Magic Classes

[IXP]

Hi All,

First post in this part of the forum.

I have decided I want to learn some magic, to start, close up, for small audiences.

I am thinking about taking a class. I found this place and it looks intriguing:

http://www.magiccastle.com/about/magicclasses.cfm

I have a sabbatical coming up next year, and thought this might be fun. To stay in So. Cal and do their 6 week beginner course (1 night / week)

Does anyone know anything about it?

IXP

 

[Alan]

The Magic Castle has a very high reputation, so it would most likely be an excellent short course.

 

[IXP]

Thanks, Alan.

Does anyone know of any other good options that I might consider?

IXP

 

[Maurice Ledifficile]

Thanks, Alan.

Does anyone know of any other good options that I might consider?

IXP

My humble recommendations:

Check out local magic club(s)

Learn all you can about magic history

Check out classic books:

Tarbell and/or Mark Wilson courses

Royal road to card magic/Expert card magic

Stars of magic

etc.

This should tell you what you're most interested in or what you're best at. You will know how to progress from there.

P.S. If I had the money, I certainly would go for a course at the Magic Castle, or at the McBride Magic and mystery school (just to learn firsthand from Eugene Burger).

ETA: Whatever road you choose, the consensus among professional magicians seems (to me) to be that the biggest mistake would be to learn bad habits from kids' you tube videos. This shortcut will doubtless create bad habits which you might need a lifetime to break.

 

[Garrette]

Local magic clubs as has been recommended. Not sure how far along your path you are, but until you get a little grounding and exposure, I recommend Harry Lorayne's The Magic Book over those recommended by Maurice. Nothing wrong with those books, but I feel they are not really for the beginner as they throw too much at you and don't help you focus on the style or effects you want. That said, they are fabulous books for the magician moving from beginner to intermediate. I'm in the minority, though, so my advice could be all wrong.

Allow me to ask for clarification: You say you want "close up for small audiences." Do you really understand what you're asking? No offense intended. While close up will generally have small audiences, it can be some of the most difficult to pull off. Moreover, "small audiences" does not necessarily mean "close up."

P.S. If you can't find a local magic club, then look for the nearest chapter of S.A.M. and/or the I.B.M.

 

[Brown]

I recommend the Michael Ammar DVDs. Some superb card and coin magic there. Some tricks require more skill and practice than others, but there is very little fluff. The sleights are (mostly) worthwhile and versatile, and there are a lot of good pointers about the subtlety and psychology of the tricks. In the case of card-on-the-ceiling, there is a tip on physical technique that will make the trick work exceptionally well, and that I have seen the pros use.

Some of the most baffling tricks are the simplest, and sometimes Michael can't keep a straight face when he's explaining how damned easy the trick is.

 

[Garrette]

I second Brown's recommendation of Ammar DVDs. The man is exceptionally clear in his explanations and unlike many performers, rehearses his explanations as much as his performances. I hate hate hate when someone is winging it in the explanation phase of their DVD.

I will caveat, though, that I only recommend the DVDs if you're at that point where (a) you really know what you want and (b) you can move directly into sleights and performance.

 

[Maurice Ledifficile]

I jumped right into "expert card magic", but it's true that most of it only made sense after I understood a lot more.

At the very beginning, I learned a lot from the Birthday Party magician" on You Tube.

I also heard great things about Magic for Dummies, and better things about Idiot's guide to Magic.

 

[IXP]

Thanks all. I will look into the recommended books and videos.

IXP