Practice, practice, practice, and perform...

[Gui42]

Ok... idk this might not be very smart but ok you go learn a piece, learn all slight of hand, misdirection. Now you go and perform it to your friends and
family and then what??

i mean i try to perform to evrybody i pass and look and etc...

but should i go to the streets and do it to random people? I agree that practice is 90% of the magic and the 10% performance but i fell i am missing the performance part!

any help for where who, to perform after friends and family and others??

 

[Asuka]

90% practice and 10% performance?

Way way off the line there. Performance is everything. Obviously, you need to practice to get it to look perfect but performance is much more.

I think its a very common misconception that the trick will do the work for you but it definately will not. You need to work and work and work at getting your performance spot on. Take a look at this clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7FUwUXPSqE

A classic and one of my favourite magic videos to watch. His performance is absolutely perfect and that's what made it so amazing.

But anyway, to answer your question, my friends and family are sick to the back teeth with magic. Strangers are your best bet but I personally wouldn't wander round the streets doing magic for people. If your old enough, go to a pub and entertain a few people. Do some magic for people in your school. Join a local magic club. Join anywhere that has people all around you that you can do some magic for. I know a lot of people do wander round the streets shoving a deck of cards in people's faces, so it's not out of the question, but I wouldn't do that personally.

 

[Mitch.Conroy]

It's hard to put into words the advice that you need. I mean, I'm not exactly sure what you are looking for "now". Magic is an art in which the performer always (hint-ALWAYS) has something to do in order to perfect their talents.
I mean short of just going out there and doing it, work on individual elements that make up a performance. Practice finding and maintaining an audience, or practice your routine. Have like 2 or 3 effects on hand, go find a crowd at a mall and hold that audience for like a few minutes in between effects. You could also work on routining your magic. If you haven't routine your effects yet, spend the time and do so. I know that there are a couple threads that go into detail about getting a routine going. Spend the time to perfect what you have.

I got to go to class and I will add more on later, but just keep that in mind.

Mitch.Conroy

 

[Tyler Johnson]

I think what Gui42 meant by 90% practice, 10% performance is that 90% of the time you practice, 10% of the time, you perform.

Although, the bit about performance during a performance, being the main thing that makes the magic, well that's great advice. So work on that.

As far as performing for people Gui42, there are several places to perform. The most common place for people that are still in school, is to perform in school. You can also perform in malls (with permission of course), or in stores (once again with the managers permission).

What's the best way to draw crowds and perform in school?

The best way to perform in school is to get in an area where there are lots of your fellow classmates. Take a friend with you and perform a trick for him. If it's well performed and he freaks out, it will draw attention to your performance. People will start coming over to look and see what's going on.

What's the best way to draw crowds in a mall?

It's best not to approach people in a mall, most are there to shop, not see magic. Some are just strolling around aimlessly, but it's hard to find them. So, there are two ways to draw a crowd, because even though they're shopping, if a bunch of people are gathered and watching something, then they want to see. You do actually do the friend method you would do in the school setting. Take a friend with you and perform some magic with him, if he is amazed, people will start crowding around and watching. But, another way you can perform is to draw in the aimless people strolling about the mall. Just simply sit somewhere and do some simple things with cards. Do some flourishes, do some easy color changes, just do something. If an aimless person walks by they will probably get interested and stop and ask if you do magic. Then the performance starts and if you amaze them, a crowd can gather.

There's so much more great advice out there and in my mind, but, since I don't have all day to type and have to leave in five minutes, I'm gonna have to end there. Hopefully I helped in some way! Peace!

Tyler

 

[Gui42]

Yes Tyler that was exactly what i meant by 90%practice and 10% performance.. Now all of the advices are great! Now, wht i meant was, a lot of my frinds in school and my family have seen a lot of my performances, and i know that repeating an effect for thesame person a lot of times is not nice... and i want to know where to go after this point....

 

[Shodan]

Honestly, you have to develop a passion for practising if you want to be able to stick with magic for any length of time. The pleasure IS the practise, and that's not just technique. Presentation, patter, routining are all areas which open new doors when you start to work them into your practise. If you can get a kick from really fine tuning a trick or routine, then that's great.

Magic is of course a performance art and you should take every opportunity that presents itself to perform. If you're always practising then you're always ready!

Let me put it another way. I am the director for a dance company, and I run classes/rehearsals 12 times a week. We put on shows maybe 3 or 4 times a year. The ratio of performance time to practise time is tiny - and dance is a performance art. My dancers get a real buzz from practising, they realise that its an end unto itself, and so this situation is fine by them. Of course, every now and then they pull a few moves out when they're out on the town, which is a perk of always being in practise!

 

[Medifro]

Its VERY simple:

You practice until you are comfortable with the trick, then you perform it. The more you go in magic, the higher your standard's of "comfortable with the trick" will be.

If you don't perform, why the heck practicing?

Don't feel obligated to practice, no one forces you, just have fun practicing.

 

[Shodan]

Medifro, you haven't addressed the question. The guy has run out of friends and family to perform to, and is wondering where to go next to perform.

 

[Gui42]

Thank you Shodan that is what i meant! i love practicing magic, in front of a mirror, for a camera and trying to have a perfect performance evry tima. But there is also the performance which i love to do but evryone i know is already done with me and doesn't think and i think that my effects doesn't give that impression any more... but evry chance to perform for some one new i have i will take and when i perform it to them i can see the reactions... i want more new people that i can perform, you know??? any ideas?

 

[Shodan]

If you're really, really desperate for perfomance opportunities and you think you're good enough, then I would suggest doing some charity work. Old folks homes, hospitals (especially children's wards!) are usually very enthusiastic for someone to come in and provide some entertainment. Fantastic experience for you, a chance to perform for new and different audiences and you get to do a good deed - all at the same time.

 

[Medifro]

Medifro, you haven't addressed the question. The guy has run out of friends and family to perform to, and is wondering where to go next to perform.

Oh! I'm sorry, haha. I misunderstood you.

To add on Shodan's post, I perform primarly in college campus and in a cafe' which has PC gaming networks, cafe, pool .. etc.

You can do street magic as well. Find a good corner, put a table so you "mark your spot". This could be tough at first, but its a very nice performing experience. You could do Invisible thread effects to gather people around you for starters.

The age could be a problem though .. I personally plan to busk this summer.