Magic at school

Hello guys,

I just wanted to ask you a simple question. I am at school and someone says to me "show me a trick" then all the people surround me because they know i will do a trick.... and i kinda do not know what trick to do. Can you guys give me names of magic tricks that can be done surrounded or almost surrounded??? I don't want only fancy stuff... any trick will work. I already showed ACR and rubber band magic to my classmates so i need something else :D
 

Josh Burch

Elite Member
Aug 11, 2011
2,966
1,101
Utah
For most of these situations I don't do anything. I usually say "Not now, I'll do something sometime, when the moments right". I like to perform on my terms, not the terms of someone else. If I had a potential gig to gain though I would Shinkoh's twisting arm or the thumbs up effect that so many magicians open their shows with. If it is a parent that asks me to do a magic trick for their kid I do some Johnny Palmer style ring magic.
 

RickEverhart

forum moderator / t11
Elite Member
Sep 14, 2008
3,637
471
46
Louisville, OH
This is a very bad habit to get into. You are not a performing monkey. Before long you won't be able to trade classes or be anywhere without someone saying, "Do a trick for us!" It will seem fun and the attention is a turn on at first but then it gets old an annoying.
As mentioned, perform on your own terms.

As far as effects though that you can do surrounded: Use effects that are self working or work by a key card principle or mathematical. Anything that requires a break or peek or angle restrictions might be a bit challenging if you are completely surrounded.
 
Jul 3, 2011
48
0
Oregon
I get faced with that same problem almost daily in school, and I have found that it grows quite annoying. I normally tell them that I don't feel like it because of this. Sadly, this won't keep them from begging so I find that just showing them some shock magic will normally please them well enough. Will Houston's Freak is probably my favorite bit of magic to show because it can kinda be performed surrounded, but I still prefer to have my back to a wall.

(Sorry if the post seemed randomly thrown together, my train of thought had been derailed several times by some annoying kids.)
 
Jul 13, 2009
424
0
Edmonton, Canada
Haha reading this i just had to log-in and comment after a long time! Like 3 years ago, i made a thread just like that one with almost the same question being asked. Well i shall give you the same advice i was given to.

-Don't become their magic monkey, if you like the feeling of people chasing you all around asking to see a trick (and that's a good feeling) ... you would want to keep it alive. Performing too much for the same crowd slowly takes the magic away from them. They will go from "WAOOOOW WTF" to "hehh nice one". You should always leave them asking more, which is never given to them.

Also if you prefer with your back to a wall but you are surrounded by people. Never forget you are the center of their attention, feel free to take control and move them around in front of you.
 
Oct 22, 2011
97
2
California
for on the spot tricks you can always do an ACR or a sloppy shuffle triumph. I also like to do things with the aces like twisted aces or the invisible hand. Card transpos hit big too. You can also do some real simple mind reading if you have some cards or a book. Those always get a big reaction if done well. As a gag/ stunt I do this really freaky thing with bending my pinkie in half the total wrong way its supposed to bend. It looks disgusting and I think it's an actual trick that someone has released but I stumbled across it just messing around. Any how all of these you can do surrounded with no angle worries. As for not knowing what to do, have a set of 4-6 tricks you love most and hit big and practice them to death so that you know them and can whip um out on the spot. As always practice and experience will make your school day troubles go away.
 
Jul 3, 2011
48
0
Oregon
As a gag/ stunt I do this really freaky thing with bending my pinkie in half the total wrong way its supposed to bend. It looks disgusting and I think it's an actual trick that someone has released but I stumbled across it just messing around.

Ha ha yeah. That is the exact thing that I do. If you want to look further into it it is known as Freak by Will Houston as I said. I have performed it for rather large, burly men and even they have squealed and turned away. If I get into a conversation about being double-jointed I show it off and people freak out, or if I just have to show someone a quick trick I show them "The Broken and Restored Bone"; it is fun in all situations.

Though this one time I was doing it for some kids (at the ripe young age when the love everything disgusting. I told them not to try it and gave them a strict warning of course) and I don't know how, but I actually, and accidentally, popped my finger out of the socket. Had to stop doing it for a few months after.
 
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