RIGHT SIDE : Reaction in Hawaii at " The Magical Mystery Show " with a spectator .
outstretched hand . Nathan snatched the Bill away , only to find a regular dollar bill .
Nathan spent the next few evenings wondering what the secret might be . “ The bug ” was hovering above his head , waiting to attack . Eventually , Mark divulged the secret to Nathan : a magic shop .
Nathan was bewildered . You can buy this ? The bug stung Nathan straight through the heart . The path was magic . And there was no going back .
Nathan began consuming and studying all the magic he could through high school but rarely showed off his new skills . Looking back , Nathan says that he was “ terribly shy .” Even though his sleight-of-hand had advanced , he had not yet performed for a real audience .
That changed at the end of high school when Nathan found a summer job at local summer camps , teaching magic to kids . Teaching helped Nathan break down routines beat by beat , but more significantly , it gave him daily flight time in front of the campers . Over time , the summer camp started asking Nathan to write and perform his own shows .
Nathan remembers that those early shows were perfect for a fledgling performer because he already had a positive relationship with the campers and staff . They were forgiving . Nonetheless , the new feeling of killing it and connecting with audiences was rewarding and , most of all , addicting . He was stung by two more bugs at those summer camps – mosquitos and performing .
Those early shows led to more and more professional work outside of camp . Nathan surrounded himself with mentors who could answer the business questions every working magician needs to know – How much do I charge ? How do I follow up with clients ? What should be on my website ?
He worked at dinner shows and comedy clubs for almost no pay for the flight time . He took acting classes to learn the finer points of handling props and leading with different parts of your body to project different kinds of emotion and energy . Day after day , his act tightened .
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