Getting Started in Magic

Have been reflecting on whether I had been a bit harsh about the guy trying to show three card Monte (VERY BADLY) on YouTube in a previous post. My thought being that everyone has to start somewhere and magic is a pretty hard thing to get started with...

I decided that I was not being too hard on him - because basically he has screwed up in every possible way and that can't be an accident can it?

First magic is about something that you present to people to entertain them. In my view the nerds that sit in their horrible little bedrooms playing with their newest magic trick are completely missing the point. If all they want to do is collect secrets and unravel the mechanics of magic they have no need to call themselves magicians. Nerd is a perfectly adequate name for them :-)

Of course PRIOR to performing for ANYBODY you do need to spend the requisite amount of time locked in your bedroom learning the mechanics. But this is not the end game just the first step. You then need to formulate natural, entertaining and relevant patter.

Having done that go out and start performing it! Its the only way that you are going to become competent and skilled in the ART of magic. The more you perform a specific trick the more competent you will become and the more your patter will improve. Mainly because you will be getting direct feedback from the audience.

So in my view matey boy on YouTube did not spend enough time learning and honing the moves - his sleight of hand was atrocious. Then he failed to develop any appropriate patter - his words were exactly what the stereo typical naff hobbyist magician would say. Finally he didn't take the BIG step of actually looking real people in the eye and performing, instead he stayed hidden and performed for his web cam.

Hardly magical, and certainly not a magician

So on balance I was not too harsh about his video. All it did was re-enforced the negative perceptions that some audiences have about magic.

Need a trick to start leaning with? Or a book to tell you all you need to know?