Our brains are wonderful, complex organs that enable us to exist and operate at a level that is still way ahead of anything that current AI can replicate or match, and one aspect that we all use without realising it is motor memory.
Procedural memory is what provides us with the means to achieve certain tasks without having to constantly re-learn them every time they are needed. So for riding a bike, walking, eating and a million other similar mini-sequences, we rely on our motor skills which are made up of a pattern of learned behaviour that if used regularly requires little or no update.
For us magicians, motor memory is hugely beneficial. Once you have learned a skill – such as performing an Elmsley Count, for instance – each time it is required, providing that you have embedded it properly initially and used it reasonably regularly, your hands just go through the required handling to successfully perform it.
When you consider the number of moves, sleights and handlings that the average magician needs at his disposal, imagine the impact it would have if you had to actively think about the exact finger positions and actions required every time you presented a move! It would make performing most tricks a laborious task.
Now the only trouble with motor memory is that it is really only 100% effective in the relatively short term. Scientists reckon that for most adults, motor memory information lasts on average about two years if the information is not used or reinforced during that period. So this would perhaps explain why, after about 18 months of not performing due to COVID restrictions, those performers returning to live shows may experience a few initial issues.
I expressed the opinion a few months ago in my podcast that I thought we would all have to perhaps practise, or at least run through, our repertoires, even for routines that we have been presenting for many years. While much of the presentations and handlings might be still there, some of the more complex moves that we were unwittingly using motor memory for, may well need a refresh because they won’t return automatically after such a long lay off.
To be honest, malfunctions in motor skills can occasionally happen even without a lengthy performing hiatus. I remember years ago being at a magic convention in Italy and at my dealer stand being asked to dem my close up effect Wild Dice. This was one of my most popular sellers, and I had been performing it regularly for decades. Normally I would just launch into the, admittedly very specific, handling, but for some reason on this occasion I could not for the life of me remember how to start the trick!
In fact the more I tried to remember the more of a blank I felt about it. In the end I had to send the customer away and actually read my own instructions to remind myself of the opening sequence. As soon as I got through it once, my motor memory kicked back in and I was able to present it once more without thinking about it.
So, if you have effects for which you might be relying on your motor memory, it might be worth giving them a quick one-time rehearsal to avoid any embarrassment!