Welcome Beginners! Ask and We'll Help!

All beginners in magic should address their questions here.
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Richard Kaufman
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Welcome Beginners! Ask and We'll Help!

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 19th, 2001, 11:08 pm

Welcome to all the novice magicians out there who are reading this forum, a service of Genii, The Conjurors' Magazine.
Please ask questions and the readers of this board will try and answer them.
Subscribe today to Genii Magazine

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Re: Welcome Beginners! Ask and We'll Help!

Postby Guest » July 24th, 2001, 4:25 am

when do you "know". that you are not a beginning magician anymore. Is it based on how long you have been doing magic,the difficulty of tricks that you do? or even number of sleights that you can execute to perfection. How do you know when you pass that phase?....Is a triple lift still a beginning move or are you still a beginning magician if you can perform a "Winged Silver" or Simple Spellbound? I am a curious guy who wants to know. thanks

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Richard Kaufman
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Joined: July 18th, 2001, 12:00 pm
Favorite Magician: Theodore DeLand
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Re: Welcome Beginners! Ask and We'll Help!

Postby Richard Kaufman » July 24th, 2001, 11:47 am

Kelly, you're probably no longer a novice when you can perform for people without being nervous. When you've practice a LOT and are confident of performing without making mistakes. When you have a decent presentation in which to dress your tricks. When you've read at least a dozen books cover to cover and UNDERSTAND them. When you feel like you're in control.
That's a start!
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Re: Welcome Beginners! Ask and We'll Help!

Postby Guest » July 24th, 2001, 8:29 pm

I have been practising magic for about 10 years and studying wholeheartedly for about a year. Friends complements had got the better of my ego and for a while I believed them. Then I started reading Eugene Burgers books and I realized what a little boy I was.
MY GOD!!! I'm really going to have to do some HARD WORK!.... and you know what? I cant wait....Isn't magic wonderfull!

Ray Banks
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Re: Welcome Beginners! Ask and We'll Help!

Postby Ray Banks » July 26th, 2001, 10:40 am

In answer to Richard's comment--I think you need to be nervous each time you go on stage or start your performance. How soon the "nervousness" goes away is a measure of your confidence in what you are doing.

I am starting my 32nd year as a high school football official and if I don't get a few butterflies before every game, I would probably quit. They do go away once the game starts but that initial rush is what keeps me on my toes.

Just make sure we don't confuse "lack of nervousness" with "complacency". That's when we get into big trouble!
;)
Pick a card....Any card....NO not THAT card..THIS one!

Ray Banks

Jim Maloney_dup1
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Re: Welcome Beginners! Ask and We'll Help!

Postby Jim Maloney_dup1 » July 26th, 2001, 11:21 am

I've been doing theater for the past 7 years or so, and I think I can honestly say that I don't get nervous at all anymore. Excited, yes, but not nervous. The strangest thing, though, is that more than likely, as I'm waiting in the wings, you'll catch me yawning. I don't know exactly why that is...it's not like I'm tired or anything. But I yawn a lot. I'm weird like that, I guess.

That's a big contrast to when I had my first leading role in high school. I was playing a melodramatic painter-type dude, and I had this really super-de-duper melodramatic entrance. Anyhoo...as I jumped out onto the stage and go all out with my little monologue, I noticed that my right leg was shaking uncontrollably. I had to concentrate really really hard on it through the opening scene to get it to stop. Looking back, it was rather humorous. I don't think anyone in the audience knew, but I sure as hell did!

-Jim

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Doug Conn
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Re: Welcome Beginners! Ask and We'll Help!

Postby Doug Conn » July 26th, 2001, 11:42 pm

For the past 20 years, I've been a full-time magi-geek-oid
(also known as a "student of the art.&#8217 ;)

…and I still feel like a beginner

…perhaps the what draws me/us to this 'art'

As long as you're beginning, there is room to grow and improve

Okay, I'm getting a bit capricious (that word was for Rock)
… time to go shuffle some cards.

Regards,
Doug Conn
Learn more bout me: http://www.connmagic.com

Jon Racherbaumer
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Re: Welcome Beginners! Ask and We'll Help!

Postby Jon Racherbaumer » July 27th, 2001, 3:49 pm

May I recommend that students, old and new, go back and reread what Eugene Burger (and others) have said about having a Beginner's Mind? It is not just a Zen thing. Much of it has to do with maintaining a high level of curiosity, a complete lack of compacency, and a continual openness to new and different ideas.

I scribble and type lots of words each day; however, as my detractors love to point out, I'm still learning how to write and have never, ever, stopped feeling like a beginner.
Some days, however, I feel like I'm getting the hang of it. Unfortunately, that notion quickly passes. ;)


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