What Your Peers Might Think
This is a difficult section to write about, because there are so many variables involved, such as your performance, your spectator, etc.
99% of the time, people will probably think you’re pretty cool, and like you for your magic… however, don’t try and make friends with magic… friends should like you for you, not for your hobbies.
I really don’t know how I’m viewed by my peers as far as magic goes. I know they don’t think I’m a creepy goth kid that’s into voodoo, but I don’t know if they think I’m a geek, if I’m cool, or whatever. I just know they enjoy watching.
I say… don’t worry about what people think about you… there will always be people who like you, and those who don’t. There will also be people who are jealous of the attention you get with your magic, so you can add them to your “Don’t Like You List”.
Getting Props Taken Away
So let’s say, like when you ran out of time (boy, this is starting to be really bad day for you!), you’re reaching the finale of their effect, where you show that their card is sandwiched between two other cards that have been in plain site the whole time, or whatever effect you’re doing… and the teach walks up, grabs the cards, coins, rubber bands, etc. and puts them in her desk. What do you do now?
First of all, don’t pull out another prop (another deck of cards, another Half Dollar, etc.). Another thing I don’t recommend is keep pulling out different magic props until the teacher has your whole repertoire… that would not be good. Instead, simply tell her/him (the teacher) sorry, and sit there quietly until the end of the hour. This will more than likely keep you out of detention.
Another tip would be to apologize to the person you were performing for that you didn’t get to finish, and that you will show them something after school or at lunch, or sometime when you know you will be able to show them something.
One other thing I can recommend is asking the teacher before-hand if it’s all right if you show the class some magic, and make sure that you aren’t disrupting the class in any way.
Building a Reputation
Eventually, if you get your reputation up, instead of you approaching people, people will approach you. However, this will take time… lots of time if you’re in a big school like mine.
Now as of right now, I don’t have that big of a rep, because school just started, and this is my first year in the High School. However, I have had a couple people that I knew previously call me over to perform some magic for them.
For building a reputation, I recommend starting with your grade level… more specifically, the people you know in your grade level. Show them a very powerful piece of magic, and they will tell their friends, who will have you show them some magic, then those people will tell your friends, and eventually it will spread throughout the grades, and practically everybody will know you do magic.
This will also fall into the “Fear of Approaching Upper Classmen” category if you need help there.
Get Known for Other Hobbies
A tip I received after I gave out the first edition of this “essay”, and one which I do not whole-heartedly agree with, is to get known for your other hobbies first… such as skateboarding, drawing, collecting stamps, or whatever it may be.
The person that recommended this was saying you could start hanging out with other people who share your other interests, you can show them magic, and like in the “Building a Reputation” chapter, you will get known for your magic.
Now this is a very valid point, but I disagree with it. First of all… magic is one of your hobbies, or possible even your only hobby… or else you wouldn’t be reading this! Also, if you’re hanging out with your skateboarder friends, and this will solely depend on you and who you’re hanging out with, they are more than likely there to skateboard, and possibly won’t want to watch you perform. I know there are a lot of ifs in this paragraph, and they are just examples… who knows, maybe your friends really want to see some magic, or are possibly interested in getting some advice on you as to where to get started or what not. Just something to think about…
Types of Magic
Obviously, the most common/natural form of magic in school would be close-up. For me, I use mostly cards, but I have gotten into more types recently.
However, certain situations may call for different types of magic. For example, I’m not going to use a card effect for a Talent Show, nor Metamorphosis at lunch (rather extreme, but it gets the point across). There may be times when you are called upon class to perform… for this I would recommend something cool and visual like the Chop Cup, which I’m in the process of learning, or Torn and Restored Newspaper, or something along those lines. These can also be used as stage magic in a Talent Show, or what have you.
Just be smart and use common sense… you will be able to tell which effects are good and which are not.
Fundraisers
Fundraisers are a brilliant way to not only get some money for a good cause, but also get some experience. Whether the fundraiser be solely you performing magic, or you’re doing it as one of the many attractions, it can be very rewarding.
A couple of examples I can think of off the top of my head are:
-Your school is having a car wash as a fundraiser, and you want to do magic… magic and car washing don’t exactly fit, do they? Unless you be creative… you could entertain the owners of the car while their car is being washed. Now, this may not work depending on how the car wash is set up, and the person. Some people may prefer to stay inside the vehicle while the car is being washed… don’t force your magic on them, or try and make them get out and watch, or you could lose some valuable donations for your school.
-If your school is holding a “Festival” type thing, this would be a great place to perform. A personal example of mine would be my church’s annual Fall Festival (I know, it’s not school, but the example serves its purpose). At the Fall Festival, there are blow up slides, rock climbing walls, and all kinds of good stuff to eat. There are also tables/booths that you can walk around to and play games, buy a product, or something like that. I’m performing at this in the Fall… I will have a table and a tip jar for the Church… it’s kind of like busking. If your school has something like this… volunteer for it! Don’t be afraid of being rejected, if you are, who cares? It’s their loss, anyway, right?
Effects
I have heard many people asking what effects are good for school, or what should they buy to use in school. This question is often frowned upon and looked at as “stupid”, but I will try to answer it to the best of my abilities
.
What effects will work for you in school depends entirely on your performance/presentation style! If you are a funny, cool guy, you probably won’t do as well with “Saw” than you would with “Sponge Balls”. Vise versa for serious people. I try to be easy going and fun in my performance, and I will list some effects that have done well for me in school:
-ACR
-Biddle Trick
-Crazy Man’s Handcuffs (don’t underestimate it!)
-Ultimate Transpo
-Coin Bend
-Floating Dollar Bill (use at your own risk!)
-Thumb Tip Work
-Full Lotus
-Invisible Deck (instant reputation maker with the right presentation)
-STS
-Scotch and Soda (people might get suspicious because of the foreign coins)
-Trapped (sandwich effect)
-Design for Laughter
Those are all that I can think of off the top of my head, but you get the idea. I say stick to material that not only fits your presentation style, but also material that you are comfortable with.
Conclusion
Well, it’s been great fun writing this, and I’ve refreshed my memory on the “rules” of performing in school myself. I hope you enjoyed it, and got some use out of it.
This is a difficult section to write about, because there are so many variables involved, such as your performance, your spectator, etc.
99% of the time, people will probably think you’re pretty cool, and like you for your magic… however, don’t try and make friends with magic… friends should like you for you, not for your hobbies.
I really don’t know how I’m viewed by my peers as far as magic goes. I know they don’t think I’m a creepy goth kid that’s into voodoo, but I don’t know if they think I’m a geek, if I’m cool, or whatever. I just know they enjoy watching.
I say… don’t worry about what people think about you… there will always be people who like you, and those who don’t. There will also be people who are jealous of the attention you get with your magic, so you can add them to your “Don’t Like You List”.
Getting Props Taken Away
So let’s say, like when you ran out of time (boy, this is starting to be really bad day for you!), you’re reaching the finale of their effect, where you show that their card is sandwiched between two other cards that have been in plain site the whole time, or whatever effect you’re doing… and the teach walks up, grabs the cards, coins, rubber bands, etc. and puts them in her desk. What do you do now?
First of all, don’t pull out another prop (another deck of cards, another Half Dollar, etc.). Another thing I don’t recommend is keep pulling out different magic props until the teacher has your whole repertoire… that would not be good. Instead, simply tell her/him (the teacher) sorry, and sit there quietly until the end of the hour. This will more than likely keep you out of detention.
Another tip would be to apologize to the person you were performing for that you didn’t get to finish, and that you will show them something after school or at lunch, or sometime when you know you will be able to show them something.
One other thing I can recommend is asking the teacher before-hand if it’s all right if you show the class some magic, and make sure that you aren’t disrupting the class in any way.
Building a Reputation
Eventually, if you get your reputation up, instead of you approaching people, people will approach you. However, this will take time… lots of time if you’re in a big school like mine.
Now as of right now, I don’t have that big of a rep, because school just started, and this is my first year in the High School. However, I have had a couple people that I knew previously call me over to perform some magic for them.
For building a reputation, I recommend starting with your grade level… more specifically, the people you know in your grade level. Show them a very powerful piece of magic, and they will tell their friends, who will have you show them some magic, then those people will tell your friends, and eventually it will spread throughout the grades, and practically everybody will know you do magic.
This will also fall into the “Fear of Approaching Upper Classmen” category if you need help there.
Get Known for Other Hobbies
A tip I received after I gave out the first edition of this “essay”, and one which I do not whole-heartedly agree with, is to get known for your other hobbies first… such as skateboarding, drawing, collecting stamps, or whatever it may be.
The person that recommended this was saying you could start hanging out with other people who share your other interests, you can show them magic, and like in the “Building a Reputation” chapter, you will get known for your magic.
Now this is a very valid point, but I disagree with it. First of all… magic is one of your hobbies, or possible even your only hobby… or else you wouldn’t be reading this! Also, if you’re hanging out with your skateboarder friends, and this will solely depend on you and who you’re hanging out with, they are more than likely there to skateboard, and possibly won’t want to watch you perform. I know there are a lot of ifs in this paragraph, and they are just examples… who knows, maybe your friends really want to see some magic, or are possibly interested in getting some advice on you as to where to get started or what not. Just something to think about…
Types of Magic
Obviously, the most common/natural form of magic in school would be close-up. For me, I use mostly cards, but I have gotten into more types recently.
However, certain situations may call for different types of magic. For example, I’m not going to use a card effect for a Talent Show, nor Metamorphosis at lunch (rather extreme, but it gets the point across). There may be times when you are called upon class to perform… for this I would recommend something cool and visual like the Chop Cup, which I’m in the process of learning, or Torn and Restored Newspaper, or something along those lines. These can also be used as stage magic in a Talent Show, or what have you.
Just be smart and use common sense… you will be able to tell which effects are good and which are not.
Fundraisers
Fundraisers are a brilliant way to not only get some money for a good cause, but also get some experience. Whether the fundraiser be solely you performing magic, or you’re doing it as one of the many attractions, it can be very rewarding.
A couple of examples I can think of off the top of my head are:
-Your school is having a car wash as a fundraiser, and you want to do magic… magic and car washing don’t exactly fit, do they? Unless you be creative… you could entertain the owners of the car while their car is being washed. Now, this may not work depending on how the car wash is set up, and the person. Some people may prefer to stay inside the vehicle while the car is being washed… don’t force your magic on them, or try and make them get out and watch, or you could lose some valuable donations for your school.
-If your school is holding a “Festival” type thing, this would be a great place to perform. A personal example of mine would be my church’s annual Fall Festival (I know, it’s not school, but the example serves its purpose). At the Fall Festival, there are blow up slides, rock climbing walls, and all kinds of good stuff to eat. There are also tables/booths that you can walk around to and play games, buy a product, or something like that. I’m performing at this in the Fall… I will have a table and a tip jar for the Church… it’s kind of like busking. If your school has something like this… volunteer for it! Don’t be afraid of being rejected, if you are, who cares? It’s their loss, anyway, right?
Effects
I have heard many people asking what effects are good for school, or what should they buy to use in school. This question is often frowned upon and looked at as “stupid”, but I will try to answer it to the best of my abilities
.
What effects will work for you in school depends entirely on your performance/presentation style! If you are a funny, cool guy, you probably won’t do as well with “Saw” than you would with “Sponge Balls”. Vise versa for serious people. I try to be easy going and fun in my performance, and I will list some effects that have done well for me in school:
-ACR
-Biddle Trick
-Crazy Man’s Handcuffs (don’t underestimate it!)
-Ultimate Transpo
-Coin Bend
-Floating Dollar Bill (use at your own risk!)
-Thumb Tip Work
-Full Lotus
-Invisible Deck (instant reputation maker with the right presentation)
-STS
-Scotch and Soda (people might get suspicious because of the foreign coins)
-Trapped (sandwich effect)
-Design for Laughter
Those are all that I can think of off the top of my head, but you get the idea. I say stick to material that not only fits your presentation style, but also material that you are comfortable with.
Conclusion
Well, it’s been great fun writing this, and I’ve refreshed my memory on the “rules” of performing in school myself. I hope you enjoyed it, and got some use out of it.
Last edited by a moderator:
Adjones, your essays are always helpful. 