Note to Readers: This thread was too long by approx. 400 characters, so I need to split it up into two parts, I apologize. I will edit in the link to part 2 as soon as I post it.
Part 2:...I forgot that I could just reply to my own thread...Part 2 is continued below this post.
Drew (adjones) just wrote up a fantastic guide to doing magic in school. However I believe some of his ideas need to be addressed as a "Part 4" to his guide. I will be referencing his 3 threads in this, so please read those first if you have not done so already.
Please read this after reading Drew's 3 part "series" on the subject at hand.
Part 1: http://forums.theory11.com/showthread.php?t=372
Part 2: http://forums.theory11.com/showthread.php?t=373
Part 3: http://forums.theory11.com/showthread.php?t=374
(Note to Drew: This is not an offensive or argumentative thread/post; it is my take on the subject and feel free to continue these deliberations in another post/thread.)
Firstly, I will start off with just my general views of doing magic in school, and then move onto Drew's posts:
In my opinion, doing magic in school is not a good idea. I did it in 5th grade and in 8th grade to see how people react to it and through my experiences it is not worth the trouble. First of all, you will be insulted for it. There is no arguing that simple fact. Every adult will tell you to not let it bother you, but the simple fact of the matter is, it sucks. Secondly, you will get a reputation for doing magic and your repetoir will run out. Although Drew did address this and say that it is an uncomfortable position to be in and did give advice to help prevent and deal with it, it is not as simple as it sounds, trust me. You basically have to go from being "the life of the party" at school, to telling everyone that you don't do magic in school anymore (or any other excuse that you can think of). The only plus side to doing magic in school is the amount of practice and real-word experience you gain from it; however I prefer other means of gaining that practice than doing magic in school. Also, you see these people every day, which means they will want to see the same effects over and over again. You can tell them no a million times, but they will continue asking and it will start to piss you off. Lastly, if just one person goes on Youtube and figures out how an effect is done, everyone at school knows how it's done which is just disgusting and disturbing.
That's just my 2 cents on magic in school. You can choose yourself whether to do it or not; however my advice is to Stay Away From It.
Now, as far as Drew's threads go, I will now address each section separately:
Hecklers: Wonderful section. Read it, memorize it, and use it. It applies to every heckler you meet basically and not just the ones you meet at school. Great job with this section Drew!
Presentation: Once again, my hat comes off to Drew with this section; it is Wonderful! The only thing I have to add is that you should never approach a spectator with a camera in hand and to never mention a camera first thing. I suggest doing an effect or two to establish credibility with your spectator, and then bringing up the option of video taping.
Crowd Control: I believe a lot was left out in this section. First of all, let me just say that he is right in that you should have a blend of sleight of hand and gimmicks and that you should have control over your audience at all times. Make sure you perform confidently and have a hawks eye at all times. If you perform confidently, not only will it keep your audience "watching the magic and not the method", but it will also make them realize that you mean business. Also, make sure you have a hawks eye at all times, by this I mean, if you see someone trying to reach for something, simply tell them that you are in the middle of performing and that they cannot interrupt; say it with confidence and they will stop 99% of the time. Also make sure that you have 3-5 feet of space between you and your audience at all times; that way you will not only have space to move and breath, but you will also be able to better react to any situation where you see someone reaching for a prop (gimmicked or not). Crowd Control is a huge subject and most of it is common sense, so instead of my writing up everything, I ask that you spend a few hours thinking about it.
"People Think I'm Gay Because of Magic": Like I said in my original views about this, they will think it, they will say it, and it will bring your confidence down; that is just the way it is. As for telling a teacher, not only can they not do anything about it in all seriousness, it will only give people another thing to insult you for.
Approaching Upper Classmen: Once again, Drew did a great job with this section, I have nothing else to add.
Nerves: Yet another great post. Only thing to add is to try taking 10 deep breaths before going out and performing. It will help 99% of the time.
Non Supportive Parents: It is a shame that Drew and I even have to bring this up; and yet even worse that some people need to take this advice. Let me start off by saying that I (and most likely Drew, although I do not like to generally speak for other people as a rule) cannot give the greatest advice as neither of us have gone through it; we can only give some common sense advice for you to try as you see fit. Here are a few ideas:
1. Try Drew's method of asking for magic as presents from other relatives. *I however do not agree with Drew's method of performing a lot in front of your parents because that might anger them. If you believe it won't anger your parents, then it's always worth a shot; just be careful with it*
2. Ask a friend for $20, or a close adult - a teacher for example. If you explain the situation to a teacher you can trust, and explain it well, I can almost guarantee you that they will give/loan you $20 for Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic and a pack of cards. Keep Mark Wilson's a secret from your parents for about a month and practice the hell out of 3-4 effects utilizing cards to make a routine and then show it to them and tell them how much you love magic and how much you want to do it. Hopefully they will understand and help you. Hell, even if they don't give you money for magic, you have a life's worth of material in your hands because of Mark Wilson's book. Study it, and when you are done with the effects you can do (with the limitations you have money wise), try busking for money. In a week you will probably make enough to go out and build a parlor/stage prop you learned from Mark Wilson's. Not to mention the fact that by the time you are done with that you will either already have your own job, or be at the age where 99% of your gifts are money.
3. Just try to explain the situation to your parents and pray they will understand.
4. Find someone else who is interested in magic and whose parents support their magic. Ask them for their help, and most likely they will help you. Who knows, after a while their parents might talk to yours and convince them to be supportive of your magic.
No Money!?!: Combine what I have written above with what Drew wrote and you have some very nice solutions to your problem.
DON'T FORGET TO READ PART 2!
Part 2:...I forgot that I could just reply to my own thread...Part 2 is continued below this post.
Drew (adjones) just wrote up a fantastic guide to doing magic in school. However I believe some of his ideas need to be addressed as a "Part 4" to his guide. I will be referencing his 3 threads in this, so please read those first if you have not done so already.
Please read this after reading Drew's 3 part "series" on the subject at hand.
Part 1: http://forums.theory11.com/showthread.php?t=372
Part 2: http://forums.theory11.com/showthread.php?t=373
Part 3: http://forums.theory11.com/showthread.php?t=374
(Note to Drew: This is not an offensive or argumentative thread/post; it is my take on the subject and feel free to continue these deliberations in another post/thread.)
Firstly, I will start off with just my general views of doing magic in school, and then move onto Drew's posts:
In my opinion, doing magic in school is not a good idea. I did it in 5th grade and in 8th grade to see how people react to it and through my experiences it is not worth the trouble. First of all, you will be insulted for it. There is no arguing that simple fact. Every adult will tell you to not let it bother you, but the simple fact of the matter is, it sucks. Secondly, you will get a reputation for doing magic and your repetoir will run out. Although Drew did address this and say that it is an uncomfortable position to be in and did give advice to help prevent and deal with it, it is not as simple as it sounds, trust me. You basically have to go from being "the life of the party" at school, to telling everyone that you don't do magic in school anymore (or any other excuse that you can think of). The only plus side to doing magic in school is the amount of practice and real-word experience you gain from it; however I prefer other means of gaining that practice than doing magic in school. Also, you see these people every day, which means they will want to see the same effects over and over again. You can tell them no a million times, but they will continue asking and it will start to piss you off. Lastly, if just one person goes on Youtube and figures out how an effect is done, everyone at school knows how it's done which is just disgusting and disturbing.
That's just my 2 cents on magic in school. You can choose yourself whether to do it or not; however my advice is to Stay Away From It.
Now, as far as Drew's threads go, I will now address each section separately:
Hecklers: Wonderful section. Read it, memorize it, and use it. It applies to every heckler you meet basically and not just the ones you meet at school. Great job with this section Drew!
Presentation: Once again, my hat comes off to Drew with this section; it is Wonderful! The only thing I have to add is that you should never approach a spectator with a camera in hand and to never mention a camera first thing. I suggest doing an effect or two to establish credibility with your spectator, and then bringing up the option of video taping.
Crowd Control: I believe a lot was left out in this section. First of all, let me just say that he is right in that you should have a blend of sleight of hand and gimmicks and that you should have control over your audience at all times. Make sure you perform confidently and have a hawks eye at all times. If you perform confidently, not only will it keep your audience "watching the magic and not the method", but it will also make them realize that you mean business. Also, make sure you have a hawks eye at all times, by this I mean, if you see someone trying to reach for something, simply tell them that you are in the middle of performing and that they cannot interrupt; say it with confidence and they will stop 99% of the time. Also make sure that you have 3-5 feet of space between you and your audience at all times; that way you will not only have space to move and breath, but you will also be able to better react to any situation where you see someone reaching for a prop (gimmicked or not). Crowd Control is a huge subject and most of it is common sense, so instead of my writing up everything, I ask that you spend a few hours thinking about it.
"People Think I'm Gay Because of Magic": Like I said in my original views about this, they will think it, they will say it, and it will bring your confidence down; that is just the way it is. As for telling a teacher, not only can they not do anything about it in all seriousness, it will only give people another thing to insult you for.
Approaching Upper Classmen: Once again, Drew did a great job with this section, I have nothing else to add.
Nerves: Yet another great post. Only thing to add is to try taking 10 deep breaths before going out and performing. It will help 99% of the time.
Non Supportive Parents: It is a shame that Drew and I even have to bring this up; and yet even worse that some people need to take this advice. Let me start off by saying that I (and most likely Drew, although I do not like to generally speak for other people as a rule) cannot give the greatest advice as neither of us have gone through it; we can only give some common sense advice for you to try as you see fit. Here are a few ideas:
1. Try Drew's method of asking for magic as presents from other relatives. *I however do not agree with Drew's method of performing a lot in front of your parents because that might anger them. If you believe it won't anger your parents, then it's always worth a shot; just be careful with it*
2. Ask a friend for $20, or a close adult - a teacher for example. If you explain the situation to a teacher you can trust, and explain it well, I can almost guarantee you that they will give/loan you $20 for Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic and a pack of cards. Keep Mark Wilson's a secret from your parents for about a month and practice the hell out of 3-4 effects utilizing cards to make a routine and then show it to them and tell them how much you love magic and how much you want to do it. Hopefully they will understand and help you. Hell, even if they don't give you money for magic, you have a life's worth of material in your hands because of Mark Wilson's book. Study it, and when you are done with the effects you can do (with the limitations you have money wise), try busking for money. In a week you will probably make enough to go out and build a parlor/stage prop you learned from Mark Wilson's. Not to mention the fact that by the time you are done with that you will either already have your own job, or be at the age where 99% of your gifts are money.
3. Just try to explain the situation to your parents and pray they will understand.
4. Find someone else who is interested in magic and whose parents support their magic. Ask them for their help, and most likely they will help you. Who knows, after a while their parents might talk to yours and convince them to be supportive of your magic.
No Money!?!: Combine what I have written above with what Drew wrote and you have some very nice solutions to your problem.
DON'T FORGET TO READ PART 2!
