ok, i got this problem which i dont really know what is correct or wrong.

the audience/friends ask you where do your learn the trick from? or other similar questions related to it after seen u perform a trick.

how will you guys normally answer?

reply them honestly, or reply them dishonestly or say your are born with magical talent etc( which 80% of audience dont believe for sure).

because if you reply them honestly,they will think that all these magic that you showed them earlier are just tricks which can be learned.

so far i had replied with honest and dishonest answers. so i am now confused. which is correct and which is wrong.

any advice? thanks

ah, people always ask me this too. most of the time i just say, "born with it". of course, that's a lie! ^_^

you could just pretend you never heard the question at all, or just say, "it's in my genes." OR slap them and run. :P

it depends on you.

however due to the overly-exposedness of magic, most people know it's a trick. so yep

Aaron

This is just my 2 cents.

I be honest about it and say that I read alot of books and watch a few videos. Besides, by going to the bookshop or library, you can find magic books you know.

They already know that you must have learnt it from somewhere, so that answer usually quells their curiosity.

They normally just reply with, "Oh."

They'll soon realise that that question really is quite pointless. You see, that question is normally asked out of amazement and is the cousin of the typical question, "How did you do that?".

By giving a smart alec type answer it makes you appear cocky, though if you deliver it jokingly, it should be alright.

By telling them that you learnt it from reading books, etc, I think it does no harm to the magic that you perform, they will still be amazed at the magic you're doing and they'll stop focusing on where you learnt it from.

Trust me, it's not something they dwell upon.

If you're worried about your magic being less powerful because of your answer, then you should look at your presentation and performance, because those are the deciding factors between a regular card trick and an absolute miracle.

Good luck, hope this helps!

I think I've read a thread similar to this somewhere.

A good idea, I think, would be to say that you are part of a magic organisation, like SAM or IBM or SMC. That way, laypeople won't realise that there are books or DVDs that teach magic, if they don't know about it. In a way, you aren't really answering their question, as you just say that you are part of the organisation, but don't actually say that you learn from it.

But they don't need to know that. :)

thanks for the replies.

looks like overal it comes down to personal preference.
so i guess for me now,

if the spectator looks new or give wild reactions to my performance, i go with dishonest kind eg. "born with it",special ability etc to let them really believe.

but if spectators who don't giv wild reactions(keep to themselves) or those fierce kind who don't totally believe those kind,which i don't really know how to explain. all comes with experience, then i go the honest way.

finally my doubt over this question is over :D

For me, I have always ensure my spectators at the start of my routine that everything I do is purely natural - nothing supernatural involved. I have people accusing me of using spirits (especially when doing mentalism effects) and to protect my reputation and as a Christian, "evil spirits" is the last thing I want to hear.

So when they ask me where they can learn the tricks, I tell them... "pay me $20 and I will teach you." Just kidding!

I usually tell them where there learn magic tricks from, like shops in Singapore, websites, etc. I prefer to encourage them to become magicians themselves. (Only if they are really interested) It's great to know more friends who perform magic. They will come in handle when you need someone to advice and critic your routines.

Personally, i wouldn't even tell someone where to find magic sources and website unless they seem really really keen. Truth to be told, it's too easy to google for magic and be hit by tons of Ellusionist and Pengiun pages.

Just a nonchalant "oh..here and there" with a wink will work i think. If they seem really keen, ask them to go look in the library. If they can be bothered to go to the library to search for magic books, I guess they probably will have enough interest to search it out themselves too.

i agree with aloy. i normally give open answer. i would say i learn from the internet and books. if there are really interested, they would take the effort and search for it.

the next question they normally ask is how long have you been doing magic?

at times i would joke and say since 4. if not i would tell them my magic life story, how the first trick leads to another leads to what i am today. yeah!

Adrian

The only other friends I hang with are mainly music friends.

I just tell them as with music... I learnt the chords to magic then I start to play my songs.

They somewhat get it, and just ponder on that note.

There's this line that I seen The Amazing Kreskin use that I like to use to answer questions like this. I don't know he originated it though.

"Any 10 year old could do what I can do.. with 30 years of practice"

or something along the lines...

"I read books, practise, research, learn on my own, meditate for 8 hours a day." The one I usually give. The meditate part allows some places for them to laugh and relax, something I want my audiences to do so. Feel comfortable.

"I just learn on my own." For those who are really indignant that magic is learnt from somewhere.

"Shaolin Magic Master." For fun.

"I meditate for 4 hours everyday, eat a vegetarian meal every other week and pray to unmentionable pagan gods." Just to shock them. Usually they don't believe.

I don't like to say that "Oh, I was born with a deck of Tally-Hoes in my hand and my dad swears that I was doing a Diving Board Double when I was coming out". Too lame and too crappy. I prefer to be honest and give the first explanation as mentioned above.

I don't see what is exactly wrong with being honest about how magic found you, instead of trying to pretend you are some magic god or some supernatural person who floated your mom's placenta while in the womb, 3 months old. :)

My 5 Singapore cents.

- harapan ong

Normally i would just reply like, "when i was very young, i start to feel this mystical power in me ..." i dont even need to continue, everyone will go OMG, YA RIGHT, or they will just laugh it on and just procede to the next trick, haha, seriously do you think they really ask to know the ans? most of them say it for the sake of something like "common topic" jsut to enage into a conversation with you, so dont be really bother about it. :D

If they really want to know how you learn them, normally i would say that from magic shop and other magicians.. :)

see my foot note, got my answer. B)

actually i learn them from books, DVD, magic class and friends, one or two of them i come out myself.

Why not lean in and ask them "Can you keep a secret?"

...and when they nod eagerly and say yes they can, you smile and say...

"Well, so can I." ;)

This eliminates them bugging you later how other effects are done if you keep up a no-nonsense/ will not tell attitude :P

My $0.02 worth...
ning ^_^

Eh, I pulled that once to one of my friends and she said...


"Okay! So tell me!"

What's a magician gotta do... :wacko:

That's really good.

I never ever answer this question (unless approached privately by a really keen person) directly. It just feels unprofessional and "wrong" to be asked the question in the first place.

My all time favourite reply is "I did not learn it...", said in a monotonous voice and a poker face (as if possessed, rather eerie).

My reply:

"I learn it in prison..." ^_^

The audience will stare and feel lost for a short moment before I actually told them I'm kidding. There are however some kind souls who would reply "that's nice of you", it's really heart warming to see these people, and I'll tell them the truth should they ask further (no secret reveal).

From my observation, people who ask these question are not interest in learning, they're just concern about where this craft is being taught.

Another method I use is to ask them back their question, e.g.:

Audience: "Where did you learn that from?"
Magician: "Why do you want to know?"
Audience: "I'm just curious..." or "I just want to know..."
Magician: " ^_^ it's a secret."
Audience: "Please..."
Magician: "A professional will never reveal their secrets, I'm a professional... ^_^ "

I've been following this order since I started performing, and it never fail me.

-Alan-

I'll say i learn from a Magic School. The first place they will think is Harry Potter kind type of school. This will therefore make them believe in magic...

p.s Do not tell them where, haha

They usually asks me: " Where do you learn all this, tell me please please please." Usually i'll just say: " Magic."

If they bugs me, I would say: " There's a way, sell your soul to the devil( kiddingly)"

"I sold mine liao" And they usually just laughs and brush it off.

Unless when they are really keen on being a magician then i would tell them about the magician's code first and then followed by books sources all these. But i rarely do that though.

Ning, that was really an excellent idea. I hope i have thought of that one earlier... rather than saying "can't tell u".