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How To Find Jobs as a Magician

This article is intended for magicians who already are performing and are looking for ways to find places to perform. I am not talking about those that seek after long-running revues in Branson, Las Vegas, Puerto Rico or any other exotic location catering to tourists, but instead, those that are attempting to either make a living doing magic or work a regular job and are seeking opportunities to perform their magic show.

There are three steps that, while they are simple, will lead to an abundance of shows. First, you must have a good show. That sounds reasonable, but there are many that seek jobs as magicians that, quite frankly, are pretty weak, and I don’t think they realize it. Poor performers lead to the public saying they don’t like magicians. Perhaps if those same people saw a quality performance, they might change their mind.

How do you know if you have a good show? Well, that’s a good question. Dancers have choreographers, actors have directors, sports figures have coaches and trainers – but the magician is generally self-directed.

Joanie Spina is one of just a handful of magical directors that I am aware of, Joanie having worked with many of the top magicians of the day. Johnny Thompson is another who has served as an advisor to countless stars of magic, including Chris Angel. These coaches, or directors, command a fee — and rightly so.

If you don’t have the money to hire a professional director, then you have to go it alone. There are hundreds of magic clubs scattered around the world, many are associated with national organizations like the International Brotherhood of Magicians and the Society of American Magicians. These local clubs usually have monthly meetings and are great for you to hone your skills and try out new effects, but believe me, you can’t trust the opinions of your fellow magicians. Usually, they will tell you what a great job you did expecting that you will tell them the same thing when they perform.

It’s a good idea to video tape your performances and watch them later. Watch other performers, either live or on YouTube. Decide for yourself your strengths and your weakness. It is very important that you have a quality performance to get an abundance of jobs. And believe me, if you’re lousy, you won’t get referrals, but if you’re really great, you will!

The second step in getting jobs is to tell everyone you are a magician. Yes, you should have a website and business cards. There are some that believe you should never give out a business card, but instead collect business cards from those that express interest in you performing for them. So you get their business card, then what? Maybe you have an email list and you send out newsletters or promo, that’s good: you can add their email to your mailing list, but business cards are a must. If you’re a professional, people will expect you to have a business card. People may not need your services right away, but some day they may and — hopefully — they have kept your card on file for future use.

Register with websites that help people find magicians. Some will charge you an annual fee and some are free. Search the internet to find some of these sites. Many of the sites that charge an annual fee will list you on their site for free, hoping that you will someday upgrade. The sites that charge a fee generally work hard optimizing their sites to get as many searches directed to their site as possible.

Having your own website optimized by a professional optimizer will help people find you through the search engines.

If you discover talent agents that book your type of act, then by all means contact them. A talent agent that books only actors and actresses is not the type of agent you want. Let the agency know what you do. Create a short demo video and post it on your website using YouTube, so that agents and prospective clients can see your style and abilities.

Don’t be shy about telling people that you are a magician. When I first moved to Utah, I received a postcard granting me a free oil change and lube. When I arrived at the shop, I told the owner I was a magician. His wife later hired me to entertain at the college where she worked, and their daughter referred me to two jobs. I simply told them what I did.

There is an argument for carrying around a trick with you – sponge balls, color changing knives, a pack of cards – whatever. I am of the school that this only demeans you. You become the “court jester.” I never carry around tricks. This is a business and I treat it as such. If someone said he was a doctor, would he start examining you? Would a plumber pull out a piece of pipe and explain to you the different kinds of threads on a pipe? A singer would not demonstrate his or her ability at the grocery store, so why would a magician be expected to perform on the spot? I know I’m going to get flack on the this, but it’s my opinion.

The third step is to be courteous. Let me tell you, if you’re mean to someone, I doubt if they will ever hire you. People like to help people they like, and if you’re nice, people will like you and want to help you. Now that’s pretty simple isn’t it. So develop your show, make it a good show, tell everyone you’re a magician, and finally, be nice to everyone. Over time, you will have all the magic shows you want or need.

Note From the Editor

Al Lampkin has performed in 25 countries around the world, performed on cruise ships, appeared on over 100 television shows, 1,000 schools and countless theaters, casinos and corporate events. He currently serves as president of the Salt Lake City IBM Ring #193

So . . . I would take his advice seriously! You can check out Al’s website or shoot him an email anytime. Until Next Month . . .

11 Responses to "How To Find Jobs as a Magician"

Mike Peterson says:

February 2012 at 3:11 pm

I totally agree with Mr. Lampkin about not carrying around “tricks”. It is important for people to know that we are performers and entertainers, not just some little side-show guy with a “trick” to show. I do always carry around my magic business cards. You never know when you will meet someone that could be your next client. Also, I would suggest that if one wants to be a professional magician, it is important to have a professional act. Develop your skills as a magician and also as an actor/performer. Watch others who are strong performers (not just other magicians, but comedians, jugglers, singers, etc.) And, one area that I need to do more of is to video tape myself performing as Mr. Lampkin suggests, so that I can continue to improve my craft/art. Once you become a great performer, more people will notice and the referrals and repeat business will begin to grow. Thanks for sharing this article!
1. Jeff Stone says:
  
  February 2012 at 6:17 pm
  
  @Mike/@Emory – I like this . . . conversations are happening and things are being questioned. I think I’m more in line with Emory’s thinking. I carry in my wallet several effects:
  - Jay Sankey’s Sound Waves
  - Richard Sanders’s Power Ball 60
  - Max Maven’s B’Wave
  - Paul Carnazzo’s Animania
  and 5 ESP Cards
  
  They are there in case I need them. I usually don’t, but man when I do, it’s powerful stuff. It ranges from organic stuff that doesn’t feel like a “presentation” at all (e.g. Sound Waves, Power Ball 60) to stuff that is clearly a “presentation” (e.g. B’Wave, ESP Cards).
  
  But Emory is right . . . don’t force this on people. Wait for the right moment, and make sure you know it’s the right moment.
Emory Kimbrough says:

February 2012 at 4:21 pm

I suspect that the truth resides in the middle on whether to always have some magic ready to go. I have witnessed the problem that Mr. Lampkin correctly cautions us about – Comedians who always try to be “on” and magicians constantly looking for any excuse to pull out a trick. Even if they’re capable performers, the behavior indeed can make them appear to be annoying jokesters and tricksters, not professionals. Worse, it can be monopolizing – forcing everyone to shut up and watch you in a situation when a free conversation among participating equals would instead be far more socially appropriate.

This can make you look like you’re socially crippled – unable to relate to other people without using the crutch of memorized jokes or tricks you have to carry. It also makes you look like you have a pathetic need to always be calling attention to yourself.

But there is another side of the coin, and it can be illustrated by reworking Mr. Lampkin’s doctor analogy. It would be bizarre for a dermatologist to go around at a cocktail party examining everyone’s skin, and it would be rude for a guest to ask for an examination there instead of scheduling an appointment. But what if, out of genuine curiosity, you had a quick medical science question for the doctor – Something any competent doctor would know, and something that naturally arose in the conversation. “You’re a dermatologist? This guy I work with is CONSTANTLY telling everybody in the office that they should take megadoses of vitamin C to prevent skin cancer. Is that quackery?”

Now suppose the doc says “Buh… gee, I dunno… Can’t answer – you got me stumped on that one.” He sounds like a very poorly educated doctor – Certainly not one I’d want to visit.

One well-known magician said that he performs in casual social settings only after he is asked THREE TIMES. Sage advice. Just being asked once probably means they’re just being polite. It can also mean that they’re expressing some interest in you as a person, so it’s really an invitation to continue a conversation instead of an actual invitation to perform. Only after multiple requests, preferably from multiple people, does it become clear that there really is a strong expectation and a strong desire for you to REALLY perform something rather than socially converse. That won’t happen very often – and if you think it does happen often to you, you’re fooling yourself and inflicting magic on people. But when it does occur, you should be prepared or you’ll look like the incompetent dermatologist.

Carry the tricks, but be extremely conservative and self-skeptical about when to bring them out. It’s likely carrying a pistol – mostly you want to keep it in the holster unless you’re REALLY sure you need to pull it out.
Emory Kimbrough says:

February 2012 at 8:05 pm

One good rule for casual / impromptu magic when an unexpected opportunity arises in a social situation:

THE FASTER THE TRICK, THE LOWER THE ODDS OF MAKING AN ASS OF YOURSELF. Maybe you just won gold at FISM with your nine-phase oil-and-water routine, and you’re a standing-room-only hit on Broadway with your full-evening cups-and-balls presentation. Outstanding!!! Yet not good choices if you’re a guest at a wedding reception.

What I’m usually prepared to do, and why I chose it:

Pen-through-bill – It looks impromptu, and I have a funny presentation for it. Used mostly when I encounter a group of mixed ages, so that I have a small _audience_ rather than just a person or two, thus making it not too odd and awkward to do a pattering routine with jokes.

Copper-Silver Transposition – Fairly quick, and it happens in the spectator’s hands with their active participation, making it more like a social interaction than “you shut up and watch me perform.” Also, it doesn’t look too pathetically like an over-prepared eager-magic-boy nerd to have just tossed a couple of old coins in your pocket. My first choice for adults.

Finger-Through-Spectators-Shirt-Sleeve – Extremely fast, and apparently done impromptu with NO PROPS AT ALL. First choice for when I encounter younger kids with parents.

Tougher question: What if they really truly want to see you do a trick, but the vibe is a bit condescending, even if maybe the person isn’t deliberately intending to be condescending or patronizing. You detect just a tiny whiff of “Hey, do your trick when I snap my fingers, little trained monkey.” Now how do you handle that?
1. Jeff Stone says:
  
  February 2012 at 9:38 am
  
  @Emory, you bring up an interesting point. I’ve been in those cases where someone does the whole “Hey magic monkey do something.” If there’s some condescension in the tone, I’ll usually do the remove my thumb gag followed by the remove my middle finger and show both sides of my hand gag . . . It gets a double take. I leave it at that. If they get snooty, I may ask a question like, “what do you do for a living?” Let’s say they say they’re a mechanic. I’ll then say, great let’s do some trade work. I’ll do a free show if you give me a free tune up on my car. They may respond with “I just wanted to see something quick.” I’ll then say, “Me too, just a quick brake job then, instead of a tune up.”
  
  I’ll play their game, in other words. However, I only do that a) on rare, rare, rare occasions and b) always with a smile on my face.
Geoff Williams says:

February 2012 at 5:23 am

Most people know a plumber’s skill is in how he uses his man-made tools. The same goes for dentists, doctors and many other professions. As magicians, we are perceived as having internal “powers” or special abilities and these abilities are intrinsically interesting to the general public (a plumber’s abilities, not so much).

I think it’s perfectly acceptable to do something if asked nicely and repeatedly (the 3-times rule mentioned above by Emory is a good one). Certainly, when asked you probably shouldn’t pull out a plastic Tenyo item or look like you were eagerly waiting with your pockets filled withmagic toys. I think this would be a good time to do some solid impromptu magic, borrowing items from people or the immediate environment if possible. Remember, impromptu doesn’t mean “no thumb tips, gimmicks or advanced prep” but it should appear that way.

As for a condescending confrontation, I should wonder what happened to make it so? Was it your attitude that caused that? Avoid confrontations if at all possible. If someone barks at me to “do a trick,” I would remind them that they need to say “the ancient magic words.” If they ask what those are, say “Here, take my wallet.”

BTW, if you can actually get them to hand you their wallet, you should be able to find something of value in it to use to amaze them. If not, just start walking away… with their wallet.
1. Jeff Stone says:
  
  February 2012 at 9:55 am
  
  @Geoffro, this conversation reminds me of the time Jim Henson and I shared a platter of bacon wrapped Cuisses De Grenouille. It also reminds me of an article I wrote called Imprompt-true.
David Lynn says:

February 2012 at 11:23 am

Yeah Jeff, you are right about the mechanic conversation. But keep it tempered with how confrontational he is. I like the walk away with his wallet or search through it for something to use idea. I like to carry rubber bands and coins for impromptu. I am a magician thus I can do magic for anyone anywhere. I am a performer but my desire is to please my audience whether they pay or not. I also believe that in these impromptu sessions that a good story to go with the performance is necessary as it builds atmosphere and thus draws further people to the crowd. My favourite routine is Jay Sankeys versions of “out to lunch’ with his business cards. Hey my cards are now out and at the end of the mini show, hand them to all spectators willing to take one. They will always take them looking for a bit of magic on it. I tell them to look for it also. ( as I have printed in small font on the card the words ” a little bit of magic”. Gets a laugh from everyone. It relaxes them and I finish them off with a quick blurb on uses of professional magicians and how my craft may help them in their business promotions or just as an entertainer in general. bit like a doctor who has just been given a self diagnosis by a guest and then says ” look I’d like you to come in and make an appointment with me so I can take a more involved look at your health issue. I would like to help you with that.”

Others are watching how you handle the braggard condescending twirp. If you can play them into considering you as a business proposition, they will be more conducive to receiving your message for them when you get around to talking to them.
1. Jeff Stone says:
  
  February 2012 at 9:24 pm
  
  @David, I’m with you on this. As I mentioned, this is only a rare thing for the jerks . . . it’s a heckler stopper. Like I said, I always carry a handful of easy and powerful routines in my wallet. It’s usually B’Wave that gets used in situations like that.
Portland Magician says:

February 2012 at 9:19 pm

I agree with Lampkin, unless someone is begging you to perform, save it. Thats what your biz card and website is for.

Hart keene
1. Jeff Stone says:
  
  February 2012 at 5:04 am
  
  @Hart – true, but’s always a question of tact. That’s a tough thing to pull of politely. I’m certainly not opposed to being “monkey boy” as long as the audience isn’t treating me like monkey boy. Sometimes it’s fun to claim that you’re going to try something impossible that you’ve only been able to do once or twice. Then claim that you’re going to levitate. Then just stand there grunting and moaning and finally giving in because you just can’t quite get in tune with the earth . . . or whatever. You’ll get some who totally believe you and others who will get the tongue-in-cheek.

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