Hey guys, do you think that to really be a wonderful magician, you have to know a little bit of every genre of tricks and effects?

This is something I saw long time ago which I thought was quite true that as a magician, you just have to master a little bit of every genre.

Imagine you are out with family or friends and you just so happen did not bring your cards along. Suddenly, someone asks you to perform something. In this kind of situation, it is good that if you have mastered coin tricks, you can ask for a coin or two.
But if you had only practised with cards and cards and nothing else, you cannot really show anything.
I mean, some of you will know that it is rather awkward to reject an offer to perform by someone you know especially you have regarded or people have regarded you as a magician.

Somehow there will be situtation like this, and if you are just doing cards and cards and cards, people will somehow get bored and they will go "You cannot do anything else other than cards ah?"

When I think of this, it always reminds me of Dan and Dave. They are great cardicians but I just thought that they should really expand to coins or manipulations as they have such great dexerity.

So what I think is, to be a wonderful magician or as a magician, we need to master a few tricks of every genre of effects: vanish, penetration, production,....

What do you guys think?

Question back to you: "How to be a wonderful person?" - Same theory... It's about how you present yourself, not the things you do.

If you want to know more, maybe you can buy me a coffee we sit down and discuss...

It depends on what you define as "wonderful".

Actually it is a myth that people gets bored seeing card tricks after card tricks. The truth is, it is the magician who gets bored performing card tricks after card tricks.

Unless you dump 50 card tricks down their throats at one sitting, they shouldn't be feeling bored. Do one or 2 at a time and have them beg for more. Yah, I start to appreciate the principle of conservation now.

Also, you don't have to accede to every request for magic. What? Are they paying you for it? If not, you can decline politely and it makes he opportunity to see your magic more valuabe in their eyes.

That being said, I do agree that we should know a bit of other genre. But that should be determined by your likings, not because people want to see other stuff (unless you are a pro and customer requests..). Eg: I like cards, coins and metal bending. These are the only ones I focus on.

I agree with muscleaxl - you have to define the word 'wonderful' to give some context. To me a 'wonderful' magician don't necessary have to do magic 24/7 but when he/she does it, it is REALLY magic. He/she also has to be ethical and so on and so forth.

If according to my personal definition, 'wonderful' magician then do not have to necessarily know something of everything - because he/she can reject doing magic when the time/situation/surrounding etc is not appropriate. Ever heard of the saying: Jack of all trades, master of none? I believe in learning about all different types of magic BUT specialising in one.

Oh yes, and i believe there is a difference in the definition of a 'wonderful' magician to laypeople as opposed to magicians too.

Just some of my thoughts. :)

I think what some have said about defining what is "wonderful" is right.

I replied to another post with more or less the same answer. If you can answer the following two questions, the question you are asking now will be apparant to yourself.

1) What is your goal as a magician? To entertain, to amaze, to make people laugh, to make people scream, to make people think you are cool, to make money as a performer, to make yourself happy etc

2) Who is your audience? Who do you want to think you are wonderful? Kids, general adults, well traveled executives, senior citizens, foreigners, friends, family, girlfriends, strangers, charity homes etc

Every different answer to the above two questions will yield a different answer.

Leolight i think you have done own reflection so what are your goal as a magician and who is your audience? :D

And there is no perfect or wonderful magician.MAgician is "skilled at the art of deception, a master of language, and an apparent manipulator of the laws of physics".

I beg to differ.

There is no 'perfect' magician, but yes there are 'wonderful' magicians and 'less-than-wonderful' magicians. For example, to me, a true ethical master of the art who can amaze everytime he/she performs is a wonderful magician.

Of course, there are different levels of 'wonderful'. However subjective as it is, as long as the magician is able achieve the criteria that he/she has set as 'wonderful' then, he/she IS wonderful (at least to the person who set the criteria).

Which i guess is the point of leolight's post. If you have a goal and an audience in mind, to be the 'wonderful' magician, you must must be able to reach the goal with the intended audience in mind; which brings us back to MagicalLobo's first post. If a wonderful magician in the mind must be able to do magic 24/7 then you must know a little of every genre.

It absolutely right and what important is what the magician wants to bring out.

Thanks for your views guys.

I always tell myself that 51% for presentation, 49% for the others.
I always look to improve my presentation which I have to say, I look up to David Stone very much. By far, he is one of the most entertaining performer I have seen.

Also another reason I did this topic might be because I was inspired by Criss Angel too. I don't know if there are any haters of him here. He can take any piece of ordinary object and turn it to a great piece of magic. I'm sure people who have watched his show won't not deny this.

I hope to perform for anyone I come across (hopefully not more haters of magic or bad audience) and to amaze, to entertain.