Many of today’s top magicians got hooked on the art form after seeing a magic show when they were young. That makes this interview with Leon Etienne all the more charming, because the questions were all asked by eighth grade student Alex Megino, who dubbed Etienne’s show “a great performance.”

Etienne offered you Alex lots of insight into his career and into magic as a hobby. “Magic is so much fun to pursue as a hobby,” he said. “Everyone should know a good magic trick or two. There are some very simple, very impressive magic tricks people can learn and perform at any social gathering or at work.”

And for any aspiring prestidigitators out there, Alex also asked about the most important qualities for a magician to have. “There is a long list, but one of the most important is the discipline to practice a certain trick or secret sleight of hand move over and over until it is perfect,” Etienne said.

Etienne, the self-styled “rock illusionist,” has been performing his Magic Rocks show in Saipan, part of the Northern Mariana Islands in the western Pacific Ocean. He also teaches magic camps at the local library.