Until now.

Starting this Sunday I will be performing my unique brand of close up magic for kids at the Lake County Fielders baseball stadium in Zion, IL (about an hour north of Chicago)!  In addition to performing my tried and true tricks, I’m excited to be performing magic I’ve specially designed for the client (similar to the type of material I create when I’m performing trade show magic to sell a company’s product or service).  The organization has also asked me to perform between innings on the field!  I only have 90 seconds, so I don’t know if I’ll be able to perform any magic, but it’s going to be a great exercise in creativity in any case.

In fact, if you have any ideas for short comic bits I could do in 90 seconds or less that are (ideally) magic related, let me know!

I’ll be at the stadium from 12-3 pm on August 1st, 8th, 22nd and September 5th.  If you’re interested in coming, check out the Fielders website for more information.

Hope to see you at the ball game!

Pretty innovative, eh?

It’s called a “retractable banner stand.”  Highly portable, light, but very visible.  I tried it out this week when I performed my children’s magic show at the Taste of Lincoln Avenue.  Like many advertising approaches, it won’t necessarily produce immediate results, but I like the ROI because it’s a one time expenditure.  I consider it my own personal magic show billboard.  Althouth it feels more like an informercial than a billboard, really, since the audience gets a demonstration of the product alongside my contact information.  I look forward to the day I ask someone, “How did you hear about me?” and they say, “I got your information from your sign at your magic show.”

That’ll be beautiful.

At the same time, I understand the importance of targeted marketing, and I realize this sign is better suited for the children’s magic show or birthday party show market.  For my close up magic and corporate entertainment services I’ll need to purchase another one.

Ah, the work of a Chicago magician.

It’s never done.

The simplest reason I think that people ask this question is that (as I’ve written about before), people have preconceived notions about magic and magicians, and not just Chicago magicians.  Specifically, they usually have only one context for magic and it’s either in the form of a birthday party clown or an illusionist on TV, though some folks do think of street magicians like David Blaine or Criss Angel.  They don’t think (and have no reason to) of the myriad markets magic is perfect for, including (but not limited to) weddings, trade shows, school assemblies, cocktail parties, promotions, etc.  More than that, they don’t consider that there could be an overlap between categories, which is to say if they see me in my fedora and vest doing close up magic at the restaurant or in my Disney vest doing a birthday party magic show, they wouldn’t imagine I could also perform sales magic at a trade show to promote their company’s service or product.

I believe the other reason people ask this question is that, and this is the unfortunate part, there’s a general belief that it’s not possible (or at least extremely difficult) to make a living as a performer/artist.  While it’s true that there are far fewer magicians than there are accountants, it is possible to make a living at magic.  Quite a good one in fact.  I know of a number of very successful magicians that no one has ever heard of who do quite well for themselves and will never be on TV.  In fact, I actually think it’s easier to make a living as a magician artist than as a dancer/actor/painter/musician type artist.  If only because there are so many different markets and venues for, in particular, a Chicago magician.  And while I’m not successful at the level some of these “unknown” magicians are, I’m getting there.

To sum up, I believe people ask me if I have a “day job” because a) they don’t really know what a professional magician does and b) are cynical about the economic feasibility of being a full time performer.  Given that (and after reviewing what I’ve written above), answering the question now seems to me to be an opportunity to educate.  I can spread the good word about how many different markets and ways there are to utilize a magician, and I can let people know that they can include my name in the “making a living as an artist” column.  Thinking back on it, I’ve found that people sometimes get quite excited and inspired to hear that I’m successfully living my dreams.  And we can always use a few more inspired people in the world.  Who knows, my living my dream might help others to take a chance and live theirs.

Thanks for listening.  I’m feeling much better now.

What I didn’t expect was that my choice of costume would affect how people reacted to me when I approached their table.  Typically, when I walk up to a table and explain that I am the “house magician” the guests look at me strangely.  I came to expect that and I could usually get a laugh by commenting on their reaction with something like, “I know you weren’t expecting me to say that.”  The line itself isn’t particularly funny, but by acknowledging what they were thinking I was able to break the ice.  However, with the vest and fedora I actually look more like a stereotypical magician.  Which means the guests aren’t surprised when I introduce myself as the “house magician.”  I quickly learned I could still break the ice by pausing and adding, “…if the outfit didn’t already give me away.”

However, with the introduction of the costume change I noticed that it’s a bit more difficult to get a table of adults to be interested in watching my magic.  I think it’s because many people only associate magic with kids birthday parties, so when I actually look like a magician they assume that, if there aren’t kids at the table, I don’t have anything to offer them.  I think the suit lends me a little more credibility, at least in the sense that I might be able to offer a more sophisticated magic show (suitable for corporate entertainment, for example.)

This observation reminded of an article by one of my favorite magicians, Michael Close.  He quotes a musician in one of his famous magic books, Workers 3, Wendy Carlos, who wrote the following:

Carlos’ Three Laws:

1) For every parameter that you can control, you must control.

2) What is full of redundancy or formula is predictably boring.  What is free of all structure or discipline is randomly boring.  In between lies art.

3) If you find that a worthwhile task requires much more work to do really well than you ever dreamed, you’re probably doing it correctly.  If you make it look easy, you’re definitely doing it correctly.

While these laws were originally created in relation to music, they apply equally as well to the art of magic.  While each law could be discussed in depth in relation to being a magician, in the context of this post I’m talking about the first law.  Specifically, costuming is one of the many parameters that affect audience perception.  As a professional Chicago magician I’m very interested in how audiences both perceive and think of me.  I’m no longer just interested in performing a “good show,” though any given show has literally hundreds of potential variables that can possibly be addressed.   Add in a desire to market and promote onself professionally as a Chicago magician and the variables increase dramatically.

Which is to say that, while I have put a lot of effort into developing my show and business, I still have a lot of work to do.

All this from noticing a difference in response to my outfit at my restaurant gig.  Who woulda thunk it?

I’m also a teacher of magic, and tonight I’m teaching the other Chicago magicians some new magic to bring to the hospitals. I’m teaching a fun card trick that’s designed to have the patient be the hero (a great strategy I even use in my corporate entertainment performances.) Any time a magician can have the spectator be the “source” of the magic it’s generally a good idea, but this is especially true in the hospital environment.

And of  course, as is always the case with teaching, I’m looking forward to learning how I can improve my magic in the process.

My latest review is a DVD of close up magic called “Sick” by Ponta the Smith.  (You can see the trailer below.)  It’s a beautiful example of coin magic that isn’t taught with much detail.  (Here’s the entire magic review.)  Despite the lack of instruction, I still loved the DVD.  I might even include some effects from it in future magic shows.

There are two things I love about performing at public magic shows.  First, while I love performing my birthday party show or magic at a trade show, those aren’t my favorite types of magic to perform.  At a public magic show I can perform the material I’m most proud of and the effects that most express the magic I love best.  Second, while I love performing close up magic as a restaurant magician, the customers are there for dinner, not just to see me.  Sometimes they come in specifically to see the magician, but even then I’m an addition to the experience, not the experience itself.  Even when I perform close up magic as corporate entertainment, I’m usually an addition to a cocktail party or hospitality suite, and not the main attraction.

But at a public magic show the audience is there to see magic.

They even paid money to do so.

So while I’m grateful for the many and varied ways I earn a living with magic (variety truly is the spice of my work life), I treasure the chance to do what I love for an audience who came just to see magic.  It’s a purer form of performance and I always look forward to the opportunity to do so.

So thanks Robert and Ben!  You’re doing a service for us all!

Trade show magic is a unique form of performance, very different from the stereotypical birthday party show.  It’s a hybrid combination of close up magic and sales and marketing.  The magician (that’s me) researches the company, determines the features and benefits of their products or services, chooses magical effects that will effectively communicate those benefits, then writes and rehearses a show to sell those benefits to the attendees.  Sometimes companies will even hire a performer to integrate their benefits into a formal stage magic show for a sales meeting or the like.

 While not all Chicago magicians offer this type of performance, I really enjoy including it in my repertoire.  Preparing for the show engages a part of my brain I typically don’t use except when marketing my own business.  And the writing is really a challenge.  Making the performance educational, magical and captivating given the subject matter is quite an endeavor.

 But it’s worth it.  And I’m talking about for the client.

 According to research conducted by Exhibit Surveys, Inc. of Red Bank, New Jersey, live demonstrations and entertainment are the most effective methods for attracting booth visitors in an exhibition hall.  And magicians receive the highest ratings, after product demonstrations, for product identification and recognition.

 So if you want an effective way to make an impact at a trade show, give me a call!