KEH 005: How to Become a Better Kids Performer with John Reid
How to Become a Better Kids Performer with John Reid:
How Kids Entertainers Can Use Eyes, Hearts and Smiles to Connect with an Audience
John Reid tired of the cheap one liners that kids entertainers can carelessly use, you know the ones: give me your hand … I meant the clean one! WAH WAH WAH … and set himself on the road to highlighting the power of simple positive presentations…We start off by asking John what he means by this statement “I don’t want to make people better performers, I want to make performers better people.”
In this episode we discuss:
– Hear about John Reid’s lecture that focuses on things that make his heart smile.
– Hear about making first impressions and how important this is to making a connection with your audience within the first seven seconds.
– If a tree falls in the woods if there is no one to hear it, does it make a sound? If a magician is doing a trick and there is no one to watch it does any magic actually take place?
– Do you allow time for pauses in your presentation? Do you understand the power of the pause?
– When you front your audience, do you point your heart at the audience. This is such a nice way to remember to physically connect with the audience.
– Find out about John’s magic droppings … little things you can do on a daily basis to put a smile on people’s faces.
– How to leave tips to make people’s days a little better for such small effort.
– Join in on John’s mission to make ten million smiles.
– Balloon twisters and face painters have an advantage over magicians in that they are naturally leaving a tangible memory with their audience. What can magicians do to leave more than just a fleeting memory.
– Find out about the power of mouth coils, production streamers and throw streamers.
– As Jeff McBride is fond of saying ‘confetti is the new fire’ … a small explosion of Technicolor ribbons that is safer than fire.
– Are you creating your show, your routines through the filter that is your own personal beliefs and philosophies.
– There are more books written on magic on any other subject other than religion. There is so much information available on magic. Is this tsunami of knowledge holding you back in your performing.
– ‘A burnt customer is not a return customer’ … one of John Reid’s early mentors told him this and it has influenced John’s decision not to include fire in his family shows.
– New York magician, balloon twister and now hypnotist Terry Parrett helped John start his balloon twisting career that culminated in John holding the world record for the biggest balloon twisting creation: a 50 foot tall robot using over 4000 modelling balloons.
– Find out about Tannen’s Magic Camp and how it brings together young magicians with others like themselves for a week of magic immersion.
Resources mentioned:
John’s TrickyBiz magic store
See John’s portfolio of balloon creations
Find the mouthcoils and throw streamers John makes
Need SOMETHING different?
Meet Terry Parrett who mentored John’s early balloon twisting ambitions.
Tannens Magic Camp for aspiring young magicians
Teach By Magic is a resource for school teachers to capitalize on the inherent interest kids show in magic tricks.
More free magic tricks from Ken and Julian here Magic Tricks For Kids
Our sponsors are…
Practical Magic – First class international mail order service for kids magic props, videos, dvd’s books and more.
sillyfarm.com is the largest supplier of face and body art supplies in the USA.
Now it’s your turn!
What did you think of this episode? Please share your comments below. Thanks for listening.
