If anyone ever asks me to perform for kids, I tell them the same thing: No. I’d be genuinely awful. But there is actually one person in this world whom I wouldn’t turn down … Joe Gladwin. My ten-year-old son. He’s the kid in the video at the end of the order process, pretending to be me.
Joe asked me to perform magic at his school, and, at the same time, his teachers wanted me to talk a little about my job. So, with the help of my friend John Reid (owner of Cresey Magic and supplier of the best mouth coils money can buy) and Joe himself, I put together a talk and a set.
Performance-wise, I performed Angelo Carbone’s “Cue the Magic” with the head of the school, and then I told her that, as a prize, I would produce whatever she picked from my small briefcase. She picked (from a pad of paper) a six-foot teddy bear, which I then produced. Joe suggested I perform that trick, and I ended up falling in love with it. (That’s why we have now made it available on the site. Thanks to Joe!)
But the tricks aren’t really the fun part. I ended up writing a script about my job and am sharing it here, both for fun and in case anyone else finds themselves in a similar situation. If so, I hope it’s of use!
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Hey everyone! My name is Andi Gladwin. Or as I much prefer to be called, Joe Gladwin’s dad! I think I have the most fun job in the world.
Joe and your teachers asked me to come in today and tell you a little bit about it. By a show of hands, who thinks they know what my job is? [Talk to the kids about what they think I do.]
I’m actually a magician. That means my job is to make people smile for a living. And here’s a little secret: When your job makes other people happy, it makes you happy too.
But being a magician doesn’t just mean doing tricks for people, it means practising every single day. Who here practises something every day? Maybe football? Piano? Reading? Drawing? That’s brilliant because here’s something to remember: The only way to get good at something is to keep practising even when it feels difficult or boring.
I practice my magic tricks every single day. Sometimes they go wrong, sometimes they work. But every mistake teaches me something. And as we magicians say… A mistake is just practice wearing a disguise.
I’ve been doing magic since I was in junior school. I wish I could show you a photo of me as a kid doing magic … but I look ridiculous. Will you laugh if I show you?
[Show funny photo]
If you can laugh at yourself, you’ll never run out of fun.
When I was sixteen, I had practised magic so much that I was asked to perform on a TV show … in Las Vegas in America! I went there with my mum and dad, and brother, and it was amazing. And on that show, I met my best friend, who I still talk to every single day, twenty-five years later.
This just shows that you never know who you’ll meet when you do something you love.
Magic didn’t just give me tricks. It gave me friends, adventures, and stories I’ll never forget. Sometimes practising is hard, but when you realise what you can achieve because of it, it’s an amazing thing.
But my favourite thing is not performing magic on TV; it’s performing magic for my family and friends. In fact, would you all like me to teach you a trick I can do with your friends?
[This was John Reid’s idea — I taught everyone a simple trick with a crayon. That night, I heard from many of my friends that their kids were doing the trick for them at dinner that night!]
Here’s the most important part:
The first time you try something, it might not go perfectly.
The second time might not either.
But if you keep trying, one day it just works.
That’s how every magician learns. That’s how every person learns. So whether it’s magic, football, drawing, or maths, practice turns ordinary into amazing.
And that’s why I love being a magician. And you know the best part? Anyone can learn to do a simple magic trick with a little help. Would you like me to teach one of your teachers magic?
[I then performed the sequence I mentioned above]
I love my job because I get to make people smile, keep learning, and never stop practising — all at the same time. And I have a rule: You don’t have to be the best. You just have to keep getting better.
So I have a challenge for you all. When you get home tonight, I want you to spend ten minutes practising something you love. Don’t wait for your parents to suggest it — surprise them and start practising. Don’t worry if you’re doing it perfectly; just have fun and keep getting better! Who knows where it will take you one day!
Sincerely,
Andi Gladwin
