secrets of Alkazar, by the great Allan Zola Kronzek.

A Google search found this on Barnesandnoble.com for $1.99 (plus shipping brings it to just under $7 - or you could order $25 worth of books and get free shipping ... and realize why I need to build a new bookshelf)

The excerpt it has does make it seem like a really good book for this purpose. I've added it on my "to buy" list.

I don't disagree with anything you said, @RealityOne. I also have This is Not A Book by Robert E Neale but haven't read it yet. Magic Matters was a slower read and I was going for lighter material for a bit. I've been trying to get my hands on Life, Dead, And Other Card Tricks for ages but it's generally expensive when I can find it and other things have been more pressing. My recommendation for Scripting Magic is due to the fact that every time I've seen a magician focus on better scripting, their performance gets better, too.

I'm working on the assumption that Brett would basically be reading the material and then 'translating' it to the kiddo.

 

[willtupper]

That's awesome (and quite a bargain). I am a bit gun shy about used books, though. Have had a few experiences over the years where the condition the seller listed definitely was definitely NOT the condition I received.

There was a great interview with Mr. Kronzek in last December's issue of M-U-M. He spoke a bit about the origin of the book, the new eBook edition (which I also own - I guess I've bought three copies of it over the years), and his career as both a magician and writer.

In addition to The Secrets of Alkazar, I might also recommend another of his books, The Sorcerer's Companion: A Guide to the Magical World of Harry Potter. Not technically a "magic" book, but it is a wonderful reference if you're looking for ideas for scripting, plots, and backstory for your own performances.

A Google search found this on Barnesandnoble.com for $1.99 (plus shipping brings it to just under $7 - or you could order $25 worth of books and get free shipping ... and realize why I need to build a new bookshelf)

The excerpt it has does make it seem like a really good book for this purpose. I've added it on my "to buy" list.