Fri 12 Nov 2010

Magic School Assemblies

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Hello and welcome to Magic School Assemblies.

At MSA, I hope to give those who are looking to take their magical performances into the exciting arena of educational assemblies for schools some much needed valuable information. If you want to expand your career and start using your skills to do more than just entertain, then Magic School Assemblies may just be what you need.

I have been a professional magic school performer for over 20 years and have made a very comfortable living doing what I enjoy.  You can do the same thing.

As the world changes, teachers /educators are realizing that in order to capture the interest of children, they often have to use unconventional methods. Children learn in different ways: visually, auditorily, tactilely.

Some need to be part of the action, while others prefer to sit and watch. Every child has their own unique way of learning. An interactive magic show with quality tricks and routines, that not only entertains but also educates, can incorporate many of these learning elements. Schools around the world are waking up to the fact that conventional teaching methods are not always enough. Can you see how you can fit in?

As an entertainer, you can make a difference:

  • if you know what to do

  • how  to do it and

  • how to market it.

Of course, there is not one single method that will work for every performer, but the information provided here should give you plenty of ideas to work with.

As a performer, I find the whole area of educational magic so rewarding. Over the years, I have encountered such a variety of kids: some are outgoing, while some are shy and reserved.  Some have been initially scared, while others were over the moon with excitement.  But what really leaves an impression on me is when I hear about the children who have either been on stage with me or in the audience and have been transformed for the better.

When I get letters from teachers, parents or sometimes from the children themselves saying how I have made a difference in their lives, that is such a joy.  Knowing that I had a positive impact on their lives makes me feel better. Wouldn’t you like to feel that?  Well, you can… just read on.

Over the years, I have spoken to many educators who are often wary of having entertainers do an assembly in their schools. Schools have often been reluctant to hire me due to previous experiences or horror stories about other performers.  But if we all work together to create QUALITY programs and handle ourselves PROFESSIONALLY, we can overcome those concerns and provide a beneficial service.

I hate to say this, but unfortunately many entertainers are not very good. Just watch contests like America’s Got Talent or any of the other national talent shows in nearly any country in the world. There are literally 1000s of people who audition and never even make it through the first round. Of course, there are some talented people who audition and do not make the cut.  But the bottom line is: too many people think they are talented when they are not. But there is hope for everyone!

Do not be discouraged, because I am not accusing you of being a bad performer. You are probably very good or you would not be here reading this. The point is that you need to be honest with yourself. Working in schools is not a starting point, but a place for performers who have already had some experience working with children.

Do not believe your own press; get a knowledgeable person in the industry to review your show and listen to his/her advice and comments. Criticism is sometimes hard to take, but it is vital for us in order to become better.

Many magicians over the years have contacted me for advice on how to create a quality educational show or to buy the rights to mine. Well, the good news is that at Magic School Assemblies, I can provide the information you need to start being a quality school show performer.

Magic School Assemblies will have information on how to create a quality educational magic show, tricks to use, types of patter, research tools and even complete school performance packages.

I know lots of magicians who have been excellent entertainers for years and still have no idea how to take their skills and use them for educational purposes.

There is a difference! And if you do not know that, please read on before you jump on the school bandwagon.

Remember that working for an audience of students is different from working a birthday party or corporate event. If you have a system in place that can help you create a motivational show on an educational theme that schools need, then you will have a business that is in demand. But if you are only providing a fun show with a message tagged on at the end of the show, you are not giving the students or schools what they need or want.

Hopefully, as this site grows, you will learn how to use your magic skills to create sound beneficial programs on topics such as the environment, health, reading, maths, science, literature, self-esteem, bullying, anti-drug, safe sex, history and so many more topics. There is a world of possibilities out there for those willing to learn and put in the effort.

Thank you for taking the time to join me here and I hope you enjoy the journey.

Your Friend in Magic,

Charlie the Magician

Shop all Tricks at Ellusionist.com

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Sun 26 Dec 2010

Audience Control Techniques for Magicians

Posted by 180853 under Creating Material for School Assemblies
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I came across this article by Randel McGee, who is a story teller about his experience with audience control and thought it would be something you would enjoy reading. 

I have seen the same situation many times when checking out other performers. His information is quite good and any magician working with children can learn something from this article.

“Soothe the Savage Beast”
Tips on Audience Control for Childrens’ Performers

by Randel McGee
www.storyteaching.com

Not long ago I had the opportunity to attend a school assembly featuring a noted author of children*s books. His books and works have been very popular, even featured on national TV programs in years past. He had some very entertaining elements in his “live” presentation, but soon the children were becoming restless. They responded inappropriately to his vague questions. He got them excited about participating, but then did not seem to know how to guide their excitement to a positive involvement. He became rather perturbed with the students* behavior and let them know that he was. The “fun” of the program left and he had to drag himself through the rest of his presentation, which ended up being shorter than the teachers had planned on.

What went wrong? As a professional entertainer of children for nearly 25 years myself, I thought about this presentation and the techniques that were missing that could have made his handling of the audience a much more successful and positive experience. I started making a list of techniques that I have found to be extremely useful in holding my young audiences* attentions and guiding them into a mutually enjoyable experience.

In sharing this list I must add a few disclaimers:

Every performer, no matter how professional, trained, and talented, will have an audience, at some time, that is not going to respond well to the show, no matter what techniques you use.

The techniques that follow, like most artistic techniques, are suggestions that must be used in a delicate mix of good judgement, the artist*s sensibilities, the audience*s character, the venue, location, current affairs, etc., etc.

So here we go with a veritable “ABC” of audience control:

Acknowledge…

Where you are: Your audience loves to have you mention their town, school, library, etc.

Who you*re performing for: Adjust to their age level, understanding, & community sensibilities

Minor Distractions: These occur – make funny (but not derogatory) comments that tie them into your show

Kids will ask questions or make comments aloud – answer them or comment on them immediately, briefly, in character, and then get back on track

Kids will raise their hands to speak or ask a question: Tell them they can ask later at a better time and then remember to let them ask before you leave the stage

Good behavior and participation: Praise them or thank them for good responses

Those responsible for bringing you there: Be sure the sponsors get a good word

Balance…

Passive and involved activities: Passive activities are listening and looking presentations. These can still be very engaging. Involved activities include: question & answers, call and respond stories or songs, actually choosing audience members to participate on stage ( a tricky venture, to be sure!), etc.

Concentrate…

Keep your own mind focused on your presentation and the audience.

As in a “juice concentrate” – Condense your show or story to the essence of what you want to share and work from there, expanding or contracting as the situation dictates.

Direct…

Their attentions to those elements that you want them to focus on by using vocal inflections, hand gestures or facial expressions.

Tell them what you expect them to do. Example: “I*m going to do a song now that I know you*ll like”

Ask rather specific questions that they can respond to in only positive or specific ways. Example: “You all know the story of the 3 Billy Goats Gruff, right?”

Enthusiasm…

Your total belief and involvement in what you do are key elements in how involved the audience will become.

In addition to these techniques, I find that the following attributes are “the frosting on the cake”:

4 P*s of Performing for young audiences:

Patience:

They are only kids! Relax! Have Fun!

They need you to direct them on how to best behave for your type of show.

Positive Attitude

Be “Up”! When you like what you do and who you do it for, it shows!

Preparedness

Have enough well-rehearsed material to fill your time, and some back-up if you need it.

Know how to handle most interruptions and problems.

Come with the equipment you need to make the show successful.

Professionalism

Look clean and appropriately dressed.

Act courteous and amiably business-like from the moment you arrive until you leave.

*Most important of All*

Ya* Gotta Love *Em!

Treat your audience as if they were your own children and you were in front of the judges for “Parent of the Year”!

copyright 2003, Randel McgeeRandel McGee is an internationally recognized performer, teacher and artist. Educators around the country have appreciated his programs on conflict resolution and character education for young students and his literature based programs for all ages. His most popular acts are his comedy act of Randel McGee & Groark and his portrayal of Hans Christian Andersen, the beloved author/storyteller. www.storyteaching.com

 

If you wish to learn more tips about audience control and how I keep my audiences involved and under control, you might want to check out Primary Magic, which has my techniques for keeping control of large groups of children and adults.

Wishing you the best in everything magic that you do.

Charlie

Looking for a good clean laugh, than you may wish to check out this collection of  Wit and Humor.

 

 

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Sat 25 Dec 2010

How to increase your income as a magician!

Posted by 180853 under Magic School Assemblies
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Looking for a good clean laugh, than you may wish to check out this collection of Wit and Humor.

Maybe you are not ready or interested in doing school shows, but there are many other ways to increase your income as a magician. Just check out what Randy Charach has put together.

Become a Millionaire Magician!

How to Skyrocket Your Income as an entertainer, doing the shows you want to do – where and when you want to do them – while leveraging your time and producing multiple streams of income.


If you have just a bit of talent you will find that Randy Charach’s  lessons to be very helpful in creating a more lucrative and successful career for you as an entertainer.

Here are some of the powerful secrets he will teach you in order to increase your business?

Discover how to:

  • Prepare your entire business marketing plan in just two hours.
  • Map your profit soaring ideas out in just a few minutes.
  • Save valuable time when it comes to office work.
  • Be organized even if it does not come naturally to you.
  • Control the 3 most important aspects of your business.

GET YOUR COPY TODAY … Click Here!

His information on using video will revolutionize your marketing:

  • Demo Videos
  • Exactly what to include on your tape for various markets.
  • 3 formats that will increase your booking rate by 750%.
  • Determine the right length of tape.
  • What your video must accomplish in order to get you booked.
  • Exactly what to include on a video to get booked on television.
  • What to never do on your demo video. I see it all the time too.
  • How to take control of the “shoot” to guarantee you get an excellent video.
  • 5 Ways to get top quality video demo for FREE (these secrets alone will save you thousands of dollars).

Better Performing Sales-Letters:

  • The 5 things your sales letter must do in order to work for you.
  • The 3 questions you must answer.
  • How to instantly grab people’s attention.
  • How to determine the copy of the letter.
  • The most powerful headline formula that you can use to get more bookings at higher fees.
  • A simple 10 step formula for writing effective sales letters.
  • A simple 4 step formula for writing effective headlines.

The Truth about Web Sites

  • What you need to know so you don’t get ripped off.
  • The most common mistake entertainers are making right now.
  • How to profit in many ways from your site.
  • Simple ways to dramatically increase your bookings.
  • The most important elements of your site.
  • What to do right now regardless of your techno-skills.

Randy provides lots of great information for the professional magician and more importantly lots of information for the performer who is just starting out. If you use these ideas, you can very easily skyrocket your career.

His ideas will work very nicely in promoting your school career too.  Get your career into high gear NOW and start getting what a well paid professional magician should be earning.  Check out Millionaire Magician! risk free!

GET YOUR COPY TODAY … Click Here!

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Sat 27 Nov 2010

School Assemblies – How to Plan a Successful Event!

Posted by 180853 under Creating Material for School Assemblies
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Came across this interesting article by Geoffrey Beauchamp, which is right on the money. It is directed at teachers and bookers of school assemblies, but the information is valuable to those of you trying to create assemblies. Read and learn.

School Assemblies – How to Plan a Successful Event!

If you are given the task of picking school assemblies for your school, the job, though exciting, may have some questions that may be difficult for you to answer. How do you know which programs and how many presentations to do for your school? This is a question which comes up with any Elementary school or Middle School looking for ideas for school assemblies. Well, as famous detective Sherlock Holmes used to say: “Elementary, my dear Watson!, Elementary!”

Have you talked to a twelve year old lately? Have you tried to read a bedtime story to them from a book designed to be read to a 6 year old? How did that work out for you? Not so good, huh?

Kids minds change as they age. Well, that is a profound statement, right? Of course they do! And what appeals to and entertains the mind of a student in Kindergarten is radically different from what entertains a seventh grader. Even the differences from Kindergarten to 3rd grade are profound.

And yet, many schools think nothing of arranging a school assembly program for an audience of all grades, from Kindergarten through eighth grade! It always amazes me! Sure, there are presenters who can pull this off and the school may think that they had a good show. But what they do not realize is how much better the results would have been had they simply split the audience in half according to age. They might have had a great show instead!

When all grades are combined, the performer of a school assembly has to become somewhat schizophrenic, addressing first the needs of one age group, then turning away from them to address the other half. The alternative is to simply present to one half and let the other half struggle. Or to shoot for the middle and ignore the extremes. Whichever way you try, it’s basically a compromise that rarely please everyone.

From the perspective of most school assembly performers, elementary school enrichment programs basically have three comfortably similar audience levels, with some overlap among them. The first, or Primary audience, starts with pre-K and continues up to roughly 3rd grade. The second, or Intermediate audience, can begin as early as 2nd grade and continue through 6th grade. The oldest, or Middle school, audience, begins at 4th grade and continues usually up through young adult. When audiences are split this way the presenter can change the style, vocabulary and content of the performance to best meet the needs and likes of that particular audience.

It is one thing to consider whether a school assembly program is appropriate for all grades combined, but one must also ask if a particular program is indeed suited for a particular age group at all. For example, some school assemblies, when split into different performances, are quite good for all elementary school grades, but fare poorly in Middle Schools. Other school assemblies play wonderfully for Middle Schools but fly right over the heads of primary school audiences. It is wise to ascertain before scheduling a program whether or not the program is indeed appropriate for all the grades you wish to involve.

Finally, one may also consider arranging different programs for different grade levels. For instance one might have a historical character for the 4th Grade, a science show for the 3rd grade, a live animal program for the 2nd grade and so on. This way everyone gets exactly what they want according to their needs.

However, this supposes that cost is of little concern to you, and, sadly, we all know that cost is almost always a concern. Obviously, multiple performances will be more expensive than a single, all encompassing performance. But one should remember that “one size never really does fit all”! If you are going to spend the money to bring in a presentation it is worth making sure the experience is the best it can be. And most assembly companies and performers charge less per show for the second and third presentations, and sometimes considerably less. It is worth checking. There is really nothing worse than having a program fail and realizing after the fact that a little extra planning and a few more dollars would have turned a sad experience into something great!

Geoff Beauchamp is the Regional Manager of Mobile Ed Productions where “Education Through Entertainment” has been the guiding principal since 1979. Mobile Ed Productions produces and markets quality educational school assembly programs in the fields of science, history, writing, astronomy, natural science, mathematics, character issues and a variety of other curriculum based areas. In addition, Mr. Beauchamp is a professional actor with 30 years of experience in film, television and on stage. He created and still performs occasionally in Mobile Ed’s THE LIVING LINCOLN. http://www.mobileedproductions.com

Visit his blog for additional information please vit his blog at http://www.mobileedproductions.com/blog

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Geoffrey_Beauchamp

Make sure that the program that you are creating is age appropriate and can be adapted to various ages. It might also be a good idea to send this article to schools when they do book you or have a question about booking your show.  It is just as important to educate the schools as it is to have an educational show.

Thank you Geoffrey for your excellent article.

The How to Do Street Magic Teaching DVD was designed to take the beginner from 0-60 fast. You’ll perform your first trick within an HOUR…. Buy Now!

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Sat 13 Nov 2010

Funny Business: Bits and Gags for Performers

Posted by 180853 under School Show Patter
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Funny Business

Over the past 30 or so years of performing I have collected, created and sorted through lots of great comedy bits and gags. I have notebooks full of funny ideas, one liners and zingers that I peruse everytime I am trying to put some more comedy into my shows.

A few years back, my wife was sorting through all my notes and putting them in a folder on the computer, so I could find everything in one place. I am not that organized at times! I was amazed to find so many gems that I had forgotten or not used in years.

This inspired me to arrange, clean and sort out the collection even more. I found myself putting more funny bits into my show, replacing others and adding new life to some of the routines I was getting bored with.

Well the good news is that I have now put all that material in a book called Funny Business: 500 Gags, Bits and Jokes for Performers. This is a 26 page book filled with lots of great one liners. There is material for clowns, magicians, balloon artists, street performers, close up workers, etc..

Some of the material is public domain stuff that has been around for years, but has been reworked a little, and is still great for laughs. Some of the stuff is my own which has been honed over the years and I know works, because other magicians use my material all the time. No problem there … we are all trying to make “magic” and comedy is part of it!

If you want a collection of quality material … I USE all of this stuff from time to time. I really feel that there is so much useful material for any performer, that you will use this as a reference guide. I still refer to this book on a monthly basis just to refresh my mind.

A frequent comment I get from lay people is that I am so spontaneous and always have something funny to say off the cuff. Well the secret is that it is not “off the cuff”, I use the same lines over and over again and I am always looking for new stuff to add to my collection. The bigger “your funny arsenal” is the more ammunition you have to play with.

So if you are looking for a collection of comedy material, than get a copy of this great little ebook. You WILL find lots of stuff to add to your shows.

You even get my “tie routine” and “biscuit routine”, which are both magical joke routines that I always perform for teachers in the staff room or at house parties. I am always requested to do them both if people have seen me perform before and you will love them too! Easy to do and they always get a laugh! Very tongue in cheek and FUN!

Only $17 as an ebook.

All orders are processed manúally, so please allow 24 hours to get the book. Usually get the book out much quicker, but not always on the computer. Still out there doing shows! Thanks for your patience.30% Off Clearance Items at Ellusionist.com

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Sat 13 Nov 2010

Marketing for School Show Assemblies

Posted by 180853 under Marketing School Show Assemblies
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The most important part of being a professional magician is getting the show. When it comes to marketing for magicians, you cannot rely on word-of-mouth alone to bring in paying gigs. Many magicians still get it wrong and are left sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring. Below are some of the ways I use to market all my shows, which I hope will help you too.

The tips below are designed to make you think a little bit outside the norm. Places like the yellow pages and newspaper ads have gone by the wayside over the past few years and the return on your advertising money has decreased dramatically. That is not to say you should completely disregard these avenues, but you need to add more and better outlets. The internet has opened up many opportunities.

1. Website: Plain and simple, more and more people are using the internet to search for products and commodities, including entertainers. You should have a website for your services. It does not have to be elaborate. In fact, a simple one- or two-page site is more than plenty. Include a picture of yourself and tell people why they should hire you. What benefits do you offer?

2. Social Media: This includes sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Delicious, StumbleUpon, Flickr, YouTube and so many more. Each of these sites can offer you more exposure and unique ways to advertise your services. A video on You Tube can garner 1000s of views from potential customers; an unusual photo of yourself on Flickr and a stimulating dialogue on Twitter, Facebook or My Space can all add to your profile and traffic.

3. Commercials: If you have never done any commercials, this is a fun way to get some extra work and also some great advertising. Think about how you could promote a product with magic and then approach the company with your idea. Local companies are better than national.

4. Store promotions: More and more businesses are looking for ways to get customers into their places. Live entertainment can draw a crowd, especially for family audiences. Putting on a show using the company products or doing close-up magic for visitors is not limited to restaurants. Think how you can help businesses with your magic and in return you will get good advertising.

5. Press releases: When you do get gigs for places that are open to the public, it is important that YOU contact the media. Put together an email list today with contacts for all the local papers, magazines, radio and TV stations. When you get your next big gig, send them a good press release. Do not rely on the client to do the press release. I have been featured in more local papers than I can remember, because I took the initiative to send out press releases.

6. Email signature: Another way to advertise is by always adding an email signature to all your email correspondence. Get a unique slogan, and whenever you email anyone, there is your small bit of advertising at the end. I have gotten many jobs using this method.

7. Blogs: I already mentioned websites, but you may not wish to invest in hosting and domain registering. A simple blog at blogger or lens at squidoo can serve you well. The point is to get your name and information in front of as many people as possible.

8. Education shows: If you targeting schools, than check out the educational magazines for listing of conventions and seminars held for teachers.  I routinely attend education conventions, where I either have a booth/stand or perform a few showcases during the duration of the convention.  Here you can not only get paid to perform or exchange your performances for a free booth. If you can get in either of those and do not wish to pay for a booth, contact some of the other exhibitors. The larger booth – the better, since they are already paying a hefty fee and have more room for you to work in.  In exchange for doing close up magic, balloon sculpturing or whatever, you are allowed to hand out your information too!

9. Word of mouth. Now this is usually not the best way to garner work, but it can be very effective in certain circumstances. Schools work in clusters or small groups. Several elementary / primary schools are funnel their children into the same secondary or junior schools. They often meet several times a year to discuss school issues. If you perform at one school and they like you (which they should), get them to mention you at their next meeting. Gíve them some brochures and if someone books, the school that recommended you gets a discount on your next performance.

10. When you get a call / booking it is always good to find out where they heard about you. If they were referred by someone, make sure you get their name and address. After the show has been done and paid for, send the referrer a 10% commission or nice gift and a thank you card.

“Thank you for referring me to Queen Eleanor Primary. Enclosed is a small gift as a thank you for taking the time to tell other people /schools about my service.”

Now don’t you think that that person might start recommending you more and telling others about what happened.

I really hope that you will try a few of these marketing ideas for magicians to bring in more work. I have done them all and can vouch for their success. The secret to getting constant work is to constantly work on your marketing. Does not matter if you are working schools, birthdays, corporate or restaurants. MARKET MARKET and than MARKET some more.

This article was originally posted on Ezine Articles.

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Sat 13 Nov 2010

Magic School Assembly Package For Sale

Posted by 180853 under School Show For Sale
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Dear Fellow Magician,

Discover how you can break into the school schow market with my School Show Business Package.

Have you ever wondered if you could make a living performing magic fulltime in schools during the week. Have your evenings and weekends free to spend with your family. Maybe you just want to have more work during the week.

My name is Charlie and years ago I did what all my fellow magicians said couldn’t be done. I quit my job and became a fulltime working magician. I did not start off in schools … I was terrified of working in schools.

My career began working daycares, birthday parties, festivals and grand openings. For several years I worked hard and learned my craft and it was totally by accident that I did my first school show. I was contacted by a principal of a school, who had seen me work several other events and really wanted me to come to her school and do a show on the environment.

I initially told her that I was not prepared to do that, but she thought I would be great and would not take “NO” for an answer. For several months I worked on creating a program for Earth Week. Actually had 73 days to put the show together. I drove out to that school and did a 1 hour show (2 of them) with lots of great ideas and routines. To my amazement the shows were a success, but I still cringe whenever I watch the tapes of those shows. Oh yeah, I have both shows videotaped!

Well that was my introduction into doing school shows and for the past 28 years I have worked nearly fulltime doing mostly school shows. I have performed in the USA, England and Europe to a great variety of children from various countries. It has been a learning experience that has never gotten old. Even when for 6 years straight, I was doing 450 -500 school shows each year.

Okay, I was tired, but I loved bringing quality programs and making a difference in the life of children and teachers. It is one of the most rewarding things I have done in my life and prefer educational performing more than any other type.

Is this something you would like to do as well? This could be you.

Imagine how great it would be to earn money doing something you love

Imagine how much joy, laughter and learning you could bring to children by doing educational magic shows

Imagine being in charge of your future

As a professional magician, you may already be making a nice income doing corporate work, birthday parties or close-up magic. But maybe you are struggling to fill those weekday hours. Many magicians find plenty of work on weekends , but struggle with the Monday to Friday jobs. If you’ve ever thought about taking your magic into schools, the SSBP can help you kick-start your new career!

For years, while working in England (the UK), I was constantly approached by magicians who either wanted me to sell my programs to them or help them get started in schools. For that reason, I started putting together a program teaching them everything that I had learned doing magic in schools. Along the way I started doing lectures and creating products to help other performers.

Many of the things that I took for granted, when it came to performing in schools, was new to so many experienced magicians. Educational performing had a unique learning curve and I found that some simple guidance was what most performers were looking for.

My first product was a book called “Primary Magic: Making a Living Doing School Shows“, which was suppose to be a set of lecture notes but turned out to be a very detailed book on everything about performing in schools and was a huge success on the UK lecture circuit.

My next book came from the lecture tour, when magicians all wanted to know how I created my suitcase table that I use in all my shows. So off I went to design a book that shows exactly how I create those tables. Quite easy to do and very handy. I believe alot of magicians in England have now adopted those tables.

At last, I decided to record my top 2 shows in a live school setting, so that they could see exactly how a live performance works in a school. No stage, no backdrops, no professional sound system or lighting. Real life on the school show circuit! It is not often that I get a chance to stand on a real stage with all the professional gear that goes with it. Everyday brings new surprises!

Anyway bottom line is that I put everything together into a package called:

The School Show Business Package and it includes the following:

1. “Primary Magic: Making a Living Doing School Shows” (PDF ebook)

The complete lecture from my UK lecture tour. This is a 33-page book packed with information. It includes everything you should know about working in schools. The information is based on my UK and US school performing experience, but the material is applicable to any school in the world. There are no magic routines or magic in this publication – just loads of insightful information about working in a school system. This is a must-have if you are thinking about doing any kind of work with schools.

2. “Funny Business: 500 Gags, Bits, and Jokes for Performers” (PDF ebook)

This is a compilation of over 500 gags, bits of business and jokes that performers can use to enhance their magic routines. Most of the gags are quick one-liners or snappy comebacks. It includes balloon gags for when you’re making balloons, name and greeting gags, simple impressions, one-line jokes and a few of my personal favourite magical gags.

3. “H.E.L.P.” DVD – Healthy Eating Lifestyle Programme DVD

This is a live performance of my “H.E.L.P.” show recorded at a school in the UK in 2008. The DVD captures an actual show in real life conditions. You will see that working in schools is not always glamorous – no stage, no curtains, crowded rooms and not always the best filming conditions! Yet, you will see a show that has the children enthralled and totally engaged from the start to very end and packed with educational information that the schools demand! The show discusses health topics in a way that is fun and magical. For a full hour the children and teachers are all entertained and educated.

4. “Let’s Talk Rubbish!” DVD

This shows a live performance of my environmental education show, “Let’s Talk Rubbish!”, which takes a very dull topic and makes it entertaining. More importantly, it motivates the children to go out and make a difference in their local communities. The show discusses recycling, littering, reducing, conservation, reusing and much, much more. It is designed to get the children excited about being eco warriors and to instil in them a desire to make a difference in their future. Plus, it is fun, interactive and packed full of educational information.

5. Complete patter and written instructions for the tricks in both shows (except those which are marketed effects, but I do include my handling tips on these effects). This includes stage movements and also explains reasons for doing certain actions. Very in depth.

6. Samples and Templates of Business Forms and Documents, E.g., contracts, invoices, handouts for teachers, assembly guidelines, certificates, press release, marketing material, etc. (Word docs)

7. “How to Make Your Own Portable Magic Table” (PDF ebook) When I lectured, I was constantly asked about my table set-up, so I wrote this book on how to make a portable table that is not only your prop case, but also your table during the show. I use these tables exclusively in all my shows. They are sturdy, easy to carry, and quick to set up and break down.

8. “Ready, Steady… POOF!” Magic Tricks for Kids (PDF ebook) This is a booklet with over 50 easy-to-learn tricks. Hard copies of these can be sold to schools before your performance, which could add £££ to your fee. You get a hard copy of the book, as well as a personalised Word file so you can take it your printer and have your own copies made.

9. Finally, and this has been very helpful to many of those who have already purchased SSBP, you get a years access to me by email or SKYPE to ask any questions about the programs, performance tips or general help regarding getting work in schools. You can also send me video or DVD or you performing the shows and I will critique and give you helpful advice. I am still helping dozens of performers getting their careers into high gear and would love to work with you too

I am not a SLICK marketer and I DO NOT profess to have all the answers, but I have successfully performed these 2 programmes in several countries and have over 5,000 school show performances under my belt, so you are getting the benefit of my personal experience.

The whole package can be bought together or you can also get some of the products seperately. The SSBP package is the best buy, but it is not for everyone. But read a few of the testimonials about my shows and products below.

“I love the energy I see in both of these DVDs (shows). It is amazing how many points he can get across to the audience between the magic — amazing. The way he “constructs” the message is evidence of his years of experience. He just captivates the kids. I enjoyed both shows in their entirety — like I was there. The taping was very good quality for a classroom venue – very professional. His timing and interaction with the kids and adults is perfection. His audience is always responsive, but he is always in control. I give these DVDs five stars for entertainment — and theme!” – Chuck Lehr, Magician *******************************************************************

“A very professional presentation – very entertaining for staff & children! It was slick & well paced & Charlie had an excellent rapport with the audience! The message of ‘Healthy Food’ was delivered clearly & was understood by the children. They were engrossed & mesmerised throughout. (Children have been posing as Super Boy & Girl every since!) The use of magic tricks – the ‘WOW’ factor!” — Lozells Junior School

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“It was all utterly fantastic and thoroughly enjoyed by children and staff! I haven’t laughed so much in ages. The performance was completely engaging and educational in a fun & entertaining way. I will definitely be recommending this to colleagues in future. Thank you!!” — M. Treble, St. Edward’s Catholic Primary, Boston Spa, Leeds

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“We enjoyed your humour, the pace and the way all children were kept involved. Our only regret was when it was over. You exceeded our expectations. Every one in the audience laughed as they learned. We had a brilliant time.” — Walter D’Ayncourt School, Farnsfield, Notts

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“The magic tricks, humour, jokes appealed to all the children and helped them to learn the serious message of caring for the environment. The discussions afterwards showed that even the young children remembered much of what had been taught. An excellent P.S.H.E. and citizenship assembly.” — M. Kay, Cedar Road Primary, Northampton *******************************************************************

“I would like to personally thank you for coming down to Winchester to do an absolutely superb lecture! …you showed us how to turn simple tricks we already own into gold mines when it comes to performing in the school show educational market. Your lecture was for me one of the highlights of our year!” — R. Gaffney, President, Winchester Magical Society

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“…very well-produced lecture notes; to call them lecture notes does them an injustice, to be honest, especially when you think his entire life’s work is within those pages.” — F.Wilkinson, President of the Nottingham Guild of Magicians ******************************************************************

I hold nothing back in this package. You get everything I use to run my business: the show scripts, descriptions of the tricks, the ins and outs of booking shows, how to stage the shows, things to do before and after a show, how to handle problem children, where to find the schools, templates for contracts, letters, flyers, etc. If there is something that you are missing or need help with, just ask and I will do whatever I can to assist you. I want you to succeed!

I know – you’re wondering what the bottom line is?

I am selling information on a business that took me years to create and build. Each show has evolved over the years: tricks have been refined and information has been changed to make the shows more relevant and have more impact. I have taken feedback from teachers and students and tweaked things that did not work. As political correctness takes a stronger hold, I have eliminated certain things. So I’ve been down a long road to create what you are getting.

If you have ever tried to create an educational school show, you will know that it is not easy. It takes lot of work and trial and error. What looks good on paper does not always translate to a successful show.

There is more to creating educational shows than taking your birthday show and adding some educational comments at the end of each trick. Schools want better than that – they deserve better than that!

If you are serious about doing school shows, then the cost for this package is nominal. (If you are not serious about this, I suggest you spend your money on magic trick DVDs.)

YOU CAN GET THE COMPLETE PACKAGE NOW for only $495.00!


Depending on what you charge for your shows, you should be able to make your money back fairly quickly. Think about it this way… if you decide to charge $250 for your shows to begin with, which is at the low end of the scale, you would make your investment back after only two shows. The going rate in some parts of the country may be closer to $350 to $450 per show, in which case, you’ll make a return on your investment even faster. This does not include any props you may need to purchase, but most of the props used in the show are fairly standard magic props or can be acquired fairly inexpensively.

Now this is not an out of the box package, where you just watch the DVD and go out and do the show. You need to rehearse the routines, learn the patter and practice, pratice and practice some more. Nothing can ruin or slow down your school career as quickly as putting on a bad show.

The tricks are not hard, so do not worry about having to learn difficult sleights or moves. The magic is probably the easiest thing. As a professional you will know most of the tricks.

Remember, schools talk to each other. Bad news travels faster than good news. Be prepared to put in the time to learn the routines and patter and you will have two outstanding shows that will serve you well for many years to come.

(An important note: no matter what you charge per show (and even if it is only $100 per show), schools will expect a good performance for their money. Be sure your performances are polished and professional! And there is nothing saying you cannot charge more.)

The question is: do you want to really start turning your magic career into a full-time business or do you just want to continue doing birthday parties on weekends? With these two shows in your repertoire, people will see you as much more than a magician… they will see you as a speaker, an educator, and a humorist with a special gift of magic.

If you are a magician in the UK or Denmark, please contact me before purchasing this package. I have already sold many packages in the UK and have promised exclusivity to several magicians so that they can build their business without competition.

At present, this package is not available for sale to magicians in Denmark (that is now my home turf and I reserve the right to exclusive performing rights).

I am performing my shows here and prefer not to share that market at this time. You are welcome to do school shows, but I want exclusivity to my own programs in Denmark.

If you are not sure that this package is right for you, please email me. I will gladly help you decide. This is not for magicians just starting out. If you want the package in the hopes of working your way to the point where you are proficient enough to do school shows, that is fine, but I can help you determine if this is the right step for you at this time. Before you begin working in schools, you should already have some performing experience. Schools are NOT the place to learn how to become a magician.

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“Charlie, I wanted to thank you for the package, it is so complete and probably the best thing I have seen on doing school shows. I am putting together your HELP programme right now and it is FANTASTIC! Thank you so much for making these shows available. You should raise the price!” ***********************************************************

“…we are both magicians (as you know) and have collected a lot of DVDs, books and information in the time we have been interested in magic. We have watched a lot of children’s shows, themed shows and Educational shows. We wanted to say that we were extremely impressed with your shows and how spot on the mix of magic and message was. We were completely entertained ourselves and even though we were unsure about the cost when we first purchased your package, we definitely agree that it is WORTH EVERY PENNY! Please keep us informed of anything you release in the future and any other shows that you may release.” R. and J. Murphy, United Kingdom ****************************************************************************

” … after speaking with you last week, I decided to order the package based on what you told me. I am so HAPPY I did! This is just what I needed. Worth twice what I paid. As I told you, I have been trying to put my own school shows together – but have not had much success. This is really AWESOME. Thank you, thank you!”

Mark G., United Kingdom ****************************************************************************

“…a lot of members have been commenting on how much they enjoyed your insights into performing educational programs in schools. Several members including myself have started to build cases on stands. Your advice on that alone was just one of the many highlights of the lecture.” — R. Gaffney, President, Winchester Magical Society *******************************************************************

Charlie, thank you for the great show on Sunday. Amanda has not stopped talking about the show and has been showing me tricks from your book all week. She wants to be a magician now!” — A. K. Winslow (parent of Amanda) *******************************************************************

What is your future worth?

I routinely earned £1000 to £1500 in the UK ($2000 to $3000) in a week for nearly 40 out of 52 weeks each year. You can do the same. Earning $100,000 a year doing school shows is not only possible – it is realistic! I was charging £125 per show on average in the UK. I charge a lot more now, but also pay alot more in taxes! (40 % off the top)

Take your magic to a new level by becoming a professional school show entertainer. Invest in your future. You will be glad you did, if you really love performing and making a difference in the lives of children.

Get started now. Buy the package and you should have it within 7-10 days, depending on where you live. Once you have purchased the product I will forward Primary Magic as an ebook, so that you can start learning some of the techniques of working schools.

The work is there. You just have to provide a good product. Even in this down economy, schools are still seeking good fun quality educational programs.


Please read the following information carefully.

Refund Policy:

Since this package discloses detailed information about a complete business, I cannot offer a refund. It’s just like purchasing magic — once you have opened the package and seen the way it’s done, it cannot be returned. I have to do it this way, since there are some people who would be tempted to buy the system, get the information and then send it back for a refund, while continuing to use the information. This would be unfair to all those who paid for the information and have the right to use the program. If there are any problems with anything we send you, we will endeavour to make everything right.

Liability Disclaimer:

The information contained in the School Show Business Package is intended as an information source. Every effort has gone into providing accurate, relevant and up-to-date information. It is not possible to predict how the information might be used and for what purpose. The publisher recommends that you seek professional advice on an individual basis before making any major decisions about your business. Although the publisher has made every effort to be accurate, the publisher disclaims any personal liability, loss, or risk incurred as a result of any information or any advice contained herein, either directly or indirectly. Any mention of promises to earn or save money, either implied or not implied, is strictly based on personal opinions and experience. The Publisher does not intend to render any legal, accounting, or other professional advice in the documents contained in this package. The author makes no representation or warranties of any kind with regard to the completeness or accuracy of the contents of this package.

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Sat 13 Nov 2010

School Show Patter

Posted by 180853 under School Show Patter
1 Comment

Below is an article I wrote about creating patter for magic effects. Read that and than we will discuss how it is a bit different when doing magic school assemblies.

Performing in front of an audience and getting no reaction is one of the most painful experiences for a performer. No performer wants to die on stage, but it is often hard to create interesting patter for your magic effects, and a trick alone is rarely entertaining. Most performers spend so much time perfecting a trick that they often forget to give their patter much thought. But where do you find good comedy patter for magicians?

When starting out, I suggest you do the following three things to get you on the right path:

Learn the Trick Patter

Most tricks come with some sort of patter. This is a good place to start, but unfortunately, most of the patter is pretty standard and usually boring. Learn the standard patter and then put it away. Go over it in your head for a few days, play around with it, and then sit down and write down the complete patter without looking at the original patter. As you write it down, you will come up with things to add and new ways to say things. Embellish and change the original patter a little bit at a time and you will soon have an original script.

Learn Humor

One of the ways to add humor to your patter is to have a large library of funny things to say. A good way to find those is to read joke books and watch comedies. I love to listen to old radio shows featuring Sid Caesar, Steve Allen and even current shows like Car Talk with Click and Clack. I collect one- liners in a notebook and reread my notebook whenever I am looking for comedic inspiration.

Perform, Perform, Perform

The best way to get better comedy patter is to take your act ‘on the road’ and perform the effect as many times in front of live audience as possible. Each time, change your patter a little bit, keeping what works and discarding the stuff that does not work.

Patter for Magic School Assemblies

There is a large difference when creating patter for educational shows. Your patter should still contain humor, since that is what children like. If your patter is all dire and doom, you will not be popular with the children or the teachers. It is one thing to be honest, but give them hope.

“You are all going to be obese when you are 20 and going to die of lung disease or heart disease!”

Well you got their attention, but you sure didnt make any friends and it is now an uphill battle. I actually saw a performer say something very similiar to the above at a show he was doing on healthy eating. The rest of his patter was not much better. Watch how teachers talk to children, emulate their techniques, but add your own personality.

I am a very funny performer on stage, making lots of  funny side remarks and quips. I do not tell jokes, but add lots of one liners to keep the overall atmosphere fun and light hearted. But I keep reinforcing the message that I am there to present.

For example: ” I started recycling when I was only 6 years old. I would ride my bike to school and than recycle home after school!(lol) No really I did. I would collect disgarded coke bottles along the road and return them to the store for money.”

or just use many of your standard funny lines when you bring up helpers, about their name, age, etc.. There are plenty of your standard patter lines that you can intersperse in your educational show. But they should be fewer than in your normal show.  You do not want to be doing a stand up comedy act.

You can find a large selection of comedy patter lines and gags on the products page in a book entitled, FUNNY BUSINESS.

The best way to write your patter is to write it first without the gags, just the information you want to impart. Now go through and add funny bits where you can without taking away from the message.

Hopefully this has given you some guidance to help you create your own patter for your magic school assemblies. For more inspiration, check out Funny Business: 500 Gags, Bits and Jokes for Performers.

Charlie the Magician

$100 in FREE Gifts with Ellusionist Magic Training Collection

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Sat 13 Nov 2010

Creating Material For School Assemblies

Posted by 180853 under Creating Material for School Assemblies
No Comments

Creating educational magic shows for schools is a great way to get children excited about learning about topics such as the environment, healthy eating, bullying, self-esteem, etc. If you are a professional magician, you have a very strong vehicle with which to create such a show – MAGIC!

Most magicians approach creating educational shows the wrong way. They take a standard magic show and throw in a few comments about the subject matter they have selected.

This is wrong. You have to approach an educational magic show from the aspect of creating the instructive material first and then using magical effects to emphasize the various educational points.

First: Find a topic that either you already have knowledge of or want to learn more about. A good way to choose a topic is to talk with teachers and ask them about their hot topics. Schools have targets for citizenship, health, and other topics that may be outside the normal curriculum. These are great topics to use. Let’s use health, for example, which is currently a very big topic all over the world. The first step is to create a list of topics related to health.

An easy way to do this is to use “Google“. Put ‘health’ in the search box and view all the topics that come up. Then you’ll need to narrow it down a little by finding information related to your target age group. Let us use 3 basic topics: ‘eating’, ‘drinking’ and ‘exercise’. Create an outline using the information you derive from your searches on these three topics.

Next: Start with an opening effect, which will create the theme of your show. Create routines for your 3 topics (eating, drinking and exercise) and then do a closing effect to wrap up all your points.

Opening Effect: This should not be something long winded, but again it is not about doing a flashy opening. The effect should emphasis what the show is about. If you are doing a show on the environment, you may wish to start like this.

“I have something important I would to show you today. I brought it with me in my briefcase and it is probably the most precious thing I know.”

Now using for example “bowling ball from briefcase effect” you can produce a large solid globe! Discuss why the globe is so important , the impact people are having on its fragile state, etc.. The patter should be age appropriate.

“But lots of people are not taking care of our world. See this globe belongs to all of us and if we don’t learn to take better care of it …. it could disappear.”

Now you vanish the globe as you say “disappear”.

“But we are not going to let that happen, are we?”

Now that is just an idea, but you understand that the effect is not as important as the message. You are hear to talk about a subject. The magic strong, the effect is memorable and the message is in the trick.

You do not start off my doing a fancy productions of umbrellas, silks, doves  or cards and than say

”Hey, I am a magician and I am hear to talk to you about your environment!”

The only thing the children will remember from that is that you did some pretty cool magic. Great but that is not WHY you are there.  You are there to inform, motivate and get the children to take some action. And I do not mean giving you a lot of applause or laughing!

If you have done your research on your educational topic, than you should have an outline of what you want to discuss. No more than 3 major issues. Topics like the environment break down easily into sub groups like: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle or Water, Air and Land. Health issues can be broken down into eating, drinking and exercise. You can take almost any subject and find 3 sub topics to build a show on.

You will need to educate yourself on your topic. If you are talking about the environment, you will need to be well versed in ecological issues. If you spout off about recycling your plastic food wrappers. The children may just call you on that and tell you that can not be done! Oops there goes your credibility. Know your subject.

Try a simple exercise.

Write down as many subjects that you can think of that schools might want to have presented to their students. Nothing is out of bounds …. just make a list.

Next: Try to come up with 3 subtopics for each one of those subjects.

Now: Pick 3 of those and try to find a way to use a magic trick to illustrate each point.

I will tell you something now. It is not an easy exercise, but that is how you do it.

Important Point: When searching for and deciding on the magic effects, make sure the routines will emphasize the educational points. Don’t let the magic overshadow the messages. And choose different types of effects. Vary it from productions, vanishes, transformations, silks, cards, boxes, ropes, etc.. Variety is important.

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