May 1, 2017

Meet Riley Bock of Riley Magician in Pasadena

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Riley Bock.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started getting into magic at around age 13. My neighbors showed me a magic show on TV which inspired me to become a magician. So I began reading books and taking trips to the magic shop as often as I could. I learned and practiced magic non-stop every day. I started performing at school showing card tricks to friends and teachers. Then I discovered YouTube where I started posting clips of my tricks online. I got a small following on YouTube but just did it as a hobby. Later in 2012, I really took my videos to the next level. I got myself a new camera and started to post regularly. Slowly but surely, I gained 35,000 subscribers and passed 10 Million total views as of 2017! When I started out as a teenager just making magic videos in my garage with a terrible webcam, I didn’t think having even a thousand views was possible. Magic has taken me on a journey. I have met and performed for many of my favorite bands, artists, YouTubers and actors. I even performed on stage at Vidcon the last two years in a row. No matter what happens in life I will never give up on magic and will continue to learn new tricks or create new routines.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Every step of life takes time. I am not instantly going to have a big Las Vegas show overnight. But one day I hope to achieve that level of success in magic. Sometimes getting magic videos done is a struggle because I have to approach a bunch of random strangers off the street asking “do you want to see a magic trick?” Some say no and keep walking. Others that do watch usually are amazed. But for YouTube, I have to get a top-notch reaction out of the person or else the video will quickly get hated on. So, the real challenge is to find the best location (in LA) and the best reaction (from a stranger); so that the magic video looks professional and as entertaining as possible. Back in the old days, I would just do magic tricks to a webcam with no audience. Now it’s a whole new level of street magic.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Riley Magician – what should we know?
I am magician who specializes in close up magic & street magic. It’s in your face type illusions mixed with sleight of hand. From card tricks to mind reading; I do almost any type of magic. Most of my tricks are in the audiences hand and use a lot of interaction with the crowd. Some of my magic has never been done before by others or I put a twist on an old classic.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
All of my supporters online / the YouTube community who comment every video or buy my T shirts! I am thankful for all of them and the positive comments I get from them.

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