Some magicians keep their distance from the magic community because of bad advice. Be it unwelcome, unwarranted, or unfounded there seems to be no shortage of shaky advice being thrown around. In this episode Ryan looks at the wisdom of advice, how it comes to be, and how it gets passed along. It's not all bad, though. There is a more productive way to work together and offer guidance.
In 1954 the Magic Circle presented the Hoffmann Memorial Lecture by Charles Harrison on "The Qualities of a Classical Feat of Magic." In it he suggests eight common features of a trick which make it a "classic."Not everyone is on the same page. In his introduction to "Magic By Misdirection" Dariel Fitzkee makes the opposite argument; that no trick is, in itself, "great."In this episode Ryan Pilling takes a look at both sides, and asks why any particular trick does or does not become immortalized as a classic of magic, including one curious trick which was once a regular feature, now lost to history.Corrections:The "Six Card Repeat" was originated by Tommy Tucker, not Tommy Windsor. (Windsor is known for inventing the Dye Box... which is different than the Die Box!)---References:"The Qualities of a Classical Feat of Magic" - A lecture by Charles Harrison, published as a bonus supplement with the Magic CIrcular, August 1954."Magic by Misdirection" - Dariel Fitzkee, 1945
A look at your personal style as a performer, as defined by your strengths, weakness, and limitations. Magicians generally tend to be all happy-go-lucky razzle-dazzle, but being yourself means bringing both the best and worst of yourself to the stage.Suggestions for further watching and listening:If you'd like to hear my favourite musical artist, John Hartford I recommend starting with his album "Aereo-Plain." https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2sh1eP4JA_O-HkoIOrRiiGJTzjPd4W-lAlan Watts speaking about Wu Wei, the principle of not forcing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzaUGhhnlQ8&t=635sJazz pianist Kenny Werner speaks about "Effortless Mastery" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAZOamxuw5wMusic used in this episode"Naptime" by David Benedict ...not John Hartford :)Three pieces played on the guzheng by Annie Zhou"Hidden Heart" by Lux InspiriaAll tracks are licensed for use from Artlist https://artlist.io/Ryan-18742