When comedians watch other comedians perform, they rarely laugh. If they like a joke, they nod their heads and say: “Nice structure.” If they really like a joke they say: “I used to do a bit like that.” Structures are to comedy as brushstrokes are to painting: Often invisible, absolutely necessary, and if you want to be a pro, you …
“I Wanna Juggle, Too!” – Teaching Juggling to Little Kids
I’ve taught juggling for many years and have learned a lot about improvising when things don’t go according to plan. Problems have run the gambit from having twice as many kids as I planned for, to children showing me the “trick” of using diabolo string to strangle one another. The challenge that vexed me the most was that children typically …
Reasons You Should Fail
No one steps up to bat for the first time and hits a home run, and no one steps up to five clubs and starts doing backcrosses. I look at videos of my early performances and cringe. When starting out you need some ridiculous amounts of optimism to convince yourself that it was actually okay and the next time will …
Be Funnier with Scotty Meltzer: Tag, You’re It!
One of the biggest differences between amateur joke tellers and professional comedians is their use of tags. A tag, also called a “capper,” “topper,” “kicker,” or “follow up,” is a gag that uses the previous joke as its setup. Tags are one of the most powerful weapons in your comedy arsenal because it’s easier to keep an audience laughing than …
Master the Art of the After Show Meet and Greet
You won’t be able to do a meet and greet after every show, but I highly encourage you to find a way to meet your audience when they’re leaving. Whether you stand outside the auditorium doors, or if you just step down from the fair stage to say hello to everyone, it will make an impact. People want to talk …
Be Funnier with Scotty Meltzer: Theft? or Inspiration!
Most working comedians and jugglers agree that stealing material is wrong but the range of beliefs as to what constitutes “material” is vast. 5 club back-crosses? That’s a trick. Anyone who can do it, should. 5 club backcrosses with a balance? Good luck, but sure, give it a try. 5 club back-crosses while balancing a non-licensed, copyrighted, stuffed coyote on …
7 Things I Wish I Had Known About Becoming a Professional Performer
I have learned something from each and every gig I have had. Sometimes it’s something I should do more of, and sometimes it’s something I need to change for the next one. I could write several books on how to make it as a performer, but for this article I’m going to share with you the top 7 lessons I’ve …
Be Funnier with Scotty Meltzer: Free at Last, Free at Last
A shout out to all my comedy juggling pals: I’ve been writing a series of articles on joke writing you might want to check out. The series is titled: “Be Funnier with Scotty Meltzer” so Google will think that Scotty Meltzer is a comedy writing expert. They’re illustrated by my beautiful and talented, real life American wife, not the fake …
2012 Juggling Year in Review
Another year has come and gone. The world did not come to an end, but there was plenty of activity going on in the juggling world. Records were broken, festivals took place, and like every year, some individuals picked up their first set of props and discovered juggling for the very first time. Let’s take a look back at …