The young boy asked his dad, “When I grow up, can I be a magician?”
His father smiled and answered, “Son, you can’t do both.” – Jay Marshall

 
My introduction to magic was a result of my sixth birthday party. My parents, sparing no expense, invited my Uncle Tom who was an amateur magician to entertain a couple friends and me with some “hocus pocus.” Uncle Tom may have been a little rusty with his sleight of hand but the moment he pulled that first shiny new quarter from somewhere behind my ear and handed it to me, I was hooked.

Since then I have enjoyed performing, reading about, watching, collecting and creating magic. Magic has so many wonderful benefits for both the performer and the audience. The importance of practice and perseverance improve communication skills and increased self-confidence can be reaped no matter at what age you choose to perform.