To be or not to be a Professional or an Amateur Magician

An amateur magician is anyone who has a minimum amount of talent, skill and knowledge when it comes to performing magic tricks. He or she may be anyone who knows one magic trick or at least three magic tricks.

But basically, a more technical definition of an amateur magician is anyone who does not in any way practice magic as their trade, even if he or she knows four, five, six or more than a number of magic tricks. This is regardless of how good, better or excellent he or she may be in performing flourishes, sleight of hand or optical illusions.

However, there are those amateur magicians who try their very best to expand their current knowledge as well as repertoire and still practice magic as their primary source of income. People who do this are usually called hedge magicians. This is in order to differentiate them from authentic professional magicians who make practicing and performing magic as a trade and make an actual living doing so.

Meanwhile a professional magician is anyone who has a little bit more knowledge and talent compared to an amateur magician. These professional magicians know sufficient magic that makes it enough for them to use it as their primary source of trade and income, as well as not using magic to assist them in a trade other than magic.

So technically, even if a barber performs his job using magic and no matter how many tricks he or she knows and is capable of, that barber is still not considered as a professional magician because his primary trade is cutting hairs and not necessarily being a magician.

Another way to differentiate a professional magician from an amateur is by the way he or she does flourishes.

According to the Online Encylopedia of Magic, a flourish is any sleight that is performed for the purpose of entertaining an audience and does not in any way contain any moves that are hidden. Most sleights that are performed are done so in order to deceive a captive audience and to do something that can not be detected. Meanwhile, a flourish is any trick that is done to draw the audience’s attention away from where an actual sleight is simultaneously being performed.

There are some magicians who consider the performance of a flourish as simply a finger exercise and not really actual pieces of performance. But those magicians who do put in and include flourishes in their act are considered by some of their fellow magicians as a seriously skilled performer.

If a performance consists of a card trick wherein the cards are spread out on the table and when a performer does a pressure card fan, the image that that performer projects is one of professionalism and experience. But a performer of magic who simply holds the cards and then spreads them slightly, may then be considered more as an amateur. Although this may or may not be true or this may not be considered as a hard fact, this is the perception and the impression that a performing magician usually gives to an audience.

Flourishes are done not just as a form of show-off to the audience, a flourish is also done for the purpose of presenting just how a performer is truly dedicated to the magic act. It also shows the degree of professionalism one has for the performance.

When a flourish is done, it makes it easier to know the difference between a magic trick performed by an expert magician and your friendly neighborhood Jim who is doing a card trick.
A skilled performer comes off as a natural and will ultimately receive more credit for his or her performance as well as recognition, not to mention that good old respect for the skills he or she has.

When a spectator is looking at a magic trick where the occasional flourish is done, that performer is also seen as more than a magician but a person who is passionate at what he or she is doing. It is therefore so much easier to hire a magician who has more skills and experience than one who needs to practice his or her craft more.

Becoming a Magician

Everyone has the potential of becoming successful in the future। It takes someone who has good grades to become an engineer. A person who has a good voice can participate in various competitions before becoming a seasoned singer. The same determination is also needed should one decide to become a magician.

In medieval times, magic was associated with sorcery and witchcraft। People who were known to posses these skills were considered as heretics and were burned at the stake. Years later that has changed and now magic provides people with various kinds of entertainment, e.g., watching the statue of liberty disappear with just a wink of an eye or putting a person in a box and piercing it with swords and the volunteer comes out unscathed. These are all illusions that have amazed the audience and makes these people come back for more.

There have been a lot of talented magicians in this lifetime alone such as the likes of Harry Houdini who was an escaped artist, David Copperfield who has traveled around the world and amazed people with his large scale acts and lately David Blaine who is seen on television performing magic tricks for millions of viewers around the world.
With these wonders of magic, will there still be qualms why would one want to become a magician?

Others may also just opt to become one for the money। Talent fees to appear before live audiences cost a lot and with more bookings, such a magician could make a fortune. Some magicians who have become celebrities can now get endorsements from various companies and get a talent fee for promoting that brand.

There are also individuals who want to become magicians for the love of it. Some people believe that doing something feels better if one has the passion for it. Money is just a perk in the trade but if that person wants to take it to the limit and stand out above the rest, then a feeling of self accomplishment is fulfilled making that person prepare once again for the next challenge.
Some people grew up with magicians as role models। Why not? Magicians can turn one's rueful mood into an amazed one. What could be more fun and fulfilling than making people forget their worries and stressful situations? Becoming a magician is truly such a rewarding profession.

The reason behind one's intention on learning to be a good magician may vary. But one thing is for sure, magicians are here to pepper life with some fun from bewilderment. Whatever the reason one magician may have as to why he continues to perform tricks is not important. What matters is they make life less of a bore.