Backstage with the Magician

2009-02-18T18:16:00.002-05:00

Vacation week for most of Long Island this week, and that means library shows. One of the interesting things about performing in libraries is that the library market tends to be counter-cyclical. When the economy is doing well, people don't go to the library as much. They go to the movies, the mall, and other places to spend money. However, when times are tight, as they appear to be now, suddenly free programs at your local library become much more appealing. I haven't noticed a major uptick this week, but that's probably because most libraries book several months in advance. I expect this to be a library-heavy summer.

The summer reading club theme for most states this year is "Be Creative At Your Library". The program I am going to be promoting is my balloon sculpting workshop. In 1994, I came up with a very simple but effective system for teaching kids how to make balloon animals, and since then, my balloon workshop has been very popular. I sent out 500 postcards yesterday to promote the program, so we'll see how many end up on the calendar. If you're reading this, take a peek at my library site- http://www.librarymagic.com- and see what you think.

2009-02-17T02:06:00.003-05:00

In the news...

One of the perks of doing this for a living is the occasional surprise of finding yourself in a newspaper when you don't expect to. I recently performed at a nearby elementary school, and upon leaving my local Blockbuster store yesterday, I happened to glance at their freebie newspaper rack. My picture was on the cover of one of the town shoppers for the school show I did. Full color, nice write-up. I know it's just a local shopper, but it put a spring in my step. I'm not bragging, but I can honestly say I've lost track of how many times I've been in newspapers and magazines, and fortunately, it's always been positive. It's a nice feeling.

2009-02-15T17:38:00.000-05:00

This past week I rolled 2 routines into my act for the first time. It's always a little nerve-wracking the first time you perform a trick in front of a live audience. No matter how much you rehearse, it's a bit scary performing it in front of real people. Fortunately, both tricks were well-received, and I expect to use one or both more in the future.

I am always surprised at how quick some magicians are to want to add a new piece to their acts; they buy them, and in the next week, they're performing them. Of the 2 tricks I added this week, one I bought/learned 2 years ago, and the other about a year ago. For me, it takes a long time to figure out all the particulars of where a trick should be in the act, and more importantly, why it needs to be in there. The fact that this past Friday was Friday the Thirteenth made the inclusion of one trick a natural fit, so I decided that would be debut day. Having the justification in my mind made its performance much more natural for me, and I think added to its successful presentation. Now I have my own hook to hang it on in future performances.

2009-02-11T09:50:00.003-05:00

Short post to get back on track. 30 months of writer's block is hard to overcome...

Hopefully the next post will be a little more timely. Out for a few shows today and this evening. The evening show is a "Magic of Reading" show for students and parents on Long Island. Details tomorrow.

2006-08-25T09:46:00.000-04:00

Catching My Breath

It's been nearly 6 weeks since I've written anything here. Normally the summer is a pretty busy time for me, but this season was off the charts. This past February I performed at a Library Showcase, and consequently was booked by quite a few libraries a little outside of my usual performing area. So this summer was spent driving a few hundred miles extra per week. I do love performing, but I love it a little more when gas is a bit cheaper. Still, it was a fun summer. Among the highlights:

The "bat attack"- while performing outside in a gazebo for a group of special needs adults, a bat decided he wanted to see the show. This resulted in a great deal of excitement and some unscripted choreography on my part, ducking the bat as he circled our heads. Apparently he didn't care for my show, and left after a few minutes. I've had birds fly into my shows before- open gymnasium windows in June are apparently irresistible to some birds. I'm not exactly a city boy, but bats are a bit outside my experience. I did manage to finish the show, though, so I do feel good about that.

The Amazing Growing Audience Trick- One of my program offerings for libraries is a balloon sculpting workshop. I offer 3 variants of this program, one for elementary age kids, one for "tweens", and one for 3-5 year olds and their parents. One library booked the "Tween" program for mid-July. The librarian had to leave town unexpectedly for a few days prior to the show, and as a result, the program was not as well-promoted as it should have been. Consequently, the sign-up for the program was dismal- 2 kids out of a maximum of 30. To her credit, the librarian improvised and opened up the program to all ages, but didn't have time for a sign-up sheet. So when I arrived, neither she nor I had ANY idea of how many people would show up. It could be the original 2, could be more, but we had no idea. 5 minutes before start time, we were around 7. By the time we started, we were around 20. And they kept coming in. When all was said and done, we had well over the 30 maximum, and many of the parents who brought their kids stayed and learned as well. It was one of the best balloon workshops I've done in quite a while, and I tip my hat to Monica, the librarian, for improvising and saving the day.

The Little World's Fair- one of my summer libraries had a large family event at the "Little World's Fair" in Grahamsville, NY. This is a beautiful little town in lower upstate NY (when you're from Long Island, everything is "upstate" NY)- hidden away in the Catskills. So hidden, in fact, that there's no cellphone signal ANYWHERE in about a 10 mile radius. I was booked to perform my "Comedy Magic Show" immediately following a picnic dinner and immediately preceding a reading awards ceremony. Normally I don't like performing outdoors- far too many variables to deal with, and as far as I'm concerned, I never do my best work outside. This evening, however, could not have gone better. The Grahamsville audience was one of the most receptive and appreciative audiences I have worked for in a long time. Their response to my show made me try even harder, and I really felt like it was a memorable show. Thanks to everyone in Grahamsville for making me feel like a star, if just for one night!

Ohio Valley University- I was contacted online to perform at a college in West Virginia for their freshman orientation- they originally wanted a 2 hour show, but after speaking with them, we realized an hour of strolling magic at their Ice Cream Social, followed by a 45 minute formal show would suit their needs better. I was a little concerned about how my New York personality would play in West Virginia- I tend to be a bit over-caffeinated most of the time, and I speak VERY quickly. I think it took a few minutes for the audience and I to get on the same wavelength, but once we did, it was a wonderful group. Taking a cue from Dennis Miller, I throw quite a few jokes and lines in my show that usually hit with a resounding thud- they're just a little too obscure for most people to make the effort to bother figuring out if they're funny or not- but the crew at Ohio Valley University laughed at stuff that NEVER gets appreciated. Getting laughs from a college crowd is very gratifiying, and they made me feel extremely gratified. The frightened look from the gentleman I sawed in half made me realize that I do in fact like that trick, and it will most definitely stay in the act. Kudos to Spencer for putting me in the straitjacket as tightly as anyone has- it's been over 20 years since I didn't get out of the jacket, but that night was close. Bravo!

Once again, it seems like summer just got started, and it's almost over. I hate that. It really must be a function of getting older, but the summers seem to be getting shorter and winters longer. Still, the end of summer means the beginning of a new school show season, and that is ALWAYS good!

2006-07-08T13:31:00.000-04:00

How I Got Here

By here, I mean to this point in my magic career. Prior to embarking on a career as a full-time magician, I actually did have another job. Here's the Cliff's Notes version.

I started performing magic as a kid. I got my first magic set when I was 6. Little did my parents realize what they were setting in motion. All throughout my childhood I was fascinated with magic. I performed shows for birthday parties, and the occasional show at my school. When I was 14, I spent a week at a sleep-away camp for budding magicians. This pretty much sealed the deal for me. It was my first exposure to real professional magic performances, and I was hooked.

While I did continue performing for the next few years, around age 19 or so, my interest waned. The rigors of attending college full-time and working 40 hours a week to pay for my tuition left little time for hobbies (apart from the usual teenage pursuits...), and so magic got relegated to the back burner.

Finally, around age 23 , I saw an old acquaintance on the cover of a magic magazine. That spurred my competitive juices, and I sort of felt that I should have been there instead of him. I got interested and began performing again, mostly birthday parties and smaller events. I discovered that the time away rekindled my love for performing, and I was off and running.

Along the way, I graduated college, started on a career in market research, and earned my MBA. All the time, I still kept performing part-time. At 28, I got married, and continued working at my market research job. Shortly after the wedding, though, I began feeling like my career was not heading in the direction I wanted to be going. I started having trouble envisioning myself working in this field for the next 40 years. I grew more and more unhappy. Finally, about a year after we got married, I told my wife that I was extremely unhappy in my job, and wanted to try to become a professional magician. Apparently, she was so relieved that my moodiness was job-related and not marriage-related, she was more than happy to give her blessing to my newly chosen path.

It took about 14 months from the time I made my decision until I actually quit my job. During that time, I read as much as I could about being self-employed, small-business marketing (far different from the grad-school MBA stuff!), and of course, developing an act. I realized that it would be difficult to make a living working only birthday parties, so I set about the come up with shows that schools would be interested in. I finally settled on a reading motivation show for several reasons. One, I wanted a show that schools would have a need for. Two, I wanted a topic that I really believed in. Also, I wanted a show that would have longevity and not something that was hot at the time but wouldn't be for long. Reading is a passion of mine, and I figured I'd have the most fun and success talking about something I really loved. That was one of the best decisions I've made.

When it finally came time to take the plunge, I was nervous. While I was unhappy at my job, depending on performing to pay the bills was a complete unknown- I really didn't know how good or bad things were going to be. When I told my boss that I was quitting and what I was going to be doing, he actually thought I was kidding. When he realized I was serious, he did wish me well, and assured me the door would be open if things didn't work out. I knew that I would never consider that option. My only regret about quitting my job was that I didn't savor the experience more. Very few people ever get to quit their job to do something they really want to do, and I don't think I really appreciated at the time how much I should have enjoyed it.

It's been 15 years since I made my decision, and I have never regretted it once. There have been ups and downs, but things have gone very well. I have performed thousands of shows in that time, and I'm pretty happy with my act. Things can always be improved, but all in all, I like what see. I've raised my profile in the field via writing for several magazines, including "Laugh-Makers" and "The Funny Paper", and in fact was featured on my first magazine cover on the July/August 2003 issue of "The Funny Paper".

I've spoken at magic conventions around the country, and have accomplished far more than I expected I would 15 years ago. And the best part is, I've still got a list a mile long of things I want to do next.

2006-07-05T11:05:00.000-04:00

The World's Most Practical Magic Trick

When you are a self-employed entertainer, you need to have an arsenal of skills at the ready to keep yourself working. If someone calls to book a show and wants to give you money, it pays to be able to do what they want. During the course of my performing career, I became interested in memory work- mnemonics. The idea of being able to memorize and recall large amounts of information was very interesting to me on a personal level, although I was never entirely sure of how to make such an act theatrically viable.

Since I've learned how to use mnemonic systems, I've come up with several ways to integrate it into my performing work, and I'm still honing it. At this point, one of the best things I've found to use it for is pre-show warm-up work. To wit- this morning, I had a show at a day camp for kids ages 3-6. While we were waiting for the groups to enter the room, I took the time to memorize the names of all the kids present- about 20 or so kids. I've done this many times, and it never fails to impress the heck out of the adults present. Basically, I go through the room and ask each child his or her name. I repeat it once, and move on to the next kid, only this time I repeat both names. I do this for the entire group, as time allows. The effect on the adults, as I said, is amazing, but it also has another purpose.

When kids are in an audience and decide to start making trouble, one of the things that emboldens them is their anonymity. There is a grown-up in front of the room who doesn't know their name, which allows them more latitude in acting up. However, when that grown-up can address said attention-seeker by name when asking him to please stop talking and take his seat, it carries a lot more weight. Not only that, but hearing his or her name also give the attention-seeker the validation they need to feel like they have won. In one fell swoop, everyone is happy.

The ability to quickly memorize names and facts isn't limited to entertainers. Anyone who meets lots of new people in the course of their business life would do well to learn this skill. It has been said that the sweetest sound each of us knows is the sound of our own name. Use this knowledge to your advantage, and start learning how to remember names (and faces.) Here are a couple of resources to get you started.

Quantum Memory Power: Learn to Improve Your Memory with the World Memory Champion! (Audio CD) by Dominic O'Brien

Remember Every Name Every Time: Corporate America's Memory Master Reveals His Secrets (Paperback) by Benjamin Levy

2006-06-28T16:54:00.000-04:00

Switching Gears

Now that school assembly season is over, I am right in the thick of library season. This past winter, I showcased for about 40 librarians in a New York library system, and apparently they liked me, as well over three-quarters of them booked me for at least one performance this summer. Many of my summer library shows involve kicking off the "Summer Reading Club", and doing a brief pitch encouraging kids to sign up for the reading program. For me, this is terrific, as it ties in with my school year assembly, "The Magic of Reading". Surprisingly, most of the libraries don't actually book the reading motivation show, they book my "Comedy Magic Show", which is a non-education, "just-for-fun" magic show. For me, I enjoy this show, as it lets me cut loose a bit more than in schools. My humor can be a little closer to my actual personality, and the uninhibitedness (?) of the kids in this environment provides me more material for ad-libbing. This spontaneity makes these shows more unpredictable, and consequently, more fun in some ways than my school-year shows.

The flip side of this is that in school assembly work, you know in advance nearly every detail of your upcoming performance. You know the size of the group, the age range of the audience, and as such, you can tailor your material very specifically to your crowd prior to arriving. Indeed, I have several versions of my school assembly program, each one aimed at a specific audience demographic.

With libraries, though, you never know what you're going to get until the audience is in front of you. While many libraries have some system for signing up for programs in advance, many people who sign up don't show, and many people who find themselves at the library on show day will want to come in when they find out there's a free magic show in the next room. What this means for me is that I must bring an overabundance of material in my show case, and make a few subtle changes as the audience drifts in. Today, for example, my audience initially looked like it was going to be predominantly young, with most kids 7 and under. Just before I stepped onstage, though, there was a surge of 8-12 year old kids who came in. This necessitated some quick revising of my act to account for the older kids. A lot of the tricks and routines that just kill for younger audience leave you looking like a complete fool in front of older kids. To work well for a mixed group, you need enough silly stuff to keep the little kids laughing and quiet, and enough material for the older kids to keep them from turning on you like a pack of wolverines. Today, I believe I accomplished that goal. Everyone looked happy, my librarian seemed thrilled, and it sounds like I'll be invited back. That's a good show in my book.

2006-06-07T09:38:00.000-04:00

Support Your Local Library

I performed at the Pearl River Public Library in Pearl River, NY last night. I presented my "Comedy Magic Show" for an audience of about 175, mostly kids, but a lot of adults as well. All in all, it was a good show. My "Cards Across" routine went south when my 2 volunteers suddenly lost the ability to count to 10 and kept switching names on me, but other than that, I was pleased with the show and the group.

One of the reasons libraries invite me to perform is to generate a walk-in crowd on Budget Vote day. Each year, libraries, just like school districts, have the taxpayers come in and vote on the upcoming year's budget. Sometimes they are voting for a large increase, for example, when a library is planning a major renovation. In the 15 or so years I've been working at libraries, I've seen some of my regular clients undergo some amazing overhauls. The South Country Library in Bellport, NY; The Bethpage Library in Bethpage, NY; the Sachem Public Library in Sachem, NY; East Islip Public Libary in East Islip, NY; the Princeton Public Library in Princeton, NJ; all of these have made some amazing upgrades in the past few years. Libraries in general have morphed into a community center. Most libraries now offer programs for kids (that's where I come in!), adults and families; internet access; DVD, CD, and VHS rentals; tax preparation assistance and tax forms; many now even have coffee shops. Many of them even have books you can borrow for free!

In view of the amazing array of services available for little or no cost at the local library, two things amaze me. First, I can't believe how few people avail themselves of all these amenities. For most people, their library is only a few minutes away, and in many instances, it's within walking distance. Seeing how expensive things are getting in general, you would think people would flock to a place offering free entertainment and other services.

The second thing that surprises me harkens back to the budget vote thing. I understand that no one likes to pay taxes, and voting against budgets is a way to express that feeling. Each year, our local daily newspaper publishes the results of the school district budget votes, and year after year, the number of schools having their budgets defeated remains high. While I disagree with the sentiments of those who feel teachers are overpaid and have a cushy schedule, I can at least understand those feelings being the basis of a "No" vote on a school budget. The average person who gets 2 or 3 weeks paid vacation a year looks at those 2-3 months off every summer and thinks teachers have it easy. Having worked in many schools through the years, I can tell you the truth is dramatically different, but I'm not the voice of authority on this; I'm just the magician.

But even if you are willing to vote against your kids' school budget and eliminate the music program, after-school activities, and sports programs, it still makes no sense to me to vote against your library budget. There is no way anyone can think that librarians are overpaid- according to a survey conducted by Denise M. Davis and Jenifer Grady for the American Library Association, mean salaries for librarians are as follows:

Position Types by Mean of Salaries Paid, 2005
Title Regional Salary Data

Director $78,054

Deputy/Associate/Assistant Directors $60,729

Department Heads/Coordinators/Senior Managers $55,833

Managers/Supervisors of Support Staff $44,324

Librarians who do not supervise $47,246

Beginning Librarians $36,486

The mean salary for a library director is only $78,000. This means that the top person at the library is earning less than $100,000 per year. Granted, this is not poverty level, but for someone running the entire operation, that is not exactly living high on the hog. Note too, that many positions in the library require a Master's Degree in Library Science. There are very few private sector jobs that require an advanced degree and pay so little.

Having a good library in your neighborhood is good for property values; it adds to the ambience of your town; it gives kids and families a place to learn and laugh; and it encourages us to grow as individuals. The next time your local library is asking you to vote on the budget, before you go into the booth, think about what you are getting for your money.

2006-06-06T09:39:00.000-04:00

4-Pack

If there's one thing a performer like myself likes, it's multiple shows in one area. These days, with the price of gas at 3.19 for 87 regular here on Long Island, it's great when I can work more than one or two shows in an area that's far away. Yesterday I had 4 shows spread over 3 schools in the same school district about 150 miles away. Since my first show started at 9:00 AM, that necessitated getting on the road by 5:00 AM. For those unfamiliar with Long Island traffic, if you don't get on the road before 6:00 AM, you aren't getting there. The Long Island Expressway is unpredictable, which in some ways is worse than knowing you're going to be sitting in traffic. While I despise sitting and not moving, some days I arrive at a show 2 hours earlier than I need to be there. There's never much to do at 7 in the morning, unless you're in Vegas.

Fortunately, yesterday's show wasn't like that. I got there about an hour before showtime, which was perfect. I had plenty of time to find my contact person, bring in my equipment, and set up the show. The first show was for a K-2 audience of about 120 students. This is a bit smaller than most school shows, but they were an enthusiastic audience. The Media Specialist who booked my also requested a slightly shorted show than usual, so I needed to keep one eye on the clock as I performed. My show normally runs 45 minutes, and I've been doing it nearly 15 years, so at this point, I don't need to watch the clock to know if I'm running short or long- the show is pretty set. To cut it by 10 minutes, though, meant I needed to trim some pieces and rearrange the rest. Thus the need for the clock.

Show number 2 was pretty much the same- K-2, only this time about 180 kids. The students were a little more active; they had just been outside to visit with the local firefighters who brought their trucks down, so they were a little tougher to control than usual. Not a problem- I'll take an active crowd over a quiet passive one any day of the week. I'm having a little trouble with my voice this week, though, so that made it slightly more challenging than normal. Once again, a fun group, and some very satisfied teachers.

The last 2 shows were at a 3-6 grade school. Unlike many magicians, I enjoy working with older kids- "tweens". 3rd and 4th grade are easy enough for most performers, but 5th and 6th grade students really seem to rattle a lot of magicians. I've written extensively about working for this age group for THE FUNNY PAPER, a magazine for entertainers. The key for older kids, at least in my opinion, is to have good solid material, obviously, and not to try to hard to make them like you. If you go out and try to be too hip or too cool for the room, they'll eat you alive. The fun part about a "tween" audience is that I can pretty much be myself. I'm a fairly sarcastic person by nature, and kids in this age group seem to like that type of humor. What's nice is that the teachers seem to really enjoy the show, too. The magic is strong, and there's a lot of laughs. It was a nice way to finish the day.

Of course, after 4 shows, I still had the 150 mile drive home. There's no good way to get home any time after 2:30 to Long Island, and my 2.5 hour drive up became a 3.5 hour drive home. Got back just in time to feed the cats, pick up Jen, have dinner, and take a quick walk after dinner. I barely stayed awake for the second inning of the Mets game- late start in LA. All in a day's work.

2006-06-01T15:46:00.000-04:00

Field Day

I got a call a few days ago for a school show. They were having a "field day" event, and wanted a magic show to cap off the day. To make it more fun, it was for my niece Katie's class, as well as for the other second grade classes. Katie has seen my show more times than anyone should have to, but she's a good sport, and if she doesn't really enjoy the show, she fakes it pretty well.

Upon arriving, I found my contact person and let them know I was there. There were several hundred kids and parents milling around the school fields, and I was lucky to find her so quickly. I found my performing area and started to set up. One woman approached me and introduced herself. She told me that I had performed at her son's communion party a few weeks ago, and told me how much fun he had. I've got a pretty bad memory, but I instantly recalled the party and her son. A moment later he came running over and said hello. I smiled- now there would be at least 2 kids in the audience on my side!

By showtime, it was about 80 degrees. In the best of conditions, I tend to sweat when I perform- it's a combination of adrenaline and caffeine. 80 degrees outside and I don't sweat, I pour. Fortunately I had a towel and a bottle of water handy, so it didn't get too ugly.

For the most part, I performed my standard kidshow act- Pom Pom Pole, a rope trick, Mike Bent's "Royal Magic Trick", a few others, and for my finale, the ubiquitous Peanut Butter and Jelly Trick. 30 minutes later, the show was over, and it went great. Second graders are a fun audience- they're old enough so that I can make jokes and engage in by-play with them, but young enough that they're not jaded. The longer I do this, the sooner that seems to happen, but second graders are still kids, thankfully. This group was an ideal audience- they yelled and pointed when they were supposed to, they laughed at all the jokes, and I didn't have a stroke in the heat. All in all, a successful outdoor show. As a sidenote, I got a call about an hour after I got back to the office from the same school, wanting me to perform for the Kindergartners in a week. Cool!

2006-05-31T15:54:00.000-04:00

Out of the Gate

When I tell people that I am a full-time magician, I often get a look that says "I can't believe anyone can make a living as a magician". Many times, they'll skip the look and just blurt out the previous sentence. These days, in spite of the popularity of TV magicians like David "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble" Blaine, or Criss Angel, magicians seem to be a dying breed. While there are an awful lot of people who are quick to show you a bad card trick or a plastic gizmo they bought at a magic kiosk, there are decidedly few of us making a full-time living just performing magic. What I'd like to do here in my corner of cyberspace is let readers know a bit about what it's like doing what I do every day. I figure some of the folks I've worked for might like to know a little more about the person they saw on stage for a few minutes, and the odd person actually considering going into this business may also want to see what life is like in the trenches.

As someone who does all his own booking as well as performing, a good part of the job revolves around finding new work. The bulk of my performing is in schools and libraries, but when it comes to paying the mortgage, I will be as diverse as needed. I have worked in a mind-boggling variety of venues, and will probably continue to do so. In this space, I'll be writing about the weird, funny, and occasionally warm and fuzzy things that happen at my shows. Check back often- if I've worked at your school, library, or wherever, you may find yourself mentioned in here. If so, drop me a line, and I'll send you something cool for letting me know you read it.

About the name of this blog- "Backstage With the Magician"- it refers to a stage illusion presented by Doug Henning back in the 1970's. Doug was one of my earliest and most important magic influences- back then, there wasn't an awful lot of magic on TV, and Doug was one of the few. Doug was also kind enough to write back to me when I was 12 years old and sent him a fan letter. I still have the letter he wrote back to me.

Enough for now. Get offline and go outside.