Many people both young and old who see Mio’s mentalism in Miami acts are inspired to take up the trade as a magician, mentalist or similar stage performer. Yet, they may never live their dream without the proper guidance. Moreover, while Mio would love to mentor all of these people, his magic prowess still does not grant him the capability to be in multiple places at once. As a substitute, you can use this brief guide to help you gain confidence, build strength in your skills and finally take flight as an amateur getting paying gigs in magic.
Note that these guidelines work just as well if you want to be a magician or a mentalist, but take a look at our guide to beginner mentalism tricks to brush up on the skill set mentalists need unique from magicians.
Learn Some Tricks
Everyone has got to start somewhere, right? Just as a famous cartoonist begins by drawing smiley faces and copying model sheets, a beginning magician should start by learning any trick they can. Even if they never perform them in public their entire life, these early tricks cut their teeth in the trade and teach them how to move forward with their skills.
Start with one trick, learn it really well, then add two or three more. Practice these until your hands can do them with your eyes closed because the goal here is muscle memory. If you can learn how to perform tricks with fluid, unthinking motions, you can focus on the entertainment portion of your act to keep your audience distracted.
So, start with some basics, learn them backwards and forwards, and then begin to branch out to others. Also, at this stage, you could easily stick to DIY tricks rather than investing in equipment that you may later neglect.
Learn How to Face a Crowd
Now, just as the old comic book ads used to say, you can “amuse your friends and family!” Ask people if you can perform tricks for them, and get their feedback.
Do not tell them how you did the trick, ever! You are not asking them to become a magician with you; you just need a second set of eyes to evaluate the final effect.
Eventually, you can get to a level of confidence where you can say “watch this!” as an icebreaker and perform tricks adequately on-the-fly.
Get Your First (Non-Paying) Gigs
The easiest way to get experience is to offer your services for free. Even if you bomb, the event host will not lose out on money in most situations.
Offer to perform at retirement communities, adult day health centers, young children’s parties and similar venues through friends and family members. Mix in old tricks you know by heart along with new experiments. Have a couple of standbys as backup in case you see the audience losing interest — something that results in a pie to your face is a usual crowd-pleaser.
Once you have the confidence to perform in public, you can start booking low-paying gigs through church groups, community birthdays and perhaps even some low-level venues. Many magicians also make a fair amount of money busking on the street.
Eventually, you will have practiced long enough both with your tricks and with a crowd to stake out on your own as a true entertainer and business owner.
For More Inspiration, Watch Mio Perform Magic and Mentalism in Miami
You can attend a live show or watch his video section to see how practice and confidence can lead to a successful career in magic.