What is a magician?

There are so many people out there calling themselves magicians.

Uncle Bob and his 21 card trick calls himself a magician.

The kid who flips and juggles cards around calls themselves a magician.

The guy who buys the newest best trick just to know how it’s done calls themselves a magician.

You know what’s strange is…

Even though I have changed a pipe in my sink, that doesn’t make me a plumber.

Even though I cook at my house every night, that doesn’t make me a chef.

Is a karaoke singer a musician?

Dictionary.com Unabridged says

Magician, noun, 1. an entertainer who is skilled in producing illusion by sleight of hand, deceptive devices, etc.; conjurer. 2. a person who is skilled in magic; sorcerer

American Heritage Dictionary says:

Magician, noun, 1. A sorcerer; a wizard. 2. One who performs magic for entertainment or diversion 3. One whose formidable skill or art seems to be magical: a magician with words.

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary says a magician is a person skilled in the art of magic.

Do you notice a common theme here? The word that keeps popping up is “skilled.” Now there are other definitions and there are always exceptions, but the word that kept coming up over and over again is “skilled.”

Magic is a very interesting art form. Interesting because of how rare it really is. Most people do not see magic everyday because most people, unlike some magic fans, have lives that go on outside of magic. *gasp* Yes, it is true.

There is plenty of music out there and the general public can make a pretty good judgment of what is good music and what is bad. They know the difference between what is a professional musician and what is amateur. They know what a good singer is compared to a bad singer. The same goes for acting, painting, sculpting, and writing.

But, since the “normal” person really doesn’t have a lot of information to reference, they cannot compare one magician’s performance to another.

How many times when you have been performing, approached a group and someone asks you, “So are you like David Blaine?” “Are you like Cris Angel?” “Are you going to make the Stature of Liberty disappear?” “Have you seen the masked magician?”

Some performers get upset when this happens. Of course, the professional doesn’t let it show, but for some it can be a thorn for their side. Magicians have to realize most people who are going to watch your performance have only what they have seen on TV to compare you to. In most cases, audiences who ask these questions are just curious, wanting to have a good time and trying to invite you into their world because they are curious and want to learn more about this art form they do not get to witness very often.

This is very beneficial to the magic performer. Since most people have never seen magic live they have nothing to compare it to. So even the most average magician can be labeled by most people “the best magician they have ever seen.” And most magicians take advantage of this and don’t take the responsibility in making sure the impression they are making on an audience is a memorably good one, so later down the road they are actually looking forward to seeing magic again, instead of avoiding the area the magician is in.

Since most normal people don’t know the difference between one magician from another, it is easy to label anyone who knows a couple of card tricks a magician. Should it be that easy though?

I personally have my own definition of what a magician is as in context to the world of perform magically feats.

A magician is a master of his art form. Not only well studied but well practiced in techniques, history and performance of the magical craft.

I don’t believe some one who is not a master of performance can or should call themselves a magician. They can call themselves hobbyists, dabblers and inventors of new effects, but magicians they are not. There are magic fans, who just like to be around it and learn how things are done, but magicians they are not. There are people who do a trick now and again for their families, friends and co-workers at the company parties, but a magician they are not.

Having said that… There really is no way to police it. I don’t believe there can be a “High Magic Council” that tells everyone else who is a magician and who isn’t. In the past, I think some have tried, but eventually if you have sixty bucks you to can be a part of the brotherhood or society of magic fans who are called magicians.

So in the end the only person who can police whether they are called a magician or not is really the person in question… and who is humble enough to do such a thing?