Eric Yuhasz’s Tricks to Inspiring Students and Audiences Alike
Meet Eric Yuhasz, an Orlando magician and public school teacher with a passion for inspiring others through his love of magic. From his early beginnings as a magician, to his role as an award-winning teacher and member of Kostya Kimlat’s See Magic Live team, Eric’s journey is one of perseverance and dedication to his craft. Join us as we delve into Eric’s story and discover how he has used magic to inspire and influence others.
A Magician Finds His Passion
Orlando magician Eric Yuhasz has always had a love for the art of magic. “When I was 11 years old, I was walking out of church,” Eric recalls. “There was a man there named Jeff Moore who asked if he could borrow my jacket for just a moment. He then proceeded to repeatedly make a red handkerchief disappear into my jacket and then reappear. This was my first time seeing close-up magic. I was hooked.”
Eric’s passion for magic only continued to grow as he learned more tricks and honed his skills. “My hands shook like leaves in a hurricane as I performed publicly for the first time!“ Eric says of his first magic show in front of his entire fifth-grade class. “It was in front of the entire 5th grade when I was just 11 years old. The trick is called the professor’s nightmare. It involved three ropes of unequal length, mysteriously growing to equal length–with the help of some magic of course. Nervous is an understatement of how I felt. But, it was well received which helped fuel the spark of magic in my heart.”
Discovering Mentorship
Throughout his journey as a magician, Eric has had several mentors and influences who have helped shape his career. “Although he wasn’t a professional magician, Jeff Moore was extremely instrumental in my early years of magic,” Eric says. “Not only did he show me close-up magic for the first time, he drove all the way down from Homestead, Florida to Key Largo, Florida. He picked me up and drove me all the way back up to South Miami, just so I could go to a magic shop. I am forever grateful for his encouragement.”
But the magic community is small, and Eric has even had the chance to reconnect with the very first magician he ever saw perform live. “The first magician I ever saw perform live was when I was in first grade,” Eric explains. “A magician came to my small school in Bluewell, West Virginia. All these years later, the only image I remember was the magician cutting open a lemon, and inside was my principal’s $100 bill! Fast forward three decades and I reached out to a fellow Orlando magician, Michael Ammar, requesting he teach me his handling of the bill to lemon. Prior to his lesson, I recapped the story of my experience as a first grader. At that point, a smirk began to grow on Michael’s face. He looked up to the side and slowly stated, ‘I think that was me.’ Sure enough, we backtracked the date and location and determined he was that very magician who cut open the lemon and created a sense of awe for the first-grade version of me. After a handful of moments of laughter and surprise, the first magician I ever saw perform live, taught me his handling of the one trick I remembered from when I was 6 years old. That was truly a moment I will never forget.”
A Magician In The Classroom
When he’s not performing magic for audiences around the world, he’s working as an award-winning public school teacher, teaching students robotics and engineering design. “My goal is to create an army of successful students,” Eric says. “In my classroom, I formulated what I call the ‘Right Questions’ to help students navigate creating their own authentic definition of success.” In fact, Eric has compiled these lessons into a book called Empowering Students For The Future, which is available on Amazon.
Eric has long dreamed of combining his inspiring message as a teacher with his love for magic. His wish finally came true during the pandemic when he was booked to perform virtually for a college in West Virginia through See Magic Live. Not only did they want to see his magic tricks, but they also asked if he could incorporate a message into his performance. This was exactly what Eric had been hoping for. Since that first virtual magic show, he has had the opportunity to share his motivational magic message with many more colleges, encouraging students to create their own definition of success. Eric’s ultimate goal is to inspire and influence as many people as possible through his magic and message.
The Rewards of Performing Magic
When it comes to magic, Eric says he enjoys a variety of tricks and techniques. “Whether it be swallowing needles, or burning a coin through a card, I look to learn magic that inspires me. That way I can go on to inspire others,” he says.
Eric Yuhasz’s favorite kind of magic to perform is one that keeps him engaged and inspired. “As a magic spectator, I like to see a variety of things performed and accomplished,” he says. “As a performer, I like having a variety of magic demonstrated to keep me engaged and inspired.”
One of the most rewarding aspects of Eric’s career as a magician has been the opportunity to join Kostya Kimlat’s team of See Magic Live magicians. “The most rewarding aspect of being part of See Magic Live is being surrounded with a team of magicians who are 100% supportive,” Eric says. “We all celebrate each other’s victories. At any moment, if I need some help with a method or effect, all I have to do is send out a quick message and the team is ready to lend a hand.”
Eric initially met Kostya thanks to some volunteer work he was doing at a children’s hospital. “Year after year, the head of the child life department at the hospital encouraged me to reach out to Kostya. She repeatedly gave me his contact information. Finally, I pulled the trigger and emailed him. And now… here I am.”
One of the reasons Eric recalls reaching out to Kostya was because he felt he’d “plateaued” in his practice of magic. “Since joining the team, I have grown immensely as a magician,” Eric says. “The mere fact of performing more helped increase my skill set. But, by being surrounded by a team of magicians who truly strive for perfection, I have grown leaps and bounds in my technique and magic theory.”
The Value of Hard Work
Being a successful magician takes more than just purchasing tricks, according to Eric. “Steve Martin is credited for saying, ‘Magic is the only talent you can buy.’ But this is far from the truth,” he says. “Just because I purchase a guitar doesn’t mean I am a guitar player. Same goes for magic. Yes, you can purchase a trick, but it doesn’t make you a magician. Being a good magician means you have committed yourself to countless hours of practice and have an intimate relationship with failure. The only way to get better at any craft is to fail your way to success. Magic requires a large amount of guts to get out there, mess up, and then go perform again with the lessons learned. But in the end, when you have created a truly memorable magical experience for the spectator, it is worth it.”
One of the biggest challenges Eric Yuhasz faced as a magician was the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down live events and venues. “After a couple of conversations with Kostya and a few other members of the team, I jumped head first into virtual magic,” he says. “This was one of the best decisions I have made as a performer. Was it challenging? Yes. Expensive? Yes. Worth it? You bet! I can now happily say I have performed virtually for thousands of households coast to coast and internationally.”
Despite the hours of practice and hard work that go into being a successful magician, Eric says he is always most excited for the “look” – the moment when a spectator has truly experienced magic. Eric explains. “The look is the wide-eyed amazement, the gasp of astonishment, or the child-like wonder of experiencing something that was seemingly impossible. That is what continues to drive me to perform magic.”
Making an Impact
What sets Eric’s magic apart from other magicians is his focus on creating a lasting impression for the spectator. “Much of magic is not unique. It has been done someway, somehow before,” he says. “Just because that might be the case, many people have never seen magic live. It is up to me to create an experience for the spectator that will be long-lasting and essentially set the bar of what their ‘idea’ of magic should be. Therefore, I set out to create a lasting impression with the spectators that is not about me. This is why I choose to perform magic that showcases the spectators more than it showcases me.”
One of Eric’s most proud moments as a magician came from his work performing for pediatric patients at the hospital. “Performing at the hospital for pediatric patients has so many rewards for me as a magician,” he says. “Seeing their faces light up over magic when they are undergoing chemotherapy or radiation, is true magic.” He tells the story of a young girl, who he had the opportunity to perform for on several occasions. “She was nine years old with big energetic eyes and a smile that could light up a room,” he says. The first time he met her, he performed a magical moment that involved a $2 bill. During the process, he asked her if she had ever seen a $2 bill before. She quickly responded, “Yes, I have some. I will bring them in for you!” Laughing it off, he thought nothing of it. However, each time he performed for her after that, she reminded me that she was going to bring in those $2 bills for me. Time quickly progressed and so did her illness. Unfortunately, she wound up losing her battle. Shortly thereafter, he came into the hospital and one of the child life specialists was waiting for him. In her hand was a note–from the young girl’s mother. The note read, “Thank you for all you did for my daughter. I know she really wanted you to have these.” There inside the note–was a stack of $2 bills. The young girl’s $2 bills. Eric says this moment, in which the young girl’s mother showed kindness and thought of others during such a difficult time, captures the true power of magic. “Even if it is just a short few moments spent with someone, magic can truly make a life-lasting impression,” he says.
Advice for Aspiring Magicians
After years of performing, Eric has some advice for aspiring magicians. “My first bit of advice for new magicians is to not rush out and buy the latest, most fashionable tricks,” he says. “This is very tough to do since new tricks are released almost daily and the temptation seems endless. I would challenge them to really learn the ins and outs of a few tricks. Then, build on that. This will save them a lot of time and money. Before buying, truly digest how they will integrate the new trick into their routines or shows.”
“Secondly, perfect practice makes perfect. Subpar practice just makes you a lousy magician,” Eric says. “I would tell them to seek out more seasoned magicians for feedback on technique and performance. This will exponentially spur their growth as a performer.” He also recommends finding a community of magicians, who can offer tips and pointers on how to be better. “Plus, if collaborating with the right magicians, this can create some amazing brainstorming sessions,” he says.
Finally, Eric advises aspiring magicians to use failure as a learning experience. “Most importantly, I would tell aspiring magicians to not be afraid to fail,” he says. “Once they have given ample amount of practice, go out and perform. They will learn so much from performing. If they do ‘mess up’, then use that as a catalyst to get better. Fail your way to success!”
Eric Yuhasz, an Inspiring Magician
Whether he is performing on stage or virtually, Eric is dedicated to creating a truly memorable magical experience for his audiences, and hopes to inspire and influence others through his magic and his message.
To book Eric Yuhasz to perform magic and inspire audiences at your event, contact See Magic Live at booking@seemagiclive.com, call/text 407-367-4133, or contact the booking team here.
