"IT'S BETTER TO GO OUT AND DO SOMETHING, THEN TO STAY HOME AND PLAN SOMETHING!"

three big mistakes beginner's make on the street;

mistake #1.
asking the people if they wanna see a trick [instead of telling them to watch]

mistake #2.
focusing on the fixing of the slieghts, the flashing,the mechanics and the magic instead of focusing on how to do a street show first.

nobodies gonna watch it any way if you don't got a show thats why they call it a show.[ these are usually the "move monkeys" who are always trying to fool magician's but arn't entertaining]

and #3 the point of interest,

3. sitting at home and planning what your gonna do instead of doing something. it usually that big trick you've never tryed but you know will stop them in their tracks....this is a mistake, stop doing that!

now this is gonna sound crazy and wrong but it's absolutely not.


here it is - "IT'S BETTER TO GO OUT AND DO SOMETHING, THEN TO STAY HOME AND PLAN SOMETHING!"


now i realize you're gonna wanna get a little stucture together before you go out there but the longer you take the less you've done.

you see at home the conditions are perfect and when you go out in the real world, it don't work like that.

staying home will procrastinate you right into a real job..i assure you.

everytime i try and fight this one i lose and every time any body i know trys to fight it they lose.

go to the office your pitch and go out infront of the people and do your practicing and planning out there where you can get some honest feed back instead of torturing your wife over and over with it.

you wanna be great stay on the pitch and work it out!

magic tricks with balls

i use large high bounce balls and a yellow lacrosse ball. in the video on youtube.

i've used every thing.

i'm always on the hunt.

in craft stores i've bought every size woodin balls and eggs and brought them home and painted them.

i've use all the different sizes to see what each can do for me. if their small i can steal 2 etc.

i go to novelty stores, i shop at loftus, any where, toys stores and i buy them and take them home.

fakini's are incredible sonny holliday uses these and mixes with various others balls he gets from toy shops or dollar stores.

the trick for me is to use the largest and brightest i can get away with, for maximum visual effect.


for wooden balls;

i've gone to the craft stores like "michael's" or "jo ann's" and bought every size they go by inches they have 1/4 in - 5 inch whats great is they mark the sizes so you know what your working with infact you can now judge what size other balls are, like rubber balls at the toy store that are'nt sized.


needless to say i have a lot of balls in fact my wife got me large bins to put them in because she didn't like find them laying around.

i wanted to work with every size to see which was best and how to work with other sizes i've painted them red and with diferent colors to "color change" or for surprise productions.

they're simple to paint just go to walmart and get "apple barrel" acrylic paint comes in a little bottle for @ $1the color is called bright red.

the little sponge brushes are 50 cents.

this is why you need a teacher.

your gonna meet guys who tell you, "oh i don't have a teacher cuz i don't need one." don't believe this braggart, this is pure ego.

heres what happenned either they had a teacher who couldn't stand them or they are so full of themselves they think by denying their teacher and their peers that they'll stand out as the best.

but sadly for them this doesn't work. but they try for years some times.

these are the ones who stand on the backs of those they have forgotten....feel sorry for them.

but why do you need a teacher.

because being a magician is more then being an entertainer, a businessman, or a guy who does tricks. in fact those are things you should do after your a magician.

you need some one who's gonna teach you how to be a magician proper, and you need some one qualified who understands just exactly what it is to be a magician proper.

and finally if you want to be the best, you need to know who it is, you need to be better than
[even tho you may never be able to be better then the mentor but at least you'll know the right direction]

if your saying well thats why i went to the street to get away from the rules, i hate to break it to you but this started in the street first then when indoors.

you see nobodys tell you, you have to do any thing we're just saying its nature.

you stop breathing if you want to, but its gonna make life harder.

if you can't find a teacher right now you should at least buy

"the tarbel course in magic volume #1"

and read the first few chapters especially the one on secrets and history.

a slower pitch means more "flash".

if your workin on a spot with very little foot traffic, you need more FLASH!

whats flash - it's stuff that surrounds you to make you look bigger then you are and add credability.

you need to lay a fat heavy colorful rope down as a stage boarder.

a sign with boring print that states MAGIC SHOW and nothing else.

you need to be LOAD and reciting a pitch to the street wether some one is listenning or not.

a table for focus.

lay all the props you can out infront of you in a display showing what you will be working with. don't leave any thing in the bag that doesn't absolutely have to be concealed.

this is flash it catches the eye of the passer by.

and use anything else you can think of.

going from a "real job" to your "lifes work", how to make the leap?

this is the scariest.

and everyone you know is against it.

"toot" told me years ago he saw sheridan working new york and he watched him over and over on breaks from his job..til one day he decided thats what he was gonna do with his life, the problem was he knew very little magic.

what did he do?

he went home to his roommate and told em the situation.

he suggested to the room mate that he should sponsor him for a few months....support him.

the roommate agreed if he would support the roommate for the three months after that.

so toot worked 8-16 hrs a day to learn.

ate, breathed, and crapped, street performing.

he was in a hurry cuz he knew 3 months flys by.

he did it, and the rest is history.

your gonna need time to go to school....the school of street performing.

and your gonna need 100% focus to save time.

will everything work out....no.

will your wife and family get angry....yes, they already do.

will she leave you?

in this country the odds are good she will, so be careful, DON'T TAKE HER FOR GRANTED AND ASSUME EVERY THINGS FINE,time to pay attention to your marriage. make sure she feels secure. and prove to her she is.

people will tell you they're supportive and they arn't, why?

not because they are bad people, its because they know you....your an artest and you got problems. face it, learn to embrace it, things will go along smoother.

your not normal, your here reading this!

your smart, too smart thats the problem. wake up! this is a bad thing! you'd be better off if you could be content working a brain dead job that pays.



when should you take this time off and make the leap?

the key is to not put it off.

i would suggest, just before the beginning of the season[summer months].better hats.

3 months might not be long enough it took me almost a year.

and you might want to practice through winter to be ready for summer.

why so long?

1.you need street[stage] time under your belt

2.you need a show that pays

3.you need to know how to find pitches to do that show.

i've heard some great success stories from a bunch of guys over the years so i know their out there.

kozmo got a great one.

if you make the leap DON'T PANIC! YOU'RE GOING TO BE MAKING MONEY THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT!...my friend dante told me this just before i went to europe the first time...i was terrified but this calmed me down and it turned out to be true.

a day at the office

when i go to the pitch i get settled in and make my self at home, i plan to stay there awhile. that becomes my territory, my spot, my office.

this does a few things first of all it puts me in the mind set that, wether the people stop to see me or not i'm at work for the day and i'll keep workin wether they stop or not.

the other thing it does is i can better defend myself in my own office. wether it be crack heads or hecklers.....thats my office not theirs.

four obligations of the magi worth noting.

four obligations of the magi worth noting.

1. KEEP THE SECRETS

2. PRACTICE TIL PERFECT

3. TEACH IF A STUDENT IS WORTHY

4. PROTECT THE LAYMAN FROM CHARLATANS

how to get a teacher.

i always meet some guy with ego problems who thinks he's a renegade and who says,

"i don't have a teacher i don't need one, i invented everything i do, i'm just that good."

then he shows me his ambitious card routine, assuming i've never seen one before.

this happens alot.

once it even happenned with a scotch and soda, you know who you are!

so if you ain't gotta teacher here somes suggestions.

let magicians you respect know your looking for one.

find a guy who has a teacher or has had one. try and get him to teach you or get his teacher if you can.

masters are obligated to help if they see some one with, LEGITIMATE INTEREST AND TALENT.

that means you gotta nag day after day after day and you gotta be able to show him something,some thing good.

most masters are reluctant to be a teacher, thats how you spot one.

when you get a teacher, time to suck up pay attention and don't try and teach him because after awhile it will get on his nerves and he'll try and shed you.

if he needs some thing give it to him. you need to take care of your teachers.

YOU CAN HAVE MORE THAN ONE TEACHER DEPENDING ON THE VENUE YOUR LEARNING.

if your some where this isn't possible buy tarbell vol. 1 devour the first few chapters about our tradition and then buy the rest as you go along.

if your renegade loner who doen't play well with others heres what sonny holliday did, he wanted to be the best in the world so he knew he'd have to find the best and learn from him because that would be the only person he respected, that was cellini.

you'll have to find who ever it is you respect for your type of work.

a tip from doc andrews on how to find a proper teacher.

this is a picture of doc andrews on the pitch in new orleans in jackson square.

this is copy and pasted from the buskers cafe i thought it was so good i'd put it here.

this is what dwayne andrews said. i call it the doc andrews perscription;



"The price you will pay is putting away some of your misbeliefs. and sacrificing a little ego on the alter to the quest of knowlegde

How to know a good teacher from a bad one when you are new to Magic.

First, you do the looking, find those you respect and enjoy; or just want to be better than. If you dont want formal training like the Chavez School of Clones, then watch from a distance-PAY ATTENTION- to everything they do. The best way to become successful is to find successful persons and emulate them. You can probably figure out why they do what they do after some amount of study then remove the negative habits and pecularities you dont want to have stick with you and you will become better. Next if you are considering actually studying with someone, Think About This--How do they treat you personally, If he treats you poorly he is thinking more of his own ego and not the student, or the Profession. These people will constantly seek others to spew their misbeliefs apon.
Second listen to your gut instinct, and dont turn off your brain just because someone may know more than you or has a known name. A real Mentor will look at all questions with a realistic approach, because he realizes he has a lot to learn or relearn from his own answers, not just turn them down out of hand. It sometimes codifys our own rational to ask a question from a different angle than our norm.
Next before considering anyone for this most estemed position think to yourself; is this who I would like to become: Because a student will follow in the masters footsteps.

When you do find someone you RESPECT pay attention to their personality and habits as well as their magic - there is a lot to learn from simple oberservation- this is the other gift a real mentor has to offer. Not just about your double lift but about approach, personality, and motivation and a myriad of things he may never think to explain. Each of these conspire to create the whole performer. Maybe this is why the other magician asked you to watch his act. He could have known you two werent a good fit or wanted you to be able to decide for yourself ( I am giving him the benifit of the doubt here ).

Also if you wouldnt want to have a late dinner with someone, dont look to them as a role model. because you will end up spending a great amount of time together.

We differ from Magicians in that we focus on the actual entertainment of the people in front of us. Not just the latest slieght on some website. This is a very important point here, and the main reason we dislike other "MAGICIANS" but seem to get along well together. We are focused on being ENTERTAINERS, This is a major difference. I dont know about you, but I feel a passion I dont experience anywhere else, when I step on stage and know the audience is paying ( or will pay ) good money to watch me perform. And by God I had better do it right. At this point I am not just playing the part of a magician I AM THE MAGICIAN.

Zig Ziggler told me, if you will help other people get what they need, They will help you get what you need. When our esteemed peers notice us contributing to the Artform they love, and see us trying to make a better Act, or create a more magical persona or environment by helping others, they will step in at that point to do what they can for you.
You may learn from them in an instant or in years. It depends how much you need to really learn from that person.
And remember, I could be totally mistaken.
I hope this adds in some way to the discussion "

Oscar Wilde said, " We are all lying in the gutter but some of us are looking to the stars."


_________________
Dwayne Andrew
Professional Entertainer

the job of the teacher

i'm not gonna get this one completely right i know, so if theres input from experinced teachers even better.

before one can be a teacher one MUST BE QUALIFIED TO TEACH.

the job of the teacher is to;

1.make the student better then him.
[even if it means holding back information]

2.to be loyal to the student in all things.

3.to be patient.

4.to teach the student the traditions of magic[keeping secrets,science, and respect for better magicians etc.]

5.provide a venue for the student to work.

and heres an important one, there is two prominant methods of instruction,

one is to tear down the student in an attempt to chalenge him. i think this is destructive.

the other is,

to build him up like he's a superman and the student will just assume he can do any thing....this is the method i think is best as long as you arn't afraid to give him honest criticism when its needed.

theres a bunch more i know these just stick out in my head right now.

what are some good sidewalk rigs to get started?

heres some rig ideas.

doctors bag or tool bag that opens like a doctors bag.

20 ft. of heavy THICK but soft nylon rope so the wind can't blow it.

sign that ONLY SAYS just 2 words only nothing else! just the words in black and white real big and plain not fancy.....MAGIC SHOW....but no other words. the sign should fit in your bag without folding and should have velcro on the back and velcro on the bag so that it will stick to the side of the bag. you can make it out of poster board clear tape and a black felt marker.

sign unnecessary out side of U.S.

a 11- 12 inch drum stick saw of sharp end so it looks like an unpainted wand. this is your noise maker,slight prop,and may have to go into the ribs of a violent aggressive person....you know your magic wand.


so theres your flash {stuff to make the people interested and mark your territory}

sidewalk routine suggestion;

silk vanish

coins and jumbo

deck of cards

rope trick like professors nitemare or some rope work as a finale to your little 8-10 min act.


what ever tricks you decide the real trick is.


don't bring any thing but whats in your show.

not extra tricks, not nothing.

in reality you don't even need that flash, no bag, no nothin, just keep those things in your pocket and stop out on a sidewalk and go to work.

oh and by the way don't bring any other tricks but whats in your show every time you perform it. and yes i know i said that all ready but this is the hardest for a magician to understand about street performing...pack small play big...not pack rat just to be sure.

remember at first your tryin to learn a set show, not trying to amaze them. you need to rely on the set show to get good enough to do its job on its own.


if you got a table;

silk vanish

coins or cards

cups and balls.

if your not doin cups and balls ask yourself why in gods name am i draggin this table around all the time when all i'd have to do is improvise like a real entertainer.

you really only need a table for the cups and there is cellini students in switzerland right now who do it on the ground....not to mention india.where they street performed for thousands of years.

and what other entertainers in show business use a table and how about t.v. magicians do they use one?

the job of the student

eric evans said,
"be a suitable student. For it is my belief that if you're a suitable student, the world working the way it does, a teacher/mentor will appear--its up to you as the student to see the opportunity and sieze it."

danny hustle said;

"I believe mentoring works. I also believe that you need to be a good student. The type of person who doesn't know what to take his hands off his ears and put them over his mouth should NEVER try and find a mentor. To be a good student you need to be humble, and know when to listen, even if deep down you might not agree with your teacher, right now. For a guy who grew up in the street and almost every person I grew up with now dead or in prison I can say in all honesty that the reason I am still here has been my ability to check my ego, shut up, and listen. You have to achieve a level of trust in your mentor that is wholly unnatural to most people. That mentor has the responsibility of never betraying that trust.

That being said, (and Jimmy will know what I am talking about) having a bad mentor can ruin you. You really need to know when it is time to cut the strings and follow a different path.

I am humbly thankful to all of the people that have mentored me in my lifetime, several of them are members of this very forum.

I should also like to give you my definition of what a mentor is. A mentor first is a friend, a true friend. This friend shares his faith, hope, and experience, with you because he has a great desire for no reason outside of his friendship to see you succeed. "

"Choose your mentors as wisely as they choose their students. "



one thing i'd like to add is that you need to take care of your teacher if he needs somethin get it for him cause if he's good its for your best interest.

if he's bad and you've helped him you've done it because your taking the high ground...and people see that.

stop a child stop the world [cellini]

cellini is famous for this saying.

yet i always hear these hacks [who do 1 corprate show in 4 months]say "oh, i don't do kids shows"

well guess what neither do we, thats not the point.

this the same problem i've talking about in all my posts, alot of magi are not flexable enough or a stong enough performers to perform for all crowds at the same time. but instead of admitting this they say "oh, i'm better then that".......misguided ego .



if a child is watching you, no one is afraid of you and most will think its indearing and will stop.

without a child your scary, creepy,insane or boring, and very few will just stop and give you a chance. remember you want as big a crowd as you can get.

a hobbiest says "i don't do kid shows"

a pro says "i do shows"

wanna work every day doin what you love, get over it!

the hobbiest is a dreamer but he doesn't live the dream the pro does

my vision for buskers in the u.s.

i see a time when;

cities are proud of their buskers and advertise them in tourist info. to bring more prosperiety to the city. and other cities are lookin for away to get buskers for them selves

a city, a mall, or private business will pay you 50 a day to entertain and hat the people.

people walking down the street will see you from afar and say, "honey get the kids theres another one, he's a magician hurry up, before we miss something!"

kids start out their careers as entertainers, on the street, and are getting paid to practice enough to support themselves. and by the time they get older are working in great venues.

a time when;

you've made a carreer out of it and got a big house, nice cars, etc.

buskers turn down prepaid work cuz they can't afford the time off from busking the street or indoor venues.

big busker supply stores in every major city because busking is such a large industry.

where young guys say they're buskers to get girls, but who have never busked before.

a place where the girl isn't worried about dating a busker because he's a broke dreamer who couldn't provide for her.because it would be common knowledge that he could.

crazy?

i'm dreaming?

i need medication

that will never happen?


WELL I GOT NEWS FOR YA.

its happening right now all over europe and different parts of the world....

infact some of these things are even happening here in the states with the top pros and festival workers.

but heres where i might be dreaming i'd want it here in the states in mass.

i want it all.

but i'd want the buskers to be good....no great.

instead of hearing,

"he's from europe and thats what they do there so he's gotta be good"

or

"oh that busker is from austalia so he's really good"

or

"he's from japan so he's gotta be good" i'd want people to say that about us.

and i believe thats why our tradition is so important. why we have to remember, why our tradition is important, so we don't suck.

i think pure talent can make this happen here.

after all we just gotta make people like us.

why ain't it like that here people are unfamiliar with us on the street.

instead they are familiar with crack head cons on the street.

or worse yet they are familiar with a street performer who was untalented, rude, and made a fool out of some one in a bad way.

checking out the equipment-clip

escape money and a floater.

this is only food for thought.

if your stuck some where, your roomates throw you out, you get in trouble with law, you get hurt, you get so crapped out you can't work and you need a break,somthin, somthin, what ever.

you need to have "escape money".

now a "floater" is this thing i heard about in europe. its a bank account with @ 10 grand in it, so you can take winters off if you want to.

now i understand most of us don't have that kinda money...it's just food for thought


the trick to both of these is never use a "real job" to make these.

you should get used to having your security in street performing.

you should be relying on street performing to take care of you.

by preparing with a real job, in your head, when times get rough you'll want to turn back to the real job.

like my friend george gilbert says friends are super important in your life as a busker but if you can become independant i think you should.

the magician's den.... your studio/library/office/work shop.

i remember the first time i saw one it was many many years ago.

it was doug conn's.

he had a display rack on the wall, with all the close up props he used, displayed.

his table was directly under it and it all looked like a minuature museum.

if you don't know what i'm talkin about....you should!

if your magician your supposed to have one.

its a space with a full a length mirror, your props, and all the things you need to practice and make your tricks... all your books are there.

you gotta phone in there to book your gigs...you know every thing for your work.

if your living by yourself in an apartment it could be the whole place.

so.

where do street performers keep a den, if they are a homeless travelers?

in there pocket?

sort of, it gets broken up unless you got an rv.

most can fit in a van.

the mirror is the windows on the buildings. you practise outside.

if you have no van, its in your travel bag and rig and can be set up in the hotel room.

with no van the library is being recyled as you buy and read them, you exchange or just get rid of them and by new ones. you can carry the important ones...but you'll get sick of that.


there was a cool magicians den caught on film, in the illussionist. it was his WORK SHOP where he worked on his illussions can you remember it?, and he would practice in his theater.

i dunno anybody got any thoughts on this?

the secret of shy buskers and being in your own world

i've noticed shy people generally are really good at mechanics,sublties and manipulation.

not only that but they are sneeky.

my teacher is like this.

my teacher uses his shyness to his advantage he sucks people into his world. he lures them in when strange things start happenning to him[magic].


heres some tips and then i'll tell you the secret.

set up your pitch so your comfortable enough to be there all day.

lay a fat rope on the ground in a half circle to make your stage [see my posts on "rigs"]

use a sign that only says, "magic show". make sure it's written plain and not fancy, so its completely laedgable.

use lots of flash [stuff you lay out to draw people].

but if you do none of these things heres the secret;

when you work your doin it for you, NOT THEM!

heres the deal do your whole show wether they are watching you or not, because it doesn't matter, because the show is for you, NOT THEM!

you block em out! don't acknowledge them.

if and when you get a crowd acknowledge them in such a way that tells them they may watch you if they are nice. try and do this without telling them directly....or if your feeling confident go ahead and tell em.

working a slow pitch

if your sitting on a spot and there is nobody walking by you, you wanna ask yourself;

"do i have a DAMNED GOOD REASON for working here, instead of a good spot where i know theres alot of foot traffic and money, like quincy market in boston or a buskers festival or what ever.

now unfortunately we've all had those momments in our lives where YES WE DO HAVE A DAMNED GOOD REASON.

case in point i'm in san diego cuz i hafta be here to see my kids.

and there are many more reasons and you all know them.

anyway, what do you do?

first of all make sure your on the best pitch in the town.

secondly change your state of mind about the spot don't expect alot and know you have to roll up your sleeves and go to work. your gonna need to do hours if you wanna make money to leave or what ever. this a job remember.

thirdly be prepared to work all day and into the late nite so you can figure out when the best times are to work this pitch. so you can make a schedual for yourself, this is if you gotta stay in the town for a long time.

and fourth a bad spot is the perfect place to tighten your act. just keep doin it over and over wether they watch you or not. what difference does it make if your forced to be there any way.

when i was in europe people would ask me why i worked so many hours and this is why.

[in europe theres less bad spots]

when the european buskers would come here they'd ask me "why do the people walk by disinterested?"

i believe, if you can make it on a bad spot in america you can make it any where.

but for gads sakes if you can leave....leave!

on the street,never ask anyone if they want to see a trick

let me save you some time.

if you ask some one if they wanna see a trick the answer is NO!

got it?

its NO!

stopping asking that stupid question over and over to the people your imbarrassing us magi.

here it is;

NEVER ASK SOME ONE IF THEY WANT TO SEE SOMETHING!

TELL THEM THEY WANT TO! AND DON'T BE A WUSSIE. they smell fear.

when i started out busking....asking, was the biggest mistake i ever made. i spent all day asking, "would you like to see a trick?"

this is not busking this is begging.

the passer by is inundated with these questions from all sides and he becomes jaded and reactionary.... short story he says no.


what should you say?

"pay attention cuz i'm not doin it again!"

or

"watch this"

or just begin your patter for the trick.

get creative but don't ask.

when you speak, speak very loud, use volume.

the biggest problem i've seen is that people with the best skills are too quiet and people with the worst skills have the biggest mouths.

ideally you should have the best skills with the biggest mouth.

if you can't be loud learn a silent act with alot of energy or costume or both.

this is a flesh issue....you need flash or they don't stop.

when you talk to the peopl talk past the people infront of you and direct your conversation to the person accross the sreet or a half block down...remember your trying to build a crowd.

don't worry about what your saying so much, just say it loud it should be comming from your gut or your gonna go hoarse by the end of the day.

your not necessarily yelling your talkin so the person far away can hear.

i'll be writing about the secrets of shy and withdrawn entertainers later.


here's what curtis frye had to say about it;

"It's hard to explain in print, but here goes. Take in a nice, deep breath through your nose, slightly tense your top-most ab muscles, look at someone you want to hear you, and start talking. Watch that person to see if they can hear you."

"You get louder by pushing more air past your vocal cords, but not by yelling. When you yell, you straighten up and push from your throat, which means you'll go hoarse in no time. When you support your voice with your stomach muscles (actually your diaphragm) and let the air out slowly, you can speak from your chest with a relaxed throat and let everything come out naturally."

"In _The Amateur Magician's Handbook_, Henry Hay recommends trading a show for voice lessons. I think that's great advice."

fighting over a pitch and pitch "owners"

i heard cellinin say once, never fight over a pitch.

lord knows i've tried.

but some times you know !@#$%^&*!

i've had guys set up on top of me, during a show.

i've rolled into town where theres only one pitch and i'm out of money.
and that guy keeps saying "this is my spot, i've been here for 55 years blah blah blah crack head."

or how about that guy that sees you work a pitch that you pioneered and the next day, there he is bright and early and he sits on it all day.

worse yet he's makin small hats because he's got no talent.

so the question begs to be answered what do we do?

well.

usually i bitch alot, but some times i piss and moan.

cellini's got a horror storie about a guy who would sneek up behind you with a brick in the middle of your show and crack you if you were in his spot. i wont ruin the story read it [dreamers highway]

language barriers and comedy in different countries

when i was in spain i did a silent act and spanish act .

i was excited to see how my show would translate, i'm half hispanic.

silent and spanish paid @10 euros.

in english it paid 30-50 euros.

i watched the other acts the story was the same i was disappointed but i was doin shows in english for the remainder of my stay.

in fact i noticed other countries were alright with me doin my stuff in english.

you see over there they have a state launguage but they are educated enough to speak others.....i was embarassed i could only speak some spanish and some english.

with that, it is always a good idea to put some of thier language in your show to at least show your trying and as respect.

some times jokes didn't translate and i tryed new comedy that worked but it didn't work here when i tryed it here.

i noticed different cultures found different things funny.

what size show fits best

when i started learning to busk my friend dante in new orleans was showing me the ropes. he had a large circle show.

i asked dante the question what size show is best.

he told me he likes 45 min circle shows, cuz you only have to build a crowd every 45 mins. not every 8mins.

so whats better?

$- well if your all about the money i would say, definately go do a CIRCLE SHOW [30-45mins.] or be a juggler or a break dancer instead of a magi....no better yet just sell time shares. i think you can see the direction there.

if you want to avoid regulation and be stealthy without carrying a bunch of stuff and if you want the ability to work anywhere any time that would be a SIDEWALK SHOW or a DOORWAY ACT [8-10mins].....

but be prepared to do shows all day back to back, grinding out less in money then those circle acts at the end of the day.


if you want the ability to do both and make mediocre hats do a parlor or half circle show [15-25mins]

and this might leave you confused on your structure and leaves you feeling how good it could be but it always just seems out of reach....sort of the middle class of the these 3. and your still making less at the end of the day then those full circle acts. this happens to be where i'm at, half circle shows and i'm completely unsatisfied.

i wanna go full circle but its hard to find pitches unless i go legit [gad forbid] i don't like regulation.

funny enough this is why dante got out of street performing and went to underground cabaret.

he was sick of walking down the street and people telling him not to set up around them.

i crashed a festival on the thames in london-clip

my most prized picture

this is jimmy talksalot,sonny holliday,studini,eric evans, and toot [riki palmer] with his hands stretched out.

what is a street magician? [cellini]

WHAT IS A STREET MAGICIAN?

when asked this is what cellini says,

"Exactly who or what is a street magician?

In my humble opinion he is a wanderer who believes he is the inheritor of all he surveys.

Someone who goes from place to place with or without a settled route or destination.

He is a boundary crosser; his purpose is to discover new places, meet new people, make new friends and preserve a way of life while perfecting his craft.

He is a person who is both loved and envied for his way of life which appears to the untrained eye as jolly-good, and fancy-free. But in fact it is a life of unremitting toil and unfailing persistence.

He must be willing to stake his future on his ability to persist no matter how hard the going gets. He must have an unshakable faith in himself and in his specialized knowledge to resist all the temptation; to buckle under the weight of society, to refuse to be herded like sheep into a pen and to be told when, where, and how long he can stay.

He is the first Church of the Street Theater and claims the same rights as any religion. To stand on any street corner and gather a crowd. To say and do as he wants whenever he wishes as long as it is within the bounds of propriety and good taste. And lastly, ask for support.

He is adventurous, persistent and courageous. Along with those characteristics, he has the determination to survive, the tongue to persuade, and the hand to execute any mischief called for.

He is a man possessing a touch of the earth with a warm and sincere interest in his fellow human beings. His heart, soul and thoughts are those of a king. He is a man blessed with the Royal Touch."

-- Cellini excerpt from "The Royal Touch"

jimmy talksalot clip in covent garden, london

a busker must travel to be great

a busker must travel to be great.

ooooh,this one always hits a nerve.

the theory on this one covers vast territory and before you make a snap judgement, think it out.

heres a few but not all to ponder.

1. your show needs fresh faces in the audience all the time to make money and get fresh feed back.

2.every pitch is different and has to be learned which gives you serious experience and makes your show air tight.

3.travelling gets you around other performers and shows and teaches you new stuff for your show.

4.A PROPHET IS NEVER ACCEPTED IN HIS OWN NATION. as magi we are supposed to be mysterious and unfamiliar in our ways, exotic if you will.

ever wonder why nick nicholis is in australia

or

cellini in switzerland.

or

gazzo in the u.s.

ever think about it?


with all that said.

my friend patrick has found a spot that he has worked for many years he's home steaded and has supported his family with busking.

you should make it your business to meet the masters

you should make it your business to meet the masters.

when i started i wanted to be the best i could so i knew i was gonna need examples, so i went on the road looking for them.

i'm gonna post the stories about the ones i met when i went on the road to check off my list.


what was my list?


for sidewalk performers

sonny holliday

- and i found out that he was the master at sidewalks and also did circle shows}

tom frank

danny hustle

and i met a bunch on the way and i'm gonna write about it.




for big shows

my list was;

cellini-met

eric evans-met

dante-met

gazzo

nick nicholis

captin keno-met

pepe-met

johnny fox

on the way i met others i never heard of like paul nathan who i found out the hard way is a master also.

stop using filler in your show, only use the best material

i learned this from sonny holliday.

he's a brutal guy and people are scared of him and sometimes thats why they stay[their scared to leave] but most of the time they're mesmerized by his work even if some of them don't like his character they watch in awe.

his patter works the same way only the strongest.

if your a beginner this is gonna be tough.

this is gonna take a while.

but after you got some street time under your belt remember,


by using "filler tricks" your wearing your weakness on your shirt.

sonny holliday said,

"i only use tricks that get the biggest impact, so my routines are these tricks put in a special order."

unfortunately he was only interested in learning one of my tricks!

if you do a trick and you get a huge reaction or a stunned look from the reaction thats the trick you save.

after you have a collection, put em together and now you got a proper routine.

go from there.

this goes for tricks,lines,jokes,costume,equipment, or what ever.

jimmy talksalot

rotation show or trickle show

what am i talkin about?

what is a rotation show?

its a show where you do a routine and at the end tell the people;

"if your waitin for the end of the show it ain't commin, i do this all day long over and over if you liked any thing you saw please put some money in the bag on the ground."

then you do a different routine and at the end of that one, you repeat;

"if your waitin for the end of the show......etc."

i think its best for a sidewalk and helps you get your routines tighter as you learn the order of your new show.

it also helps you understand which routines have the best effect on the people.

it's also a great way to keep a crowd all day on a pitch if your on a slow pitch.

some people call it a walk and pitch cuz people walk by watch a little and pitch money in.

this is not the strongest method of hatting.

but.

i think its a great way to make money while you practice and will take away from the monotany of doin your same show over and over.

be warned this is more for the art or show part of your show, in my opinion this is not a big money maker.

i feel your loosing a little money while you do this....but it could pay off in the end by improving your show.

it also comes in handy in a pinch if your on a dead pitch or your dealing with people with no energy.

jimmy talksalot rope routine-clip

intro repeat routine to crowd build

intro repeat routine to crowd build.

the idea is to to intro your show and educate the people to what your about to do.

you see sonny holliday doin it in the cellini dvd...."let me tell you what the 8 mins. consists of one card trick...one...etc."

a good idea is to have the propes out infront of you and point to each as you talk about whaty your gonna do.

i think it is very important to be doing a visual effect over and over while your talking about your show so the patter for the trick is your intro not the actual patter for the trick.

i've seen alot of guys do the silk vanish over and over not even looking at it while they talk about the show they are about to do.


you should keep rotating the intro when your done if you don't have a big enough crowd start over thats why its important to have a trick you can do over and over.

some times i do a silent mime/magic routine as an intro and repeat till the crowd gets big enough.

or

i do the flip routine and my entro goes like this;

"if you were out here 50 60 years ago this is smething you might have seen, i'm a sidewalk performer...and i know its true cuz my grandfather taught me how, i don't use trick stuff like those guys on t.v. cuz i ain't gotta milliom dollars its my hands i brought em all the way from new orleans to show em to you, i'll show em to you,you tell me what you think.........etc.

all this is before and seperate from your show[but you may wanna pull it together later].

on the street you must deliver what you promise

on the street you MUST deliver what you promise.

if your ballying [trying to stop a crowd] and you promise your gonna saw a lady in half, levitate or change a $1 bill into a $100 bill......you better do it.

you can not blow it off this will not work.

if you do not deliver its gonna cost you money and credability.

people are trying to avoid scams on the street.

now if your a salesman, not delivering can work in your favor, you can turn it into a humurous thing like,"yeh, kid don't believe everything you hear from a guy off the street selling you something." thats fine i know i used to do that when i was a pitchman. THIS IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT...this is street performing.

this is something i had to learn the hard way going from pitching svengalis to street performing.

if you make big claims, you will get a big crowd, but if you don't deliver they won't donate to your cause because they feel like they got jipped.

you see the product was your show and it didn't do what the program said it would.

did houdini build interest with the promise of escapes and then only did card tricks after they paid? no he did escapes like he said he would.

in your bally they stopped to see one thing and and were forced to see something else.

no matter how good this something else is, it becomes less good. hurts your show and your hat.

i know, me and my street performer friends have tryed and failed...thats why some old street performer years ago said "you must deliver what you promise."

ask your self this why are you making a claim you won't keep? is it because you feel the tricks your gonna do arn't strong enough to stop them?

if you tell the people your going to change a $1 bill into a $100 do it!

as a magician you should be able to this.

if you don't deliver on the street, your hurting your own credability as a magician, an entertainer.....and worst of all, the rest of us.

understand this doesn't apply to a salesman....he can get away with it people know salesman will do any thing to sell their product.

and this is not a jab at don driver.

don's a genuis.

and has forgottin more about our art than i know.

in fact i think his famous bally could be a great street show if you did exacly what you claim to do in your show and for your finale....you see that would make it a magic show.

but i'd definately hat before the finale, cuz the people are probably not gonna wanna tip you if your standing there with all those hunskys in your hand....know what i mean?

if you don't know what i mean get familiar with his bally.

you hafta play with the people, you're only playing

"you hafta play w/the people,your only playing"

this was told to me by a guy named pepe in covent garden [london].

he got the largest crowds i've ever seen. he does sort of a walk behind mime act..incredible.

one day he saw my silent act and offered instruction for me.the other guys told me this was a huge honor and i knew it so i took it.

i met him the next day and he started teaching about silent character and behavior. it was really hard.

i was having problems grasping concepts and thats when he said it... and a great big bell went off in my head.

we are out there because we want to play and they want to play also and the best work is gonna come out when you have more heads workin together on how to have a good time.

theres so many interpretations for this and they all seem to be good.

especally if you like interaction. i don't too much but its always gonna happen in a street show, and i thought i should mention it because it did so much for me and my show.

color,sound,movement, and break the ceiling-cellini

this i learned from cellini and sonny holliday.


4 things stop people.

color, sound, movement, and breaking the ceiling.

you should be using all of these to build a crowd or more importantly TO HOLD ONE.

suggestions;


pace the full edge back and forth from one side to the other don't be timid.

put your arms in the air [breaking the ceiling]and yell,"watch this"

use what your wearing as props for movement.

bang a stick on the ground, a drum, a cow bell.

have a sign....wave it around.

pace, rant, and rave.

bang a pot.

be annoying.

if you see some one leaving....START PACING and bang your stick honk your horn and watch them walk right back.

create these nervous habits its more interesting believe me

your an infomercial or the crazy man who talks to himself on the street

you're an infomercial.

you ever go to the grocery and they gotta tv goin with sombody cookin a recipe....or late at nite you see this 15min commerciall that runs over and over all nite long?

this is how i thought of myself when i first went out on the sidewalk or in the door way.

5min show over and over like an infomecial or the crazy man who talks to himself on the street.

over and over 8-16 hrs a day over and over.

needless to say the act got pretty tight i could do it in my sleep.

sometimes nobody would stop sometimes they would over and over 5min show.

when people hear a script being recited they stop they know its pro they see improv the know its amatuer at best at worse possibly a con or a hustle.

if the people come late i simply stop and start over.

i kept doin this progressing from 5mins to 10 mins to 15 until i got to about 30min shows.

it's about commitment and owning your own business

being a magician or busking or both is owning your own business, its better than a "real job"

its about being a fanatic.

its about believing in what you are doing, wether its a magic trick or your friggin life{cellini}.

its not about whining and bragging.

its not about doin it part time on the week ends any body can buy a magic set and do that.

its about taking a chance on you.

if your really that good at magic why arn't you doing it for a living?

instead of pushing those other products why not just push the most important product you and your show?

why are you making other people rich and famous?

we only live once and are judged after that for what we did.

...did you do your lifes work or did you do some one elses?


tyou need to support you your family freinds the dog what ever so figure it out.

booking festivals, great pitches, big hat show, company picnics what ever theres plenty of info out there.

check out

performers.net

but...did you do your lifes work or did you do some one elses?

focus on street performing first and magishing second

i was instructing a guy once and taught him show structure for the street.

he had great stuff for indoors but out doors he was limited to a samll amount of tricks and his show was weaker but he had asmall set show and was makin small hats.

now a friend of ours who was really skilled indoors came out and watched and critisized his magic.

so our friend went out and tryed working the street.

his magic was good but he was have alot of problems for the first time in his magic career. he couldn't understand why his magic was better but the other guy was makin hats with few problems....until it dawned on him....this is the street.

jackson square, new orleans, louisiana,u.s.a.

it's easyer to get forgivness, than permission!

this is a pic of "nick sharpe" aka "dr. street".he taught me this next one.



don't ask if you can work a spot.

our job is to congest a walk way.

no one wants you to do your show anywhere, got it, don't ask.

when they see you makin people happy, they'll change their mind unless they're stupid then they'll yell at you, in which case you still made money...don't ask.

don't start a show when the authorities are around, that's like asking.


when they shut you down, put your gullable face on and say, "oh, i'm sorry i didn't know."

they'll probably forgive you.

whaa

who's doin who a favor? stoppin a crowd.

the most popular method of stopping people i've seen is to hound every single passer by till somebody stops.then do a show and hat em. start over and start hounding em again.[mostly sidewalk guys].

this works.

this works good.

but i don't do it.

i have a different approach i do big flashy tricks or sight gags or just act so stupid that people stop in disbelief that any one could be so stupid.

i make a specktacle out of myself.

i got this from workin new orleans where they just wont stop because they think its a scam or theres somethin better around the corner they have to see. also from european performers.

understand this method is weak on a slow pitch with little walkers.

so why do i do it?


heres the deal, if i hound em they are only staying as a favor to me so when they saw a trick they did their favor and they don't feel the obligation to tip. now i realize its not that cut and dry but i'm moving to a point here.

if they stopped cuz they saw something they were interested in they're anchored and they feel like i'm doin them a favor and they need to repay me by not heckling,participating, defending me, and most importantly paying me at the end, its the least they could do!

how do i get em in without askin them for a favor?

i tell em if they want to see the stuff i'm gonna be doin they can't see it from far away and they'll have to come in closer and then i begin to sound irratated and i urge them to hurry "cuz i'm not doin this stuff again!"

leaving them still in debt.


i prefer having this kind of show theres no pressure.

if i hounded them there leaving me under the pretense that i stopped them from that very important what ever they were doin to show them this thing nobody wants to see yak yak yak they're rushing me,they're critical and if i'm lucky this is worth a dollar its not until they crowd shows up that i got any hold.


they stopped because it was their idea not mine they saw something that they wanted to see not what i wanted to show them. it was all them infact to incurage this i do a big sight gag and tell the people to move along theres nothing to see here as if i don't want them watching it.......


ever try tipping a secret to another magician in public you can't beat the crowd of with a stick, but when you say "all alright i'll do a trick for you" they all scatter like rats from a sinking ship [i got that line from koz]

jackson square, new orleans, louisiana-clip

how to shop for magic.

when i shop for magic i go to juggling stores,walmart,hardware stores,sports supplies, marine and boat stores. the best place is mom and pop hardware shops.

why?

a.

like an idiot, in my life i've owned all that junk from a magic shop and the shop.and i learned it didn't do me a bit of good.

b.

i don't use any of that stuff in my act nor do any pros that i know.[except for the silk vanish t.t. ]

so what i do is buy books and network with magicians and find out how to make stuff. if i can't make stuff i would go on buskerscafe and find a link for a comp. that makes this stuff.



but heres what most important;

i frequent walmart and hardware stores like lowes or home depot all the time looking at what they have in inventory so when i'm gonna put a trick or routine together i don't have to bother a senior magician for the parts or where to go.



you see this is an art, a craft, a lifes work.

gimmicks are a waste of time and money but they help you learn how magic works. if your using gimmicks in your show you should try and move twards not using the unless your disabled in some way.

magic shops with all their gimmicks are great for uncle louie who goes to family functions and shows of his hobby.

don't get me wrong there are pro shops like denny in baltimore who sell fakini and other stuff pros need and pro shops are the hardest for owners to keep open and should be used as much as possible lord knows they don't get enough business. hobbiests become frightened when they learn you have to use skill or wits or talent to do stuff in a pro shop...."wheres your scotch and sodas and i'd like to see a new packet trick please."

you'll know what kind of magic shop right away if you ask for a pouch and a set of street cups and they don't carry any but tell you the standard cups are good enough and you don't need a pouch.

i'll ramble for ever i'm sorry.

myspace.com/jimmytalksalot

http://www.myspace.com/jimmytalksalot

interaction is over rated and over used.

interaction is over rated and over used.

and worse yet might just be the problem in your show that you couldn't quite put your finger on.

yeh! yeh! yeh! i know all the old timers told you to do it.

times have changed fellahs people are more uptight,kids don't play outside as much and what about these dorks who spend to much time on forums instead of going out and experiencing the real world.

please hear my case;


my wife and her sisters would never stop and watch a street performer they don't like confrontation or social surprises.

so when i started makin my show it was for those types of people, understand i already got those out going people to stop any time i want them.

so when i'm ballying i don't even look up or at the people i ignore them or act like i want privacy but these amazing things keep happening.

when i'm done with my bally routine i look up and surprised to see all the people and then i tell them reluctantly i will do a show for them.

another tactic i use is i act like i think i'm a big shot street performer proffessional.....but it becomes evident that i'm stupid,bad luck,or confused...what ever it is, i don't try and hide my frailtys i wear them on my shirt and people feel like i'm child like and harmless certainly making it hard to heckle me because i've done a sufficient job of that myself.

theres many of other tactics i use and others use.

point to be made, i can get old ladys to stop with no interaction.

familys, elderly, shy people, you know all the ones who wont stop for that magician guy hounding them to watch a magic trick.

i continue the show with out interaction, UNLESS i get a heckler then i blast him, bad, gazzo style, boom!

somebody walks through my show? boom! gazzo style, no mercy!

some body going behind me to try and catch some thing i'm doin?

or

talkin to his friend, "hur hur der, i know what he's doin he has a magnet under his skin...boom! i blast him into oblivion so he knows who's boss.

so basically the rule in my show is you can watch with no interaction, no confruntation, if you don't make trouble.

if you make trouble then your gonna be a guest star in my show which is bad! your gonna get sucked into my stupidity and they'll be laughin at you instead of me or some facsimile there of.

if i do any more interaction its small things usually w/kids and something they can't screw up like;

"hold the rope and pull it...pull it ...whats wrong with you? you go to public school or somethin?"

don't get me wrong, when i hat them i take the time to walk around and look em all in the eye and ask for money.

but most of the time in my show i never look them in the eye to long makes us both feel uncomfortable.

cellini yelled at me about it...said "i need to look at the people to touch em".

i told em it was because i didn't like the people.....but hey, its been workin for me.

ocean city, maryland.

nobody minds till you start makin money

on a good pitch on the street you should be BIGGER THAN YOU ARE;

when your doin close up, do parlor.

when your doin parlor, do stage.

when your doin stage, do "oh my god thats huge."


reason bein, i think you should maximize your pitch for money, art, and sensation. they don't have any choice but to stare in awe and be involved. if you yell loud enough they'll stop.

when i work a sidewalk i'm doin a half circle show[parlor] i want to fill up that space. and give em a good show.

problem is of course cops and shops don't like that. but if they'll let me thats my goal.....my job as a street perfrormer is to congest the area the cops job is to keep it moving and some where, in there, i we try and find a medium.

remember....


everybody's your friend and nobody minds till you start makin money.


i remember workin a pitch in atlantic city it was a legal pitch and the ripley's shop owner couldn't stop me from workin in the area. after a few words and a few weeks the manager came out one day and was just hangin out with me. he said "i work bell to bell every day, i'm the highest paid in here and on breaks i come out and watch you make in a couple of hrs what i make all day.. and more...i might as well come out here. why am i killin myself with this real job any way?you arn't even payin rent here!"


my response to that was,"hey i see a pattern emerging here.....do you?"

i told him he was welcome to come out and share a spot with me any time.

in the day

the hat is the finale

i've always been battling with a finale because i don't do the cups and balls.

i did cups and balls in the begining, but i wanted to free my self from the table and yet i still wanted a stand up act in case i went into cabaret with my show for a gig or something.

when i was learning busking in new orleans i followed Studini [ an old pro] around for a few days and he wouldn't teach me anything to my frustration, till one day i asked him what i should do as a finale and he said, "well the hat is the finale...isn't it?"

i went back and remembered cellini ending on the slidini rope for his sidewalk show and i tryed finaleing on any routine i had and it they all worked and then it dawned on me, that a show can just end it doesn't need a big ending.....and that was liberating.

i think a show should build to the hat.

a day at the office.

why i prefer parlor over close up

when i was putting together my show i was comming from the pitch joint mind set.

when i was goin to the sidewalk pitch, in my mind i was goin to the office and i needed a table to make my self at home and hide behind.

to this day a real sidewalk performer in my minds eye, is, suit, tie, fedora,wand, cards,cups, and table....well i still got the wand and fedora anyway.

i spent most of my life doin close up. doctors bag, random routine improv stlye. walk around sometimes but i prefered stationary table close up [where the people come to you].

i remember david walker pokin fun at me when i told him i didn't like set shows, he said "yeh like all the greats you know copperfield,cardini,etc."

i also remember;

doing close up and people backing up to give me room to see what i got and i had very little.

people hiring me and trying to stick me on stage and confused why if i was a real magician why i couldn't work on stage.

working none stop show after show so everyone at the function could see what it is that i do.

people not wanting to be bothered while they were eating at their table....table after table.

people interupting in the middle of a routine and wanting to hold discussion with me or others or just heckle or what ever.

getting paid less then stage shows.

getting paid less then parlor shows.

understand i supported my wife and kids with close up magic.

i figured out how to over come all these problems. and yes i've heard of video screens.

and i still say close up magic is a waste of time. not completely but practically.

and yet there is always some young kid who tells me "well you just don't get it!"" you see i'm better" or "i know how to get paid more" or what ever else their ego has brainwashed themselves into.....and rarely are they even supporting themselves with magic. and sadly i think their gonna have to learn the same lesson i did the hard way.

i know i've hit some nerves already. so before you go looking for your gun. please hear me.

don't get me wrong close up is great for showing a few people, but thats just the problem you see?

close up is not just hard to see as a visual art its hard to market, i know i did it for years successfully. and it was an up hill battle all the way.

i believe parlor if done right can be done close up or far away effectively anyway with out close up.



the real magic of parlor or platform is that the above problems seem to all but vanish or at the very least become nonexistant.



and this just leaves time and energy to work on the show and figure out where to sell it.....and does it sell?....like a dream.

you see i feel close up is better for the mechanics{move monkeys} and very rarely benificial for an entertainer....don't believe me? stop by your local magic meeting where they are doing marlo or vernon card stuff and ask your self if i was a layman what would my reaction be?

do these guys at the meetings have any personality to go with their hands? and if so how big a crowd could they hold with it.and if not are they even doing magic or finger puzzles. how do we interpret what they are doing.

why does parlor pay more?

simple more people watching, more money.

don't blow that one off think about it!read it again.

but lets talk about art and expression.

i know why the close up performer likes close up its because he "FEEELS" in his hands the magic while he's doin it, its one on one intimate he and the layman can feel it together.....yeh,what ever ego.

problem is your limiting yourself to how you can express yourself...YOUR TRAPPED IN CLOSE.

THEY CAN'T SEE IT FROM ANY FARTHER AWAY.

the parlor performer is free to get small or get bigger and the skill comes in being without angles.

why are we all doing close up...simple the break down in teacher student relations back in the old days and magic dealers are making a killing i know i was one of them remember...hobbiests the bread and butter of the industry.



WHEN WE ARE WATCHING ANY OTHER FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT [INVOLVING PEOPLE PERFORMING] ARE WE JUST WATCHING THEIR HANDS?

all the famous magicians through out history are they know for color change w/ cards or a muscle pass....even blaines famous for levetation.

checking out the equipment-clip

A "REAL JOB"

i've been a magician all my life,but living in america i was always told that this is just a hobby. that i should grow up and get a real job. that i hafta live in the real world to support a family.so i did;

so i was a car washer, service writer, a barber,car sales man,telemarketer,steel worker,off shore oil worker,construction,carpenter,corporate jobs, and the list goes on for the "real jobs" i was thinking that if i just made enough to buy a theater or buy the equipment or enough to afford to be a magician.

part time and some times full time i would do walk around, and back yard shows, pitch magic, manage magic shops and eventually owned some.

i met jamie ohara in las cruces and he helped me go full time and realize it was a real job and you could support a family with just entertaining people and you didn't have to sell them any magic. i made a good income and i felt like i was finally doing my lifes work.

but it was to late my wife said she had had enough....and listen up fellas what she said before she left;


"do you know what its like to be the #1 fan of the worlds greatest car sales man and then the #1 fan of the worlds greatest off shore man and then the #1 fan of the worlds greatest magic shop owner then magician.....why didn't you just pick one.

why?why? we know why don't we fellas.

bad advice from every angle sadly even from magicians.

she left and she wouldn't take me back......the story of course is longer and more involved their was other reasons on her part but that was the big one, i'll spare us the rest of the story.

her leaving me was the hardest thing ever happenned to me my friends came out of the wood work and saved my life.

my teacher told me it was time for me to work the streets and trained me and got me around the pros. he sent me to europe.

i went there and saw shows w/$1000 hats, i saw 1000's of buskers all over the place. i saw 3 and 4 generation buskers,i saw buskers buying nite clubs and homes w/o credit just on what they saved up, i saw doctors and lawers look at me as an equal, i saw things american magi should see.

i came back and saw very few american buskers. and they were makin middle class exsistence and some makin alotif they were pro,and i saw buskers with no trade skills or knowledge and i got mad.

why did i get mad?



venue the most important thing to us. and the hobbiests who run our industry in their spare time have misinformed us. told us that its begging that you can't make any money at it and that we should just keep buying close up packet tricks.

it was cellini who changed this he provided venue for his, when the other old school guys didn't for their students.it was cellini who provided real tricks that you can do in a show and make money[not close up card hack]

you know its bad enough when when every one around you is bad mouthing your lifes work but its pathetic when other magicians chime in....and its a lie.