Beginning Magician

[mattiaja]

I know this is a horrible question to ask, but I really don't have anywhere else to put this forward.

What seems to be the most effective way to learn to perform not just individual illusions, but to put them together as an act?

Is there an accepted apprenticeship program? Or is everyone pretty much on their own when it comes to training until they get to a certain level of proficiency and are able to converse with peer conjurors?

Thanks for the time that anyone takes to answer these questions.

Aaron

[Cain]

How does the old line go? Good artists borrow, great artists steal?

Do you mean an "act" is in a full-fledged show? A stage show? One where people will (or should) pay to see you? Or are you talking about something closer to a parlor setting for friends?

[Stir]

There are many, many resources available to a beginning magician. It's certainly easier to find instruction and help with techniques and specific effects than it is to get help with putting together an entire act, but try:

Find a local magic shop, introduce yourself, and hang out there.
Find a local chapter of SAM or IBM or other magic club and attend a few meetings/join.
Buy some magic books other than those with just lots of tricks. There really are some quite good books on performance.
Find a fellow magician whose performance you admire and ask him for help.
Find other magicians at about your level and 'session', including critiquing each other.
Think about an act, put one together, practice & rehearse, perform, self-critique and aske others (magicians and non) for their input.
Look into getting training in other stge and entertainment arts: speech, dance, etc.
Go to magic conventions, attend everything, talk to everyone.
Hire some professional assistance.

[Brown]

Michael Ammar (an award-winning performer) has a number of instructional DVDs that are quite good.

One of the DVDs is called "The Exciting World of Magic." This DVD teaches some tricks but also discusses the practice and society of magic. Although I haven't reviewed this DVD, it might be a good start for someone who is interested in developing a serious magic performance.

Ammar's DVDs on specialized topics are excellent. I have reviewed his instructions on card magic, coin magic and levitations. The card magic DVDs are especially good at helping a performer identify effects that can be "put together" to form an act. In particular, the DVDs help identify effects that have a similar theme, so that a performer can easily "flow" from one to the next. The DVDs also identify ways in which one effect can set the performer up to do another effect. For example, when you're done with one trick, you've now got the four aces in front of you, and this allows you to proceed right into a four-ace feat.

Ammar also teaches basic sleights that can be applied to design your own tricks, or to modify tricks to match your style.

The Ammar videos teach you some of the jargon, too. Once you start to understand some of the shorthand terms in the practice, it will be easier to speak to performers (and good magic dealers) to get their advice.

In my experience, performers are quite adept in distinguishing people who are genuinely trying to improve their own skills from people who are merely trying to discover the trade secrets for their own curiosity. Many performers will gladly help the former but will rebuff the latter.

For example, earlier this year I received a lesson in magic from the great Jerry Andrus. I told him, "Jerry," (he insisted that I call him Jerry) "I've been working on one of your tricks, but I keep getting stuck." I then showed him what I could do, and then I said, "... and here is where I get stuck. I need to get the coin into my left hand, but I can't figure out how to do that." Jerry was glad to help me out. Once he saw that I was really trying to improve my performance, he had no trouble helping me improve, including revealing some of his secrets.

One idea that a lot of performers use is that they come up with a general "theme," then select effects that cater to that theme. Examples include "Would you be interested in a test of your powers of observation?", "You know, I'd like to try an experiment or two....", "I met this gambler, and he told me....", "My uncle used to try to teach me lessons about life using magic....", and so forth. If you choose (for example) the "gambler" theme, it's fairly easy to identify coin and card tricks that use or can be adapted to the gambling theme.

If memory serves, Jamy Ian Swiss is one of those who advocates the development of a theme. Too often, performers fall in love with effects and try to work those effects into the act, even though they don't "fit" the chosen theme.

(Edited to add: Michael Ammar's videos are available at:
http://www.ammarmagic.com/store/index.php?main_page=index)