Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Clemente.
Hi Josh, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I first started dabbling in magic when I was in college at BYU. I had just ended a relationship and was pretty bummed about it. It was right before the summer, and so all of my friends and roommates left to go home or work a summer job, so I was by myself working a desk job at the Dean’s Office at BYU. Left to my own thoughts, I knew I needed to combat the post relationship woes somehow. I had always enjoyed making my friends laugh, so I just randomly thought about learning a few magic tricks to bring a little laughter back into my life. I bought a pack of cards from Wal Mart, looked up a few things on YouTube, and began going down the rabbit hole of magic.
I got hooked pretty quickly and joined the local Magic Club where I learned that you could actually do this crazy hobby for money. I honed my craft for a few years, doing a few free performances for local retirement homes and friend’s birthday parties as I went. I knew I wanted to eventually make a little money doing this, but nobody was going to hire a magician they’ve never heard of. As I was thinking about what to do, I remember seeing a few people at the Provo Farmer’s Market who would play their instruments occasionally for tips. I thought this would be a great way to get some flight time, earn a little cash, and maybe start getting a few Google Reviews for my recently created website.
The farmer’s market turned out to work really well for me. I was able to improve my performing abilities, learned what kind of stuff people liked to see, I made a little money from tips, and I got my name out by handing out business cards to people who stopped to watch my little 5 minute show. As time went on, I would get a few requests to do more “official” paid gigs, including some a few corporate events, from people who had seen me at the market. As my website slowly started creeping up on google search results with all this newfound traffic, things began to very slowly snowball into where I am now. Things are still pretty slow, but I’ve been lucky to be able to turn this hobby of mine into a little side hustle that I really enjoy.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has definitely not been smooth. Throughout my journey, I was also studying to become a physical therapist. This entailed 4 years of undergrad plus an additional 3 years of grueling graduate coursework. When things started to take off a bit during grad school, tragedy struck my little family. Our second child unexpectedly passed away as a baby, leaving myself, my wife, and our 2 year old son alone without reliable support while simultaneously just beginning what would be the most academically rigorous semester of my graduate coursework. To say life was difficult would be a gross understatement. In order to cope with the financial, logistical, and emotional struggles, I ended up getting rid of all my magic props to help make ends meet and keep the family together. For months, I didn’t do anything magic related as we navigated this horrible experience.
Eventually, we started to get a hang of our new normal. Money was always tight, but after a couple plasma donations to get enough money to buy the most basic of props, I began preparing to perform again. However, I was constantly wondering if this was the right thing to do. The loss of our son was difficult and priorities that were once so clear became muddy, and continuing to pursue magic felt almost selfish. However, life has an interesting way of guiding us through difficult times. My first request to perform following my son’s death was from a lady whose friend was suffering from stage 4 cancer and had just been put on hospice. She wasn’t very old, perhaps mid 40’s, and the lady who requested my services wanted close friends and family to make some final positive memories before the inevitable occurred. When I got that request in my email, something inside me ignited a burning desire perform for this family despite my recent loss. The days leading up to the performance were hazy, but it turned out to be one of the best performances I have ever given. What was a somber moment erupted into joy, laughter, and an outright silliness that I had never experienced before. To make a long story short, it was the perfect performance. Just a few days later, I got a text telling me that the lady with cancer passed away, and that my performance was the last time she was with all her friends and family gathered in the same place. I couldn’t help but feel that my son had something to do with caring for this special family, and ever since then, I promised myself that I would use this talent I had to continue putting some good back into the world. And I have never looked back.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in Street Performing at festivals as well as Strolling Magic for corporate functions and smaller Parlor Shows for more intimate gatherings. I don’t always do big stage shows for hundreds of people. I like getting to know the names and faces of the audience. I feel like we are able to have more fun that way!
When deciding on what magician to hire for an event, I always like to relate it to deciding what movie you are going to see at the theater. You look at the trailer, look at the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and ask other people who’ve seen the movie if it was worth it. Sometimes, all the signs seem to say that it’s a good movie, but maybe you end up not liking it. Sometimes, the opposite happens. It’s the same thing with a magician. Most professional magicians will have a great website, good reviews, and a few accolades to their names. But when push comes to shove, if you don’t like the vibe or the personality of the magician, it doesn’t matter how good the tricks are, you’re gonna have a lousy time. So I always like to tell people to pick a magician who looks like they match the vibe you want. Personally, I’m not very mystical, mysterious, or fancy. I’m a bit on the high energy and goofy side, kind of like a vaudeville performer. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it sure is a ton of fun!
What’s next?
I will probably be moving out of state in the near future, so it is hard to see all the networking that I’ve done in Utah come to an end. However, I’m excited to see what new opportunities are waiting!
Pricing:
- Around $300
Contact Info:
- Website: https://clementemagic.com
- Instagram: @clementemagic
- Facebook: @clementemagic
