The Good, The Bad and the Ugly of YouTube Education

 Yes, You Can Learn Magic on YouTube

             

     
                      
My last blog focused on what is essential reading for magicians, or if that is becoming increasingly moot.

There is no simple answer. I lean towards yes, but let's look at our "student" of magic in the 21st century, compared to my day in the latter part of the 20th century. 

Where do our next generation of magicians go to learn the secrets of magic...the library? I suppose this is a rhetorical question. YouTube is the obvious answer. (Don't get ahead of me, I will not bash the YouTube lovers, I am one as well.)

Videos on the internet began in 2005. The pioneers sharing magic secrets were often amateurs with little or no talent. (Amateur magicians have often contributed excellent material as well as invention of every style of magic.) Alex Elmsley was a computer programmer by day but was also major contributor to card magic. 

So, the first contributors to the field of magic on YouTube were hit or miss. I always advised the younger magicians to consider the classics books and video learning as well. The first videos were on VHS Tapes, and DVDs were not far behind. Today, downloadable videos are readily available from online magic dealers, the DVDs are fading in the sunset. 

Today, you can learn a lot on YouTube from extremely talented magicians, and much of it is free. What's not to like? Here's a few resources.

Alex Pandrea, Ekaterina, and Jay Sankey, * just to mention a few. All are knowledgeable and provide excellent insights and tutorials in magic. They also have products for sale as well. YouTube has come a long way since its inception. That is the upside.

Where I see a shortcoming is we lose the history of techniques and often proper credits to the original inventors. I know there are some who simply don't care, as they just want to learn a few tricks. 

David Blaine's "Street Magic" aired in April 1997. It was a new presentation style which captivated a new audience of young magicians. Soon after,they started "naming" the tricks he performed. One of the most popular became known as the Two Card Monte.

David certainly deserved credit for his personalization of the trick. In fact, his influence brought immediate copycats to his style. It surprised some magicians as they had the trick in their libraries and had passed it buy. It was hiding in an Eddie Fechter book from the 70s. You can see Pop Haydn performing it, not as the Two Card Monte but as 'Be Honest What is It?" 

David also performed a levitation effect. There was a little controversy amongst magicians, which is of no importance now. Suffice to say, the trick had been around for a long time, known as The Balducci Levitation. Kudos to David for recognizing the power of a simple parlor stunt/trick. 

There was no deceit from David. He just found a new audience who appreciated his style and stunned them with some of the old classics of magic. Here he performs "The Invisible Deck." 

The internet and TV have popularized Magic in a way I have never seen before. Watch Penn and Teller Fool Us. If you are a well-informed magician, their use of "code" will reveal most of the secrets to you. I hope that after this new generation learns their tricks, curiosity brings them an interest in Magic history, and they discover the "Shoulders of the Giants" we all stand on. It is always good to know how we got to where we are today. History is available to the curious, and you will be better magician for knowing it.

Boston Magician

Joe Ferranti

339-927-4710

* You can monetize your YouTube channel, and I imagine this is the case, but the cost is nothing to the searcher.

Also, there are now subscription channels where users need to pay a fee for access. For example, Netrix, there are many others, you can easily find them. 

Boston Corporate Magician Joe Ferranti

339-927-4710

Magical Beginnings of a Boston Magician part 5

 

Society of American Magicians

Continuing from my last entry, I was at Diamond’s Magic getting to know the owner, Eddie Gardner. It pleasantly surprised me to learn that Eddie discounted all books at 20%. I believe it was the same with VHS Videos. (It was a long time ago.) Well, at this point in my life, I had some expendable income, so my library quickly filled in.

On one visit to the shop, Eddie was telling me about a lecturer coming to SAM 104. (SAM stands for The Society of American Magicians.)

I hesitated, as I am a bit of a loner. Never joining clubs as a young boy. I think Eddie took my hesitation as a sign that I didn’t want to pay the fee for the lecture. So, he invited me to be his guest… no charge. That was nice, but money was not the issue, just my insecurity, so I took a leap of faith and joined the club. It was a great experience. I learned a lot from the lectures and had a place to perform without judgment.

Learning the Craft of Performing Magic

The members of the club were welcoming and encouraged me to perform. I made a few friends who remain friends to this day. I still was not performing for “real people.” which refers to laypeople. However, a few of us who wanted a little more than a monthly meeting began getting together once a week. It was an additional safe space to perform. 

I learned several members performed professionally or semi-professionally, something I never considered, as I always thought I was not good enough to do so.

With all the information I had with my library and videotapes, I learned Strolling/Walk Around Magic. Even when I thought I was ready, I did not want to take anyone’s money until I was confident in my ability to entertain with magic.

A friend of mine knew a woman who was putting on a graduation party for her son and recommended me as entertainment. So, I had a job, well not an actual job, as I would not take any money. I insisted on working for free.

My first performance at the Graduation party went very well. It was obvious the graduates enjoyed the magic by their excited reactions. The success of that performance gave me the confidence to proceed performing as a semiprofessional magician.

My Website www.ferrantimagic.com

I now felt ready to go to work, and at just the right time, another friend offered to set up a website for me, at no charge. This was a game changer. I had met Walter Osterman through the SAM. We shared an interest in magic and enjoyed each other’s company at the local club and attended a few local conventions. I didn’t realize it, but Walter ran his own business, Social Mavens a marketing and communications agency.

Walter did it all. He came to my house, took pictures and some promo video. He put together a professional website and ran it for me for ten years, simply out of kindness.

If not for Walter’s efforts, I would not be doing what I enjoy in my retirement years. All I can say is THANK YOU. (In capital letters.) 

Performing as a semi-professional Magician in Massachusetts

Over the last eleven years, I have had a great journey. I still perform much of the same material I used in my first performance. The material evolves with repeated performances. You get some of the best lines by listening to your audience. The more opportunities you have to perform improves every aspect of the material. I am still learning and working at being a better entertainer each time I perform.

Referring to being a semi professional is intentional to not ruffle the feathers of the “professionals”. I deliver professional caliber magic, but I don’t pay all my bills, health insurance, etc. from my magic income. (I pay taxes on it.)

As for the full-time professionals, I have the ultimate respect. A serious professional needs to work constantly, and earn enough to pay for their own health care, not to mention, setting up their own investments for their retirement. This requires serious self discipline, and few “pros” really commit strictly to this regiment.

Advice on becoming a Professional Magician

 If you decide to take this path, I would recommend you seek the wisdom of Paul Gertner.

If you ask nicely, I know Paul will share the “secrets of success”. I’m talking about the business side requirements. Paul is one of the most successful trade show magicians of my time.

What he cannot share is his hard earned talent. His list of accomplishments is very long. You may have heard of him from his appearances on Penn and Teller Fool Us. Magicians know Paul for his Steel and Silver routine. Which is a cups and balls routine with steel ball bearings. The steel balls make the trick “impossible” to understand for magicians and laypeople. He has contributed magic to David Copperfield. Also contributing material to the fraternity. He put out a VHS/DVD series named after his book Steel and Silver. One of his most popular card tricks in his book and videos series, “Unshuffled” has found its way into the repertoire of many working magicians.

If you are in the Boston area, you can catch Paul at his show, Miracles and Other Deceptions.

If you live in the Boston area and want a Parlor Show or Strolling Magician, please contact me. 339-927-4710 The Very Best in Close-Up Magic! (except for Paul Gertner and a couple others, call me and I’ll let you know who they are.)

Thanks for making it through 5 blogs of Magical Beginnings.

Magical Beginnings of a Boston Magician Part 3

Magical Beginings Part Three-The Magic of Joe Ferranti

In the mid 70’s I began my study of magic as a young adult. I was interested mostly in Card Magic and Coin Magic..

I enjoyed my magic books, although it was sometimes difficult if not impossible to interpret a sleight from the written word. As for mentors, I never had one. I made the best of what resources I had, and learned a lot from what I could extract from my books. Some sleights or tricks, would be impossible for me to process, leaving my development handicapped in some areas.

My main interest was card magic, it always fascinated me. From the stage magicians who would pluck cards out of the air, almost endlessly, to the Close-Up Magicians who would find a previously signed card, inside an envelope, inside a zippered compartment of a wallet.

Perhaps the most famous of card manipulators in the 20th century was Cardini. (Richard Valentine Pitchford) I believe what made him the greatest card manipulator in history, was his stage character. I do not dismiss his technical skills which were second to none.

Cardini

As I recall, he was a British gentleman, returning home from an evening out, and appeared innocently, a little “tipsy”. I urge you to see him in video.

My interest  with cards was definitely in the card trick category. I was looking for something a little more “magical”than the twenty one card trick, or the obvious “Key Card” discovery, where you would simply look through the deck and pull out the selection and ask, “Is this your card?”

I previously mentioned Walter Gibson’s book. Soon after I discovered Close Up Card Magic by Harry Lorayne. A much treasured book of many magicians.I also discovered the work of Paul Harris, a young magician who had a unique perspective on magic.  His writing was fresh and amusing. No one had ever displayed a sense of humor in their writing of card tricks.

Paul also  found new uses for playing cards. Tearing holes in cards and linking and unlinking them like the famous Chinese Linking Rings. Or a regular deck of playing cards, turning into a solid block of cards.

I also started collecting the Tarbell Course in Magic. At that time, it was a collection of books which had been assembled from the original mail order, Tarbell Course in Magic. It is still considered essential reading to this day.

To be complete, I also studied the work of Martin A. Nash and Coin Work in Bobo’s Modern Coin Magic. 

Things sometimes change quickly, and in 1978 I stopped all my involvement in magic for about ten years. Next time, my return to magic, and eventually the joy of performing as a semi-professional.

The Magic of Joe Ferranti
Boston Massachusetts Close-Up Magician

 

Massachusetts Magician, Joe Ferranti presents magic at a family gathering.

Although I perform primarily for adults, in the real world, children are often present.

They are happily included in the fun.

 Here's a family gathering in the summer, with an audience of all ages.

Boston's Favorite Magician

www.ferrantimagic.com

The Magic of Joe Ferranti

339-927-4710

Adult Birthday Magic

 Adult Birthday Magician, Massachusetts

The Close-Up Magic of Joe Ferranti

339-927-4710 www.ferrantimagic.com

When you think of a magician at a birthday party, what comes to mind? A top hat? A cape? Of course...a rabbit! Close your eyes and imagine the noise, can you hear it? Yes, children screaming, usually because they see something the magician "can't see." As soon as the magician turns around to see what the children are screaming about, "it" goes out of sight. When the magician turns back to the children, the "gremlin" returns and the screaming resumes. This continues ad nauseam, as children never tire of such "humor".

This is great, if you are a kid or if you are throwing a party for your own child.

Unfortunately, this is where most stop thinking, but what about adults? They wouldn't be interested in a magician at their birthday party? Of course, they would...remember not to stop thinking.

Boston Massachusetts' Best Adult Birthday Magician

Imagine again, a birthday show designed for adults. Mix a little magic with a little comedy and you've got the perfect combination for the adult birthday girl or boy. And, if you've hired the Magic of Joe Ferranti, the birthday recipient will be thrilled with Joe's exclusive Birthday Card Trick. Joe's signature effect leaves the guest of honor with a memento they are sure to keep and a birthday memory like no other.

Word of mouth has brought us many Birthday party jobs as friends tell friends of the "Birthday Card Trick." We are confident you will spread the word as well.

Hire Magician Boston Ma. 339-927-4710

Our mission is to bring magic entertainment to every type of adult function imaginable, and we can do that if you "don't stop thinking."

Best Wishes,

Joe Ferranti

Massachusetts Close-Up Magician

Adult Birthday Party Magic

Walk Around | Strolling Magician Boston Mass.

 

Boston Walk Around Magician, Joe Ferranti performs for all adult Birthday parties.

 Of course you will see laughter and strong reactions. Mostly from younger adults.

However, Birthday Magic is not exclusive to the young. Many seniors enjoy a good laugh and some magical entertainment...perhaps a little more subdued reactions.

So, here we are, with a slightly older crowd...you'll not see "David Blaine" reactions, but I assure you a good time was had by all, including the Magician.

 

The Very Best in Walk Around/Strolling Magic Boston Mass.

 

www.ferrantimagic.com     339-927-4710