nervousness Archives

How to Approach People in the Street to Show Them Magic

Paul Writes:

‘I need advice on approaching people in the street, as I lack confidence and fear they won’t like me or my magic tricks’

Paul loves his magic and wants to get out and start performing it to the public. Like many people in recent years, he may have seen TV shows where a magician stops people in the streets and blows their mind with magic. However, if you have ever tried doing that yourself, you will understand that it’s not that simple.

What you don’t see on those magic TV shows.
The camera is on the magician approaching an unsuspecting member of the public and asking them to check out his magic trick. The spectators love it and the camera films their reactions, before moving on to the next scene. There is a LOT more going on than this!

Street magic TV shows show the audience at home, exactly watch the director and producers feel will be the most entertaining footage to watch. The reality of stopping people on the streets to show them something is very, very different. If you went out now, to your local high street and started stopping people you will hit these problems:

People are busy and don’t know you.
Normally, people watch magic because they choose to do so. They may be at a party or dinner, or even have gone to see a show. Entertainment is the primary activity of the evening. Compare that to a busy high street, and you can see why performing magic on the street is not easy. You become a distraction and a nuisance. Stopping people in the street can be very different to putting on a magic show like a street performer. They are attracting a crowd, who stop to watch by choice. The spectators made their own minds up to watch some magic. If you intend to stop people from going about their business and ask them to watch you instead, you need to be ready for a lot of..

Rejection.
A great experience for magicians thinking of performing on the streets, is to try their hand at high street market research. It’s a very quick way to grow a thick skin as you deal with constantly being rejected. It’s likely that you will experience this as well when you try to stop people on the streets to show them magic. This is one of the aspects of filming a TV show that doesn’t get shown. Even famous magicians with an exciting film crew set up get rejected over and over again as they stop people. If you are new to performing, we usually warn against street magic, until a good level of confidence has been built up, as the rejection can be very depressing and demotivating for beginners.

You may need a license to perform.
Street magicians can sometimes require a license.

You can find out more about needing a license to perform street magic here.

You need public liability Insurance.
It’s also important that you have sufficient insurance if they are going to perform to the public.

You can find out about the right insurance cover for you here.

How to approach people to perform street magic
If you intend to stop people in the street and ask them to watch some magic, we recommend the following:

1) Make it very clear who you are.
Make sure you are dressed appropriately. If you are wearing normal street clothes, some people will think you are approaching them to cause trouble. Make sure it’s clear you are an entertainer. Carry your playing cards or a prop and have some signs that you are not about to mug them.

2) Look official
An idea that a few magicians use with success is to wear an ID pass on a ribbon around your neck. The pass can just have a photo of you on it, your contact details and that you are a street magician. People are less worried when approached by someone, who looks like they have an official reason for stopping them.

3) Smile and be friendly. The person may well be the 20th you have asked to show a trick, but it’s vital you don’t look cross, bored or resigned to rejection. A warm smile and a polite question will really help you.

4) Have someone filming. It’s a great opportunity when you do get a person happy to stop and watch, so make sure it’s on film. This will also look more official and fun for many spectators. Make sure you get permission to film from the spectator as well as the venue.

5) Remember, it’s a numbers game. The more people you ask if you can show them some magic, the more will stop and watch. Don’t be put off if it takes ages to get a taker. Just keep on going.

6) Be polite to people that say no. Remember that it’s their choice to watch your magic. Just because you are going to the effort to be there and perform doesn’t mean they have to watch. As people ignore you and walk past as you ask them a question, don’t take it as an insult. It really isn’t. They are busy and don’t want to engage with you. It’s their right to choose. Just smile and wish them a good day.

Being confident approaching people to show them magic.
Gaining confidence in your performance and how people will react to it, develops slowly. Everyone will be nervous at first. The best way to overcome this is to just go out and do it. Performing to the public takes guts at first. It’s going to be terrifying the first few times you do it. But very quickly, you will learn it’s not as bad as your fears build it up to be.

Read these posts:

how to overcome your nervousness as you take on the role of a magician.

Finding it hard to perform magic in front of a crowd

If street magic worth doing?
Yes and no. It’s a good way to gain experience of approaching people. After all, you will be doing that all day and being rejected. It can toughen you up very quickly. However, we would suggest there are better venues to start when you first begin to perform for the public. Seek out local events and charity fundraisers, where you can perform for people who are expecting to be entertained. That’s much easier and can build up your confidence.

Question: Have you been out on the streets and tried your hand at close-up street magic? How did it go and what did you learn from the experience? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

How to Join a Magic Club or Society

by Merchant of Magic 5 Comments

‘No man is an island,

Entire of itself.

Each is a piece of the continent,

A part of the main.’ – John Donne

It’s time to join a magic club! The process of discovering magic, tends to follow the same pattern: You learn a magic trick, find out it’s great fun and begin learning another one. Pretty soon you’re completely obsessed. This usually takes you online to discover the new magic and socialize with other people just as mad about magic as you are. If you stop there, you are missing out on a really valuable and fun part of being a magician.Right now there are thousands of people learning and then performing their magic tricks to each other on YouTube, that’s all they ever do with their magic. That’s fun for them, but they are missing out on a huge opportunity that’s right on their doorsteps. Are you trying to learn magic on your own too?

Joining a local magic club will get you in touch with a whole community of people from all walks of life, that love magic just as much as you do. A good magic club will really help you develop as a magician, as you share ideas, learn new magic, and practice your skills in club competitions and workshops.

How often do magic clubs meet?

Most magic clubs meet a few times each month to discuss magic, watch lectures from guest magicians, swap ideas and run magic competitions etc. They often meet in local community centers or clubs during the evening. Most clubs have programs of activities that they run throughout the year. These include competition nights, themed evenings where members perform magic tricks around a chosen theme, magic lectures and workshop events.

How do I get in touch with a magic club?

The first step to joining a club is finding one within travelling distance to you, check out the directory of magic clubs and societies for a list of the best clubs in the UK. Once you find one, visit their website to see information on the club, its upcoming events and their joining criteria. Contact the magic club directly and the membership officer will give you all the details and will invite you to one of the meetings as a guest.

Will I feel welcome?

You will be surprised how friendly and welcoming magic clubs are. After all, they are a group of people as crazy about magic as you are. New members are the life blood of any club, and having new people join is very important to them. Most of the members become very good friends over the years and have all seen each others magic tricks many many times. Many of the members will be itching to show you their magic tricks and also talk about magic with you. The great thing about joining, is that you instantly have something in common with everyone there. If you feel nervous about going to a club for the first time, try to relax. You will be made to feel welcome and nobody will be testing you or assessing your magic skills. You already have something to talk about with everyone there, and will leave at the end of the evening, wondering why you were so nervous.

Does it matter that I’m only a beginner?

Not at all. Magic clubs are about learning magic much more than showing off how good you are. There are plenty of competitions you can enter to display your skills, but the focus is on learning new magic, talking about magic and helping each other to develop each others skills. As soon as you attend you will see that there is a huge range of ability throughout the club membership. Some members are passionate about magic, but not that hot at performing. Others are great at magic, but go to pieces when asked to show a trick. You will quickly find that you will fit in somewhere in the middle, so don’t think you are going to be the only beginner asked to perform magic in front of a crowd of professionals.

A magic club will expect you to have some knowledge of magic and a real interest in it, as they don’t want people attending just out of curiosity about how magic tricks are done. However, beginners are always very welcome.

The only exception to this, will be a few magic clubs for more experienced magicians, such as The Magic Circle. Those clubs will have a far stricter level of entry, so chat to the membership officer when you contact the club and they will be happy to give you details of the joining criteria. You can find out about the process to join The Magic Circle here.

Will I have to do an audition?

Many clubs will allow you to attend for a few meetings before formally joining. Some ask you to audition to become a member. This usually involves performing some magic in front of a few club members to show that you do know some magic and have a basic knowledge of presentation and performing skills. By the time you are asked to do an audition, you will have probably attended a few times, got to know the people there and will not feel so nervous about it.

DO THIS: Check out the Directory of good magic clubs in the UK (If you live outside the UK, just Google magic clubs in your country and a list relevant to you should be somewhere on the first page of search results. )

Don’t listen to any self doubts or nervousness you may have. Just call a local club and chat to the membership officer. They will give you all the details and set up a day for you to visit the club and check it out.

Directory of UK Magic Clubs and Societies

Finding It Hard to Perform Magic in Front of a Crowd

by Merchant of Magic 5 Comments

‘I’m 14 and have been doing close up magic for just over a year. I find it hard to perform in front of a crowd. I really need help with this.’ – Kieron

That’s an awesome question Kieron, and one that we get asked a lot, so you are not alone there. We call it close-up magic, but often, there is nothing close-up about it. You start off showing a magic trick to a couple of people, and before you know it, you have a huge crowd all around you. Pretty scary stuff.

Part of the anxiety is stage fright. That never really goes, but does decrease over time as you get used to it. The key is experience. The more you expose yourself to those kinds of situations, the more used to them you will become. The best way to face this is to get out and perform as much as possible.

Due to your age, finding good venues for your magic can be tricky, but community events, fetes and charity fundraisers would make ideal practice gigs for you to become more used to performing for the public. Contact a few local organizations and ask if you can attend for free to perform.

Ideally perform for the general public, with your parents also attending. Preferably in front of non-magicians so you can get ‘real’ feedback. If your school has a drama club or there is a local theatre group in your area, we highly recommend that you join. You will learn so many valuable skills that will transfer directly to your magic.

Putting in the time to go out and get experience will REALLY pay off whilst you are a young magician. Far more than any private practice can bring you.

We recommend that you read this advice from Ben Williams:

Overcoming nervousness for magicians.

A great technique from Seamus Hayes

Breathing exercises before performing often help.
If you have a lot of anxiety, there is a “Tapping” method, which may help you…

“Could you believe it if I told you that you can tap yourself out of an anxiety? Yes, actually tap away your anxiety.

Anxiety about your golf stroke, anxiety about your performance at work, anxiety about achieving your personal goals, anxiety about your family, anxiety about being bullied, anxiety about how you appear to other people, anxiety about coping, in fact anxiety in whatever shape or form it raises its head may be eliminated through focused tapping.

Consider the following. There is a rat in a box on your desk. Notice how the thought alone can create a reaction.
Now, do the following while thinking of the rat on your desk:

1) What is your anxiety?, is it fear? Is it panic?…
2) Rate the intensity of the anxiety between 0 and 10 (10 being the most intense).
3) While tapping on the “collar bone” repeat 3 times “Even though I feel this anxiety I totally & completely accept myself”
4) Now, while Repeating the Words “This anxiety”, tap 7 times

a) Above the eye,
b) Below the eye,
c) On the collarbone
d) Under the arm, (about half way between the belt line and the armpit)

5) Rate the intensity again. In most cases the intensity has decreased.

Will this simple technique work for everybody? I have witnessed, in my own practice, a lady who had not done exams for over 30 years, release severe exam anxiety in less than 30 seconds with this simple technique. In a few cases, no immediate result seemed to occur, however comments like “I feel calmer”, “I feel more in control” or “I feel less tired and full of energy” surface in conversations days later. A small percentage of people need a longer version to achieve results, however, persistent work always facilitates some change for good.

Philosophers and Psychologists have always recognized the fact that thoughts influence behavior. In the case of the rat above, if you have a negative perception of a rat, as you think about the rat, you will reflect your thoughts in your body as an emotion (anxiety, tension, fear…): Your body’s energy has been disrupted in some form. Focused tapping or pressure on acupuncture points restores the balance to the disrupted energy. By tapping on these pressure points, you begin to separate the emotion from the thought. By thus doing, you increase your control over the situation. I have seen people, who suffered great anxiety at the sight of a mouse, actually hold the mouse in their hand without any negative emotion within minutes.

Is this simple method “off the wall”? Users of reflexology and acupuncture will easily understand the philosophy behind this simple technique. Chinese Medicine, from which this technique comes, has been successfully treating the “whole person” for centuries. Today we call it Energy Psychology. It blends in easily with today’s lifestyle. It’s free, easily applicable and within the personal control of each person who may choose to use it.”
– Seamus Hayes – Source http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Hayes2.html

Do you have some advice that would help Keiron and others like him who are facing fear of performing in front of a crowd? Please post your advice in the comments section below: