Okay, this is a rant. I still love all of you.
Whether you have been performing for a few days or a few years we can agree that there are spectators out there that are obnoxious to perform for. These are the, "I saw that!", "I know how you did that!", or "I'm going to look that up on You Tube!" spectators. Whether it's been ten years since you've had that kind of an audience or yesterday you know they are obnoxious. There's a variation on it. The slightly kinder, "Tell me how you did that!", "Come on I can keep a secret!", and "Oh man if I could just do that one trick I wouldn't have to learn anything else".
There's something I want to say to these people. The experience is better if you don't know the secret.
The biggest offenders of the above are magicians. Guess what!?!?! Just because you're a magician, doesn't mean you get to know the secret! Magicians, out of everyone out there should know that. Magic is generally better when you don't know the method, and even if knowing the secret would enhance the trick in some way, there is NOTHING that entitles you to the secret.
I remember an interview a few years ago with Michael Weber and Derek Delgaudio. If you don't know who these guys are you should. Michael Weber is good friends with the legendary Ricky Jay. He is who Luke Jermay calls the smartest person in the world. He is brilliant and has worked with the best magicians out there and created some epic magic for television and for his live performances. This guys is brilliant.
Derek is one of the best card guys who has ever lived. He just finished his off Broadway show directed by the guy who played Yoda, Frank Oz. Derek is one of the greatest magicians alive, no contest.
Well, Derek told a story about a convention where Michael Weber was talking to another magician (I don't remember who, I want to say Eric Mead or Mike Caveney). As Derek approached the other two magicians went silent. Michael Webber asked him if he knew why they went silent. He explains that it was because the method they were discussing was not something that they felt should be shared with Derek.
Derek Delgaudio is without question one of the greatest magicians alive and he wasn't aloud to hear a specific method!
You know what Dereks response to this was? "Oh, of course! I wasn't ready to hear that."
I love this and I wish it was more widely felt in the magic community. Magic's secrets are not for everyone and that is fine.
Magician's are the worst offenders when it comes to fishing for methods and I think we need to stop. We need to teach each other how to be tactful with feedback and to be a good audience. Just because we call ourselves magicians doesn't mean we get to know it all.
Whether you have been performing for a few days or a few years we can agree that there are spectators out there that are obnoxious to perform for. These are the, "I saw that!", "I know how you did that!", or "I'm going to look that up on You Tube!" spectators. Whether it's been ten years since you've had that kind of an audience or yesterday you know they are obnoxious. There's a variation on it. The slightly kinder, "Tell me how you did that!", "Come on I can keep a secret!", and "Oh man if I could just do that one trick I wouldn't have to learn anything else".
There's something I want to say to these people. The experience is better if you don't know the secret.
The biggest offenders of the above are magicians. Guess what!?!?! Just because you're a magician, doesn't mean you get to know the secret! Magicians, out of everyone out there should know that. Magic is generally better when you don't know the method, and even if knowing the secret would enhance the trick in some way, there is NOTHING that entitles you to the secret.
I remember an interview a few years ago with Michael Weber and Derek Delgaudio. If you don't know who these guys are you should. Michael Weber is good friends with the legendary Ricky Jay. He is who Luke Jermay calls the smartest person in the world. He is brilliant and has worked with the best magicians out there and created some epic magic for television and for his live performances. This guys is brilliant.
Derek is one of the best card guys who has ever lived. He just finished his off Broadway show directed by the guy who played Yoda, Frank Oz. Derek is one of the greatest magicians alive, no contest.
Well, Derek told a story about a convention where Michael Weber was talking to another magician (I don't remember who, I want to say Eric Mead or Mike Caveney). As Derek approached the other two magicians went silent. Michael Webber asked him if he knew why they went silent. He explains that it was because the method they were discussing was not something that they felt should be shared with Derek.
Derek Delgaudio is without question one of the greatest magicians alive and he wasn't aloud to hear a specific method!
You know what Dereks response to this was? "Oh, of course! I wasn't ready to hear that."
I love this and I wish it was more widely felt in the magic community. Magic's secrets are not for everyone and that is fine.
Magician's are the worst offenders when it comes to fishing for methods and I think we need to stop. We need to teach each other how to be tactful with feedback and to be a good audience. Just because we call ourselves magicians doesn't mean we get to know it all.