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Personalised Magic
By Jonathan Shotton
Friends, Magic is now more than ever one of the most enjoyable pursuits. It's
fun to both view and perform. Unlike actors, singers and dancers we are
privileged as magicians to interact with our audience.
We can be ourselves and let our own unique personalities shine. We are not
limited to a script, score or choreographed movements. All the best magicians
are very different from each other. David Blaine has no similarities to Paul
Daniels, nor Copperfield to Tommy Cooper. This leads me into what I want to
speak to you about, competition.
I have been the magician at my school for a good length of time. I have put on
Stage Shows, performed my close-up routine and found great pleasure in what I
do. A few months ago I discovered I was not the only performer in my school. I
realised after every trick I did there would be a comment on one of his tricks,
or "you must be good friends with so and so," etc etc!
I realized there was going to be competition and I had no choice but to learn to
deal with it. In a school environment everyone wants to see new and better
magic. I soon discovered my competition was buying a trick, learning the secret,
making sure he could do it then rushing frantically into performing it to try
and keep people interested! There was no patter, or misdirection which caused
people to work out the method. As we all know as magicians the secret is only a
minor part of the trick, it is the performance that makes it "magical"!
I, myself, now take extra special care in making sure I know exactly what I want
to say and put the trick over in my own entertaining and amusing style. Like I
said earlier, what makes a professional, professional is his or her own unique
style.
© Jonathan Shotton June 2002