Why I Perform Magic Joseph Galante

At the start of every show, I always have faith that the wave of applause will drown out any feelings of doubt. As I see the crowd focus on me, I get a rush of energy and a smile overtakes my face. “Thank you for having me! To get started, I need a volunteer from the audience?”

I see several hands in the air. I point to a woman in the back, “You, ma’am. Please come on up.” She sheepishly walks up to the stage. “Thank you for volunteering. What’s your name?” I hand her the microphone and she lets us know her name is Farrah. “Farrah, we’re going to do a card trick. But first, examine this deck and tell me if you notice anything unusual.” I hand her the playing cards. After a few seconds, she declares everything seems normal and hands them back. I flippantly fan out the deck in front of her. “I want you to select a card, and I’ll guess it.” I observe intently as she pulls a card from the middle.

“Actually, I’m feeling a little brave today. How about you take four more cards?” The crowd chuckles and she takes four extra cards. I close the deck and begin smirking. “You know, I’m feeling really confident today. Pick one of those five cards in your mind and concentrate on it.” Again, for a brief couple seconds, I watch her eyes,...