Performing Magic Tricks with a Humanistic Approach

“Do it the best you can, focused completely on the audiences own personal experience”.

In my style, it’s not the best idea to directly claim psychic abilities. I prefer to create mystery and leave my audience and spectators to draw their own conclusions. They use their own beliefs and personal experiences to label my performance.

The word “psychic” can mislabel your work and can create unnecessary resistance for your performance (at least in my experience happens that). My desired result, gives the spectator a moment of entertaining mystery, and a memory for the rest or their life. The Humanistic model of performance is my way to accomplish this.

My inspiration comes from various fields (mystery arts, theater, psychology, philosophy and other places), but the most important is Carl Roger´s writing on psychotherapy.

Since I was a child, I had an interest in communication, performing and connecting with people. I will be a qualified psychologist in a couple of years, so I study different theories and aspects of this practice. I have discovered several powerful concepts that can be of great help to your own development and understanding. Maybe for some this will be very intuitive, but it´s always necessary to create conscious awareness of unconscious knowledge to create better insights.

The 3 Conditions

Carl Rogers defines a correct environment for psychotherapy as 3 specific conditions:

1. Empathy: Be inside the mind and see thru the eyes of the client. See the world like him and as popular wisdom says: “put yourself in the shoes of others”
2. Unconditional Positive Regard: Without prejudging, accept the other.
3. Congruence/ Genuinity: A real interest about your client.

Now, what if we change the word “psychotherapy” to “perform” or “reading” and “client” to participate?

Obviously our performance isn’t a therapy session, but I believe that applying these modified concepts to our art can create a powerful moment for our participants. One that can be beneficial for them. With this attitude towards your participant, the performance will be centered on him rather than on you, which will allow him to feel good.

We can learn several theoretical tools to enhance our own performance. NLP concepts (engage your communication skills in a visual, auditory and kinesthetic way. Cover all possible paths to really being a successful communicator. Be aware of your verbal and non verbal language, etc

) If you analyze those 3 simple conditions that Rogerian Therapy give us, you will discover that they are not based on pure knowledge from books. Rather, an attitude and a predisposition to accept the human that is in front of you, in an honest and genuine caring way. To understand that he is person with the same insecurities as you. That he wants to gain something special in his life.

Be Empathic.

Being empathic isn’t just a natural gift that comes with your own personality, rather an ability that can be sharpened through your experience, and really start to communicate with as many people as you can. You should always try to connect with them and see the world with their eyes. Let him know that will all be fine and that a short moment of sharing will not embarrass him. In that way you participant will feel your true attitude towards him.

It’s essential in this model, to see the participant as a valid person to share with, on that precise moment. Let him know with your communication, that even when he “commits a mistake”, everything can be fixed and that the performance isn’t a rigid. It’s something that both performer and participant create.

Be Genuine.

One of the most important aspects on to approach is being genuine. But how on earth can we “learn to be genuine”? That’s kind of a paradox, right?

Well, at the beginning you will need to amplify the natural positive attitude that you have for your participant (even when isn’t too much). After that, you can focus on that positive part, and start from there. Several times I work in places where some members of my audience aren’t cooperative or just don’t really care about the performance. In these moments, it’s very hard to genuinely care if the caring isn’t reciprocal. Whenever I push hard in an intelligent way, I see good results.
But don’t try to be Mr. Nice. That could be very negative towards your goal, and can create resistance. Find the correct balance.

For me the solution comes from our vocation as a performer. Not everyone can be a performer. Your natural desire to share in your own performance, needs to move you to be genuine.
A therapist enjoys seeing people improve their lives, or resolve some issues, and become a better human beings. Maybe we can enjoy the mystery that we can create, and appreciate the participant for the other personal goals that you have as artist?

Fighting your EGO

Now, let’s face it, our EGO is huge, and it’s very difficult not to ask for attention. With this “participant centered performance” you may not receive the applause and attention that you want. My personal experience, when applying these ideas on performance, taught me that:

IT DOESN’T MATTER.

It doesn’t matter, because you will still gain recognition as a miracle worker for the simple fact that without you, this awesome paranormal thing could not be performed or perceived.
So when you read minds, you center all the attention on how skillful your participant is, to send thoughts and visualize in his mind. However, at the end, your audience will give YOU the credit for the abilities (real, theatrical or both).

Putting this in practice.

Let’s take a simple example of this model, applied to a basic magic trick:

Predicting one selected object amongst a group.

One way, is performing this trick with the focus on the successful prediction due to the abilities of the performer, just to show-off.

Question:Who is the center of the entire event?
Answer: You as performer.

What if our prediction of a selected object on the table, isn’t about us as the great mindreaders. Perhaps it could be the spectator and their intuition, and how they, with their powerful imagination/unconscious, could perceive the written object?

What if you use some playing cards, tarot cards, ESP cards or 7 Chakra stones, and give your performance an interesting inherent meaning. Ending with a reading about the predicted object?

Question: Who is the center of that event?
Answer: Your participant.

He is the center of attention. You are simply conducting the mysterious event that will occur.
Here your artistic motivation is present, and can be interpreted by your participant during or after the performance. He could find this rationally or irrationally. I mean that, he will feel mystery about the prediction, but also for all the abstract process that happens. He will think about his decision, about what could happen if he changed the decision, and how things connect meaningfully.

Each person will create a different realization, thanks to the simple fact that each human is different. We can see the same event from several different perspectives. Let them fill the gaps and create their own thoughts.

Your Patter.

We normally talk a lot during performances, right? And we need to do it to present our premise and perform. But I suggest that you begin to let them talk more.

Obviously using common sense and good routining, without leaving dead spots during the performance. Giving them some attention that can remove you from the “center of attention”, and let them focus on something other than you. They can pay attention to the external mystery to be experienced. When we start to listen to people, we can become inspired by them. We can develop as an artist.

Remember that we have 2 ears and 1 mouth for a reason.

In that way, you performance will become a “participant centered performance” and not just “performer centered”.

Is this right for you?

Maybe this model will not suit everyone. There are some situations in which your performance will not fit with the message I an giving you. For example, loud environments, where you can’t really talk with someone and connect with them. However, if you can use a single idea that could serve you for your own development as artist, the goal of this advice is accomplished.

If you use these 3 simple steps of personal setup and self programming, I can assure you that you can entertain and leave an interesting mysterious experience for anyone, anytime. As Dominic Reyes often states in the MoM Blog, it really isn’t about the tricks in the end. It is about you, and how you can focus the power on THEM. That technique will create the most mysterious events.

If you want to learn more about powerful mentalism on these lines I would recommend that you study the work from Richard Webster, Neal Scryer and also Jerome Finley, Luca Volpe and Dale A. Hildebrandt

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Thank you for taking the time to read these ideas. Anything that you want just ask me in the comments section below and I will reply as soon as I can.

Will You Ever Be More than an Average Magician?

by Merchant of Magic 4 Comments

I was asked this question today:

‘How can magicians script and arrange several magic tricks to get maximum entertainment value? Is there a tried and true method of determining what order of the effects is best?

This is what I have learned so far:
Opener – something quick and visual to let the audience know that the magicians, good and that they will be entertained.
More Magic . . .Use the audience as much as possible, they love to be involves (most of them at least, I hate to make fun of a volunteer or make them look foolish)
Closer – usually the best and biggest WOW factor magicians can do.

Any suggestion about pacing the routines and what goes well with other tricks?’

That’s a great question. In fact, it’s one of our favorite questions to be asked! This magician has been hard at work. He has chosen the tricks he wants to perform, which is really the easy part. Now he faces the biggest challenge magicians have: Making it all flow together into a polished and entertaining act.

Option 1:

Don’t worry about it. Magic is a fun hobby, and a great second income, if you decide to perform magic for money. Just keep finding new tricks and show them to as many people as you can, The ones that don’t get great reactions can be dumped and new ones added. Your local magic dealer will LOVE YOU, and you will have a decent reputation locally, as one of the best magicians. You will constantly be met with requests to ‘Show us what new tricks you have’.

Option 2:

You take the time to find out who you are as a performer. The style of magic that suits you best, and the most effective way for you to present your magic. You select only tricks that strengthen your performance and your act. As you study each trick, you create, test, and refine the way you present them. New tricks are added in a way that increases the power of the other magic tricks you do, until you have an act that is the best it can be.

If you look at all the magicians performing magic today, some are pretty terrible to be honest. Some are really good, but most are just an average magician, after all that’s what average means.

Ticking along with option 1, WILL give you results, and your magic will improve over time. However, it will never push you past being one of the average magicians. All magicians are searching for new magic tricks. Magicians everywhere are practicing like crazy. That’s what everyone does:

It’s a path to being just an average magician.

DO THIS: You need to CHOOSE right from the START, where you will fit into this scale. It’s not something you can just gradually move along, until you wake up one day, years from now, better than everyone else. Every day you spend practicing without making this choice, is a wasted chance.

Decide RIGHT NOW to set your aim above the average magician, then do something to act on that decision.

Magicians that asked me this question, are on the right track. They have got to the stage where they want more from their magic. Professional magicians have something more than new tricks. They are doing more than the average guys. Not by accident, but by a conscious choice to study more than the moves of a new trick. They follow option 2. They look at themselves, and their performance, and find ways to make THAT part of their show as good as the tricks within it.
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By Dominic Reyes

How Magicians Can Keep Clients Informed

How Much to Charge for a Magic Show?

by Merchant of Magic 14 Comments

Analyzing financial data

Would you like to make a living out of performing your magic? If you are going to do that.. You need to decide how much to charge for a magic show.

Most people that learn magic tricks, do so for the fun of it. It’s a wonderful, rewarding hobby. You may, however, be planning to earn a small income as a magician or even turning your obsession into a career and become a professional magician. If you do decide to start performing magic for money, there is some important information you should think about first:

Will you be Professional or Semi Professional?

The vast majority of working magicians earn an income from magic on a part-time basis. They have a current employer and supplement their wages by doing magic in the evenings and weekends. As the weekends tend to be the most popular time for social events that require a magician, semi professional magicians can fill their diary quite nicely through the year, and still maintain a full time job. The aim is often to build their reputation over time before being able to move into doing magic full-time. There are several advantages to starting off semi-pro:

There is little financial risk.
You can maintain your current lifestyle.
Income from magic doesn’t have to be used for living expenses.
Time can be taken to build and develop your act and reputation above the average magician.
You can perform when you want to, not because you have to.

What type of magic act will you perform?

This isn’t about the types of magic tricks you perform or your performing persona. You need to look at your act as a product. What type of product will it be?

Will you directly market your services yourself, or focus on working with an agent?
Where will you market yourself, only local, or are you happy to travel?
Will you work alone, or will you be using an assistant?
Do you intend to have a secondary income doing film or TV work (Perhaps as a consultant)?

Who will your customers be?

Understanding your customers is essential for determining both the product you will offer and the fee you can charge.

Will you be aiming at companies and venues, of focusing mainly on private individuals with wedding and party events?
What level of affluence does your target/local area have?
What is the persona of your average client? Professional/family/retired etc.

What is the competition doing?

It’s important to understand what level of fee’s your competition has achieved in your local area. Getting some quotes from other magicians will help, but take the advice of fellow magicians with a pinch of salt, as they tend to exaggerate. Getting quotes from local entertainment agencies tends to be more reliable. Bare in mind, that in any area there will be magicians charging at the top of their ‘payment ceiling’ and others who are underselling themselves. Never try to be the cheapest, it tends to work against you over the long term. The aim is to be in the middle or towards the top of the fee structure in your area as quickly as possible.

When can you work?

If you are performing semi-professionally, and holding down a day job, you may have to limit your gigs to the weekend, or only take bookings that start later in the evening. Even then, if you have a family, it’s essential to spare time for them too. If you intend to make your full time living from magic, you will need to be able to commit to working evenings and weekends. It’s great having your days free, but your friends and family may not think the same. It’s very important to discuss the implications of being a magician with your family, and to have their support.

How much money would you like and how much do you need?

The first step in setting a professional fee, is to determine how much money you NEED. This is quite different from how much money you WANT.

Make a list of all your outgoings. Get your last 12 months bank statements and note down the total that went out of the account each month. It’s important to use a year worth of bank statements as some expenses are annual. Group the debts into categories so you see exactly how much you spend on the following on average each month:

Rent or mortgage
Utilities and services
Average monthly spend on food
Clothing
Travel
Loan or card repayments
Club memberships
Insurance
Pension and monthly savings
Car payments such as tax and insurance

Now use the statements to calculate how much money you spend on entertainment and small impulse purchases.

You should now have two figures. The first is for your essential fixed expenses. This much money HAS to be earned each month just to live at your current comfort level. The second figure is your leisure or fun money. This second figure is not as fixed as the first and can fluctuate over time. Think of it as your ‘buffer zone’.

Once you have these figures, if you add them together, it will give you the total amount of money you need to earn each month to continue your current lifestyle. This figure is very important for the next step.

How much you NEED to charge.

Nobody is the same. We all have different commitments, responsibilities and interests. A young single person can have much more disposable income whilst earning far less than a person who has a mortgage and needs to support a large family. The old saying ‘It’s not how much you earn that’s important, it’s how much you spend’ is very true. That makes it hard to give any examples of income, as we are all different. In this discussion, I assume the average monthly income in the UK, so simply correct these figures to fit your own income needs and commitments that you calculated by looking at your bank statements over the last 12 months. The average household income in the UK is currently £2000 per month, so I will use that figure as a baseline.

The most important question of all.

How many gigs will I need to do each week and how much do I need to charge for each gig, to bring in an income equal or greater amount than my expenditure?

Let me introduce you to a great website that is free to use: Your Rate

Your Rate is a website that asks just three questions:

How much money you need to earn every month
How many hours you can work each week
How many weeks of holiday you intend to take.

Fill those in and get an hourly rate to charge. Your Rate calculates this for you, and builds in how much you should include for savings and how much is needed to pay your tax on the earnings you make. Because tax rates vary by country, and it is allowing for savings, it multiplies the actual rate needed by 2 to give the final total.

As a magician you are going to use it in a slightly different way. In your mind, change ‘How many hours do you want to work per week?’ to ‘how many gigs do you want to do each week’.

Let’s say the average close-up magician does 3 gigs every week and has 2 weeks holiday. What fee would he need to charge each gig to earn him an income of £2000 per month with taxes and savings covered.

To earn £2000 per month the magician should charge £347 per gig, doing 3 gigs per week and having a 2 week holiday each year. This included taxes and savings built in.

Let’s say the magician averages 2 gigs per week. What fee would he need to charge per gig to make the UK average income of £2000 per month after tax and savings.

How much should a magician charge for perfroming magic tricks?

To earn £2000 after tax and savings, a magician should charge around £500 per booking and do 2 shows per week.

Let’s look at a different type of magician. Children’s shows start from around £100-£200 per show.

If a children’s magician charges £150 per show and does 7 shows every week (with a 2 week holiday), it will bring in an income of £2000 per month after taxes and savings.

You can use the Your Rate website to enter your own figures and play with the results.

DO THIS: Use Your Rate to see how many gigs you would need to do, with your area average fee per gig to earn the income you made over the last 12 months. See if the fee you would need to charge is viable for your reputation, the number of gigs you think you can average over a year and the fee’s your competition are charging.