Volunteer Magic and Teenagers

Tower of Lunatic Meat

Elite Member
Sep 27, 2014
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Texa$, with a dollar sign
Hello everyone. I'm new to the forums and relatively new to magic (three months).

My goal is to strictly be a hospital magician and teach my 5 year old daughter magic. I know a few one handed card flourishes and we're REALLY into the Tenyo magic tricks.

I've been in talks for the last month with a local children's hospital coordinator and one of the things I will be doing is strolling from room to room. Reading up on strolling and hospital magic. I'll have about 5 minutes in each room--which seems to translate into up to 3 tricks.

One speedbump I have run into is what exactly to perform for teenagers. I have tried numerous forums and the slightest inkling I can find is that older kids, teenagers, and adults like tricks in which you're using more common items (rope, coins, dice, cards. Basically, not unusual prop magic--at least you can't do an entire routine of all prop magic, I figure you could do ONE for variety).

With this assumption, I have come up with a 3 trick set for older kids and teenagers:

Tenyo - Burglar Ball
Tenyo - Ghost Lamp
Milton Bradley: Magic Works - Ghost Deck

Just so we're all on the same page, I like using the unusual tricks for two reasons:
1) because they are unusual, the spectator has more than likely never has seen them before, making it a more unique experience
2) Because I want to get into volunteering at the hospital as fast as I can, I'm going for easier to perform trick and focusing on the patter a lot more until I can get some good tricks under my belt (Ghost Deck will be easily replaced with a trick like 'Assassin' or 'Sniper' once I can do the darn thing.)

So yes, can anyone offer any suggestions on what tricks would appeal to older kids, teenagers, and adults for a hospital 'strolling' set.
 
I wouldn't do prop magic to teenagers, it usually comes off as cheesy. a simple ambitious card routine, indifferent card turning into their selection, and a force and prediction trick can work really well. (All can be learned in the first or second volume of Card College)
 
Feb 18, 2014
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Well as for kids, depending on age, if they are little make sure the magic is very visual as thats what they like and they have a very short attention span. Teenagers love general and card magic! If you only have 3 months of experience, I suggest that you learn very simple tricks such as crazy man handcuffs, maybe some ring magic like divorce, ring thing, reflex, etc. Card tricks like hand sandwich, here then there, two card monte! These also work for adults! Have fun, I hope this helped.
 

Tower of Lunatic Meat

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Sep 27, 2014
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Texa$, with a dollar sign
Ghost Deck uses a set of 8 gaffed (I think that's the term) cards. And Ghost Lamp finds a chosen card with a light bulb. Would both of these not be good for teenagers. I figured they were safe bets since they were card tricks.

I'll be able to post descriptions of te tricks a bit later. Especially since there is no video for Ghost Deck
 

Tower of Lunatic Meat

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Sep 27, 2014
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Texa$, with a dollar sign
After thinking about it, I'm not looking for specific tricks; I'm trying to find boundaries. AnthonyL stated that prop magic is written off by teenagers as cheesy. I definitely know that there is prop magic that would come off as cheesy, but I think there are some that look a lot more 'normal'. I'm just trying to test waters with this video:

Ghost Lamp

My concern for Invisible Deck is that it seems like a well known and easy trick to learn (as suggested by penguinmagic) and my biggest concern would be a spectator having seen it before or learned it.

And I'm only asking this because I'm new, but what is meant by 'general magic'? Is it more along the lines of magic with well known and more common objects? (rope, coins, cards, etc).
 
Jan 10, 2009
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University Park PA
General magic usually refers to anything that is not mental magic, coins, or cards. (At least, that is how theory11 defines it in the categories for purchasing tricks)

As for boundaries, I have found that in general what plays well for adults will play just fine for most teenagers. As a point of reference, I've been doing pretty much the same card routines now that I did as a freshman in high school (I'm now a senior in college) and they get similar reception (better now because I have put more time into the presentations, but the tricks haven't changed much). And, how well known a trick is doesn't really matter if you present it well.

Also, you seem to be really interested in the cheap one-off boxed tricks, but I would highly suggest picking up a copy of Mark Wilson's Complete Course (or finding one at your local library). This book has a wide variety of material, ranging in both skill level and variety, and is great for people just starting out in magic.

And as I just reread your original post, you mentioned that you were looking at tricks that were unusual because you seem worried about your spectators having seen your material before. However, it is far more likely that most of your spectators will never have seen a magician live before so really anything you do would be unusual.
 
^^ what he said

As for what seems cheesy and what doesn't, well it all depends. But i happen to be a teenager, And unless the performer is just incredible, all prop magic seems cheesy (to me at least)
 

Tower of Lunatic Meat

Elite Member
Sep 27, 2014
2,435
2,029
Texa$, with a dollar sign
Also, you seem to be really interested in the cheap one-off boxed tricks, but I would highly suggest picking up a copy of Mark Wilson's Complete Course (or finding one at your local library). This book has a wide variety of material, ranging in both skill level and variety, and is great for people just starting out in magic.

Oh man, I wish those boxed tricks were cheap. Part of it is that I grew up with the Tenyo/Magic Works stuff and I knew that a lot of them could work in my hands and not need a hospital table--although I'm meeting the volunteer coordinator later this month, so I'll get a clear answer if I'll have a table to work with; which will dictate pretty much everything.

I'll get the book on Amazon, as I've tried the library (they DID have Royal Road and got to around page 67)

And as I just reread your original post, you mentioned that you were looking at tricks that were unusual because you seem worried about your spectators having seen your material before. However, it is far more likely that most of your spectators will never have seen a magician live before so really anything you do would be unusual.

I read in a few places that kids having seen a magician is becoming more and more common. I guess reading those spooked me out greatly and wanted to have tricks that were sort of 'heckler-proof'--at least in the sense of 'hey I know how you do that because I've seen it before'
 
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Justin.Morris

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Aug 31, 2007
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Canada
www.morrismagic.ca

Hospital is probably the wrong setting for this one due to very well lit rooms.

I really like the suggestions already, and I love what you are doing. I think some simple easy to learn card tricks can go over really well. Even something like Out of this World would be good.

I would recommend Joker's Wild: http://www.penguinmagic.com/p/644 :The sleights are relatively easy (especially if you can already control a card to the top of the deck). He teaches everything you need to know and the sleights are easy enough for a practiced beginner to get down. And I will be honest, it gets crazy reactions from everybody. And it's cheaper than a Tenyo trick!
 
Jul 13, 2014
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If you want the best reaction you have to remember how to think like a teenager and what appeals to them. Then base your presentations around that(and modifying the effect if possible) for example, you could do a packet trick with trading cards or mentalism with a fantasy football theme. Stuff like that would probably work pretty well. As mentioned previously linking earbuds would also be great.
 

Tower of Lunatic Meat

Elite Member
Sep 27, 2014
2,435
2,029
Texa$, with a dollar sign
If you want the best reaction you have to remember how to think like a teenager and what appeals to them

That's the problem

I have a good idea on how to build a set for kids. Not much for building a set for teenagers and adults--even trying to draw off how I was as a teenager.

I will look into packet tricks to see I can get from that angle
 
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