Becoming a Magician?
A Real Magic Shop
How to Learn Magic
That’s easy. You just practice eight hours a day for the rest of your life. Stay in shape. It’s like a workout without the gym. If you can afford it, you can hire a trainer.
Seriously, you can start almost anywhere. When I was young, we would go to the Library and search for books to teach us magic… this didn’t work very well. The books were few, and the information was insufficient at my library.
Internet Sources
The internet has a plethora of information, but you could spend most of your time separating the wheat from the chaff. Time spent searching to discover actual useful information you get may be out of proportion to be of any help. Things are getting better and there are some sites which are useful.
Some professional Magicians write some excellent books for lay people. So good, it irritates some Magicians. You might check out Joshua Jay- Magic: The Complete Course . Another resource is Harry Lorayne’s The Magic Book. These are books which were written for lay people, as opposed to the ones you’ll find only in Magic Shops.
Magic Shops
Your next step is to walk into a “Magic Shop”. This experience will be blow you away! The DVDs. Books, individual tricks, special gimmicks. Be careful, you might walk out feeling you had a terrible weekend in Las Vegas. (It is easy to spend a lot of money.)
There are also Magic Clubs. The Society of American Magicians, (S.A.M.) Also, the International Brotherhood of Magicians. (I.B.M.) In a club, you will interact with actual people of many skill levels.
Most sponsor professional lecturers as part of your dues. The greatest value is that you will interact with human beings. Human beings who have your best interest at heart. Some will share, others might not. There is nothing like learning directly from another person. You can advance your skills quickly as a member of a club.
Personal Instruction
Last, I must mention there are personal tutors. Some are working remotely through the internet. ( I am updating this blog in 2021 ) If you are really fortunate, you may find a mentor. Hands on training can not be beat.
I think there is enough information here to help you attain the skills you are looking for. What you do with it, well, that’s another story.
Enjoy the Journey.
Joe Ferranti
Massachusetts Magician
