Hey guys I'm dmmember and soon hopefully I will start doing kids birthday parties. I'm not a shy guy when I'm around my friends but I start tensing up when I'm around strangers, any tips on how to keep my calm? Plus any trick ideas will be great, so far I plan on using..

Vanishing Silk
Spongeballs
Nickels to dimes
Quarter Bite
Vanishing paperclip (visual vanish)

Any other ideas guys? thanks a bunch
- dmmember

Drop:
Nickles to Dimes
Quarter Bite
Vanishing Paper Clip

None of those tricks are appropriate for a kid's birthday party.

You need visual, you need colorful, you need funny.

Also, if you still "tense up around strangers" you are going to have MAJOR problems performing for a bunch of children.

Important questions:
How old are you?
How long have you been doing magic?

vanishing silk is ok. Get the coloring book, crayons, cut and restore rope, things that play big with kids. My shows last about 30 to 40 minutes and every two or three tricks I get the kids involved in one way or another. I like the linking rings, because I'm always handing out rings to the kids, so lots get involved. Remember, if you want to keep a child's attention, especially a group of them, you have to be moving all the time. I use an assistant so there is no down time in my act. Even a slight pause can send kid's minds in another direction.

As for calming down. I use to be that way when I was a teen and did my first shows. I found that if I practiced, and practiced until I could do the tricks in my sleep the nervousness only lasted until I was on stage. I still get a little nervous before a kids show, but as long as I know the tricks really well, and know I won't fumble I have no need to be nervous

im 12 and and ive been doing magic for about a year. I've also been getting advice from the magician chris manos, i dont know if youre heard of him, but hes been giving me tips n such.

1: You're twelve: Many of the kids who have magicians at their birthdays are older than you. This will present a problem for you, as few parents (keepers of the money and bookers of the show) will take you seriously.

2: Doing magic for a year: No where close to enough time. You lack both the knowledge and experience to perform for a crowd, and aparently you still suffer from mild stage fright. These problems can all be solved in time, but it will be a good amount of time (5-10years).

3: Just so it's answered: No, I have not heard of Chris Manos.

1. I HOPE NOT! Most kids over twelve don't want a magician at their birthday party because they consider it "Uncool". You might encounter the problem with the parents and respect, but as long as you present yourself well and professional to them, you will be amazed as to how shocked they will be about your age and your passions.

2. In order for experience and knowledge to perform for a crowd to be gained, he must perform for some crowds in order to become habituated to the situation. Experience and knowledge doesn't just fall in your brain...it has to be earned and gained through action.

3. I'll agree with this one...I don't know that guy either...

1- Age shouldnt matter in this situation considering I'm mature around other people, and your assuming I'm well..not ready for a crowd (not good enough) You have no clue my ability in magic and how good I am so without watching me perform you cant make assumptions like that

2-If you've got the tricks down, what does it matter how long you've been doing magic. What difference is it if someone masters a trick in 5 years, or in a day? Of corse I don't do a trick once and say that I've mastered it, I practice all the tim.

3 - Oh lol

1: I've got news for you kid, all 12-14year olds consider themselves "mature".

2: I'm not assuming that you're "not good enough", I'm repeating that you get nervous around strangers - which means you aren't ready. If you aren't comfortable performing for strangers, you aren't ready to perform at any formal venue.

3:On the point of your abilities, you've been doing magic for 1 year. I can tell you right now that you aren't 1/10th as good as you think you are. How can I tell you that? Easy. You think you're 'good', and yet you are nervous when you perform.

4: As you can tell from the fact that I'm stressing it - your nervousness and inexperience are the main problems. You "may" be able to overcome the 'too young to be taken seriously' factor, but you NEED to have confidence and real-world experience before you try to get work. THAT is what will take you a long time.


Your definition of "Mastered" is fundamentally flawed - again a blaring sign of inexperience. Few magicians have mastered ANY effect (with the possible exception of Gazzo's mastery of the cups and balls). No one "masters" an effect in 5 years, let alone a day.

Here's a shock for you: Nickles to dimes has alterations, different presentations, secondary uses, and other possibilities that you've never considered - let alone tried.

I don't know about the other factors, but I have some tips for overcoming being shy around strangers.

If your parents ever have friends over or take you out to dinner with some of their friends you can join in the conversation a bit or maybe, without being pushy, perform a card trick or something.

On the birthday party front, I think you should get to know your younger siblings/cousins/etc. and hang out a little bit with them. If they are close to the age you're thinking about performing for, you will get an idea on how this age group thinks. Also, their friends present a more realistic situation, as they are strangers in the same age group.
I don't know if you guys agree with this but it worked some for me.
-Chris

Good, practical advice.

yup,
I've been doing that for a while, and dbaker_creator, I said I tense up around strangers, not when I perform. By the way I got my first gig, this well help my so called "stage fright" lessen because it's my cousins birthday (4-7 year olds) and I have mastered my variation of ambitious card, I've practiced it a million times and performed it thousands. My point is who's to say I havent mastered a trick unless you've seen me perform it???

I'm sorry to say, but I do not think Ambitious Card is appropriate for a children's birthday show.

If you want to do Kid Show parties, please review the many topics posted in this section as to what makes a successful show.

It's not about how good a magician you are it's whether you are a good performer. What books or DVD's have you studied pertaining to kid shows?
If you think that you are going to razzle & dazzle them with magic you are in for a big surprise.
What is your warm up?

yes i no, I'm not going to perform it, I was just proving that I have mastered a trick. thanks by the way.