Discourse in Magic

Recorded live during UnConventional.fun, Jonah hosts a virtual panel on hosting virtual shows. Joining the panel is David Parr, Ben Seidman, Haim Goldenberg, and Adrian Lacroix. Together they discuss the good side and the bad side of hosting virtual shows, how to develop your virtual show business, and tips and tricks they’ve learned along the way as the entire magic performing world has had to adjust to the new normal. Virtual Shows Require Innovation On one hand you get to work from home but on the other hand you get to work from home and that can be both a blessing and a curse when you never get to leave your home. From the lack of audience reaction, to staring at computer screens for extended periods of time, there’s a lot of work that goes into making a virtual show work. Virtual shows also present unique advantages like working inside the frame, when you’re hosting a virtual show you can have the frame of your camera work to aid you allowing you to perform moves that would be impossible on a stage in-person. Hosting virtual shows requires that you have to write an entirely new show for the medium. This is a great time to create new magic. Everything is still new and there’s lots of room still to innovate how virtual shows are hosted and presented. Building New Tools How do you connect with people across the screen? You have to get used to talking to a camera like it’s a person, the lens is your intimate connection to your audience and it will take practice to build the skill to make eye contact with your audience through this medium. David points out that sincerity is part of the engine that makes this function. Many of the skills used in television specials will be the same skills used in virtual shows. Engaging with people on a human level and being in the moment is critical. You don’t want your show to be a passive experience, where they can sit back and lose interest in what’s happening. Treat your shows like a live television show, pay attention to your lighting and your environment. Starting out, it might be ok to make it look like you’re live in your home but Haim suggests that this time is passing and having a professional looking studio is becoming the expectation. Is It Worth The Effort? Virtual Shows are not the same as in-person shows but they are also not the same as a TV special. If you keep comparing virtual shows to in-person performances you may be setting yourself up to defeat yourself. The only way to discover the strengths and weaknesses of virtual shows is to take the plunge. You might just start with a laptop and the built in camera and microphone but if you’re anything like Ben you’ll find solutions to lighting and camera rigging to build innovative environments that work for your show and your needs. Choose To Do Something If you are presented with two possibilities between do nothing and do something, why would you choose to do nothing? Every single person presenting shows right now is having to innovate and face the challenge of virtual shows. You might be worried at first but once you get some road time you’ll build your experience and your confidence to be able to show your clients how good of a show you can produce for them. Links David Parr – Curious excursions into magic and mystery, myth and history Ben Seidman – Magician, Comedian, Pickpocket Haim Goldenberg – Real Life Mentalist The Mental Magic of Adrian Lacroix

Jonah was invited to the Better Business with Magic podcast, to join host Nolan Webster to discuss the intersections of math and magic and how they can work for anyone who wants to improve their business skills. Math and Magic Math helps you in many ways and for Jonah it was all about helping with problem solving. Math has a creative nature and requires ingenuity and problem solving to come to a solution. In math you have to define your terms and plan how you will problem solve. In magic you really have to understand how to define everything that’s happening. To pull off something you need to be able to begin with the end in mind and a background in math helps build those skills. Iterate Again As a magician you go on stage and do the performance and keep doing it over and over and over. After a year you’ll begin to notice that the same things will happen again over and over and over whenever you interact with the audience. Eventually you’ll be able to predict what the most likely outcomes are in seemingly random moments which you can use to figure out your best joke or your best strategy. The same thing applies to business. After enough iterations you’ll see what sticks and what doesn’t for your product.

This week Jonah talks about how to break into the virtual magic business. The virtual magic business is an important new wave with lots of money in it. If you’ve been listening since the pandemic hit you’ve heard Jonah get slowly more and more excited about virtual magic. In this short episode Jonah will tell you everything you need to know to launch your virtual magic business. The Catch 22 Paradox If you’re interested in virtual magic shows you know that there’s a paradox when you’re trying to book shows. In order to book shows you need proof that you’ve done virtual magic shows. But in order to book your first show you need to show proof that you’ve done a virtual magic show before. So how do you show proof that you can run a virtual magic show even if you’ve never done one? Jonah will share the same strategies he’s used to fix this paradox that he’s used to get into the summer camp industry, the school business, and to start booking venues. Start Booking Shows Once you’ve overcome the first hurdle and have the proof that you need it’s time to start booking your shows at low to medium prices so that you can build up real testimonials and real photos and videos. Make sure you record everything, keep screenshots, and collect your testimonials. Need More Help? If you want to learn more about the things that have been working for Jonah, you can book a free fifteen minute call to talk about your virtual magic business and to see what it would be like to work together. And of course don’t forget about Unconventional.fun, it’s the most exciting project that Jonah has ever started. A one day virtual magic convention that takes place in an 8-bit world. It’s happening on September 27th, 9am to 10pm EST, and Jonah would love for you to be there!

UnConventional.Fun Jonah is joined by business partner and co-founder of the Toronto Magic Company, Ben Train, to discuss the details surrounding their upcoming virtual magic convention, UnConventional.fun! They also share stories about their past experiences with magic conventions and how vital it has been to both of their own personal journeys as magicians. What is UnConventional.Fun? Jonah and Ben have been running virtual events for most of 2020 and have really missed the unique connections and experiences that can only be found at magic conventions. So they got thinking about all the performers they’ve worked with in the past, and all the performers they wished they could work with but were separated by distance and conflicting schedules and figured out a way to replicate the magic convention in a virtual space. Unlike other virtual convention experiences, the attendees at UnConventional.fun will create an 8-bit character to represent them as they move around the convention like a video game. As they approach other attendees and guests their webcams will fade up on the screen and allow them to meet and interact with them face to face. This means you can visit a table where a demonstration is happening, or hangout at the virtual bar, or go to a room where a lecture is being held, or just mingle around in the jamming space with other magicians who are in attendance. Jonah and Ben have custom built the magic convention of their dreams, pixel-by-pixel. It promises to be thirteen hours of magic programming unlike anything you’ve ever been a part of. Growing Up With Magic Conventions Magic conventions have been an important part of both Jonah and Ben’s lives going back to their childhood. Jonah was spoiled by going to Magic Camp every summer, a week long magic convention, but it was after university that he began visiting more conventions more frequently. His favourite memory is visiting John Luka’s Motor City Close-Up Magic Convention and constantly jamming with amazing magicians. Replicating The Magic of Magic Conventions For Ben, his favourite parts of the magic convention are the gala shows and the hanging out and jamming in the lobby. This is why it was so important UnConventional.fun was more than just logging into Zoom. He needed an awesome convention where people could set up in the lobby and jam and tables between lectures and get to experience the magic convention magic that’s so important to him. Limited Space Available Tickets are limited to only 300 attendees so visit UnConventional.fun right now to find out how to get involved and join in on the fun on September 27th from 9am to 10pm (EST)

Jonah was invited to the Preconceived Podcast to talk about magic and understanding the craft and business of magic. This episode is a selection of that conversation that Jonah had with Preconceived host Zale Mednick. Check out the Preconceived Podcast for the complete interview. It’s a fun conversation with a magic layperson and a rare chance to hear Jonah talk about the introductory philosophies of magic in the magic communities. Magic Is Closer To Cooking Than Comedy In stand up comedy no two acts are the same. But in magic you can go and purchase a trick at your local magic shop and you will end up performing a trick that others have seen before. Instead consider that you’re cooking chicken soup. Lots of restaurants make chicken soup but you’re the only chef who makes your chicken soup. Just because your trick is the same as another performer doesn’t mean it can’t be unique. Is It Cheating? Or Is It Magic? It’s very hard to say that you only perform a magic trick a certain way before it becomes cheating. Sure there are some practices that are frowned upon, like planting stooges in the audience, but at the end of the day the most important takeaway for your audience is that for one moment they couldn’t look up the answer and they were confronted by something they couldn’t explain. It doesn’t matter how the magician has created that environment, and yes the method might involve being a cheater, but where do you draw the line? If your audience knows it’s not true but feels like it’s true then you’re doing something right. It’s Important To Know It’s An Illusion That said, some magicians do believe it’s important, especially in the hard to believe it’s true but it feels like it’s true styles of mentalism, to offer a disclaimer at the start of their show that what you are about to see isn’t real even if it feels like it is. Having someone like a lawyer actually believe that it’s possible to read someone’s mind could become really problematic and even when you’re creating a space for someone to experience the rug of reality being ripped out from under them in a safe and controlled environment it may also be important to remind the audience that nothing you do is, in fact, reality.

Jonah is joined by Ken Weber to discuss his revised and expanded Maximum Entertainment 2.0. Ken Weber is a renowned mentalist and hypnotist who was named “one of the most frequently requested” performers on the college circuit by Newsweek magazine and was awarded the Dunninger Award for Excellence in the Performance of Mentalism by the Psychic Entertainers Association. Now, having almost completely retired, Ken Weber is a sought-after mentor and performance consultant, author of the acclaimed book Maximum Entertainment and Maximum Entertainment 2.0. “Hey Kid, You Like Magic?” At the age of 10, Ken lived at a home for asthmatic children in Denver, Colorado. A chance encounter while walking the streets of Denver would land him in a teen magic club. By age 12 he had returned to New York with his business card ready. By the time he was in college he was a mentalist and after graduating and unable to find a job, despite two university degrees in theatre, he accepted a two week gig working on a cruise and from that point on he never looked back. Magic and Money Ken has two hobbies. Magic and investing. In the late 1980’s Ken started up a newsletter to help other people avoid being taken advantage of by stock brokers, which led to him doing a good deed here and helping someone out there and one thing led to another and Weber Asset Management was formed. Now he advocates for the rainy day fund, especially among performers. At a time when he’s advising clients to have money saved away for the changes happening in the world he can see how many performers are not prepared for the hard times ahead. There’s a lot of mistakes beginners make and Ken’s advice is to focus on the business and not rely on spending every dollar made on tricks and new products. Polish what you have and don’t kill yourself trying new material over and over. Have You Heard It Before? Don’t Use It! From music to jokes to phrases every performer has used the same lines or the same songs from other acts. Ken’s advice is to never use a line you hear another performer use. It takes away your creativity, instead ask yourself how you can get the same joke without using the exact same words. Ken’s warning is that eventually you’re going to work with agents and bookers and if they see you performing the same tricks with the same phrases to the same music then that is not going to help you. Classics are fun but Ken thinks you should make your own classics. To Script or Not to Script For a long time Ken was a non scripter but he noticed that as soon as he began to write things down it forced him to ask himself if he really needed to say what he was saying or say it in that way. Now Ken is a strong believer in scripting everything you do and recording as often as you can. A script helps you identify when things aren’t clear and improve on the details of your performance in a way that adlibbing everything all the time simply can not achieve. Additionally, When it’s time to edit your videos, hire someone from outside your magic circles and let them bring their dispassionate objectivity to the editing and help you direct your videos without your ego getting in the way. Wrap-Up Endless Chain Harrison Greenbaum (note: we’ve already talked with him in “A Masterclass in Comedy Magic with Harrison Greenbaum”) What do you like about modern magic? What do you not like? The level of magic and commitment is astonishing. And it’s gratifying to see the ingenuity and skill levels even among very young performers. But Ken does not like the advertising in magic. Every trick is “The Greatest Trick Ever” yet many of them are just tweaks on classics. The worst is when the advertisement is edited in such a way that you can’t see that you would have been able to see how it’s done if you had seen it performed in a magic shop. Take home point Every day ask yourself, “what did I do today to move my career forward?” whether it be marketing stuff, learning a new routine, perfecting a routine, or taping something and then looking at it later but every day you have ask yourself what did you do? For the professional, Ken used to advocate that you have a three month rainy day fund but now that we know that there is such a thing as a pandemic Ken wants all of his professional show business friends to have six to twelve months socked away in a bank account. Investment is important, not just because of a pandemic but because you can also literally break a leg! You have got to have that rainy day fund and you have got to build it up as soon as possible because you never know what tomorrow is going to bring. Plugs Maximum Entertainment 2.0 can be found in every major magic dealer. You can learn more about it at max-ent.info.

This week Jonah talks about one of his favourite obsessions, virtual magic shows. How do you sell a virtual magic show? What are the factors that are really enticing for someone looking to book a virtual magic show? And what are some of the factors working against you? Key Strategies Jonah will go over his key strategies and break down the specific things he does when booking a virtual magic show (hint: it’s the same strategies he’s been using for years to book in person shows) and then follow up with a demo sales call. What You’ll Learn After this short lesson you’ll learn why it’s so important to Be Wonderful, to Listen, to Crush Any Fears, to Problem Solve against what you’ve heard, and to never forget the Flying Monkey Principle! Wait, You Have A Flying Monkey? Looking to learn more about what Jonah touched on this episode? Sign up for Jonah’s free webinar on August 26th at 8pm EST where he’ll show you his exact strategies for pricing virtual shows to maximize income

Jonah is joined by Rafael Benatar to discuss his translations of magic masters into other languages, the secrets to memorization, and cultural differences in magic performances. Rafael is a prolific writer and has played a pivotal role in bridging the language gap between the magic community at large and legends such as Darwin Ortiz, Juan Tamariz, Ascanio, and Roberto Giobbi. His list of writing credits can fill a small library and he has translated a wide selection of books from Spanish, English, and German origins. Magic and Music Hailing from Venezuela, Rafael was more into sports than magic. His father was the magic enthusiast and it was during a visit with his father to Magic Castle that showed Rafael that magic was an art-form he couldn’t ignore. From classical guitar to the lute Rafael’s studies were in ancient instruments which took him to London and a magic shop where he self-taught himself the basics. His studies would take him across Europe until he settled into Switzerland and his first magic club with Roberto Giobbi. Armed with a discipline for studying and practicing, once he discovered the information one could find in magic books, nothing could stop him. Translating the Masters Having studied music in London and Switzerland and fluent in Spanish and English, Rafael was uniquely suited to translate the nuances of magic practices in different countries. Developing his own style he is quick to point out that a direct translation is rarely a good idea, even when the translation is technical in nature, you sometimes have to rephrase and say it as you would say it in the translated words. Rafael also notes how different the styles are between different countries. For example, Americans are good at practicing but a Spanish magician will be good at a covering move. Rafael has lots of stories to tell about the magicians he has translated from Arturo de Ascanio and his spin on the magic lecture to Roberto Giobbi’s theory of “The Critical Interval”, the precise moment when magic happens, and the “crazy genius” of Juan Tamariz. Rafael’s translations go well beyond simply translating the words. He needs to understand the context of every trick and confirm that they can be performed as they have been written, no matter how complex they may be. Mastering Memorizing Rafael applies many of the things he learned in music towards his magic. The most important is his system of practicing. Learning anything from beginning to end has its own issues which usually means you remember the beginning much more than the end, having practiced it more than the rest. But Rafael knows that memorizing a stack is something anyone can do, if you put in the work. Rather than learn from beginning to end Rafael recommends you learn the stack backwards in groups. And the secret trick? Practice memorizing right before you go to sleep! Your brain will keep working on the practice while you sleep and internalize the patterns. Wrap-Up Endless Chain Camilo and Mark Mitton What do you like about modern magic? What do you not like? People are not happy to just read the instructions and do the trick. Good magicians are always going a step further. Now people are changing things around and giving them good twists. This leads magic down an artistic past. But there is an excess of information and not knowing what to do with it and how to handle it. Not everyone can read every book coming out and the most recent trick gets mixed up with the fundamentals. The fundamentals are always more important than the latest cool thing. Take home point If you learn a technique from a sleight or a book, don’t be happy to just do what the book says. Be concerned about the cover. Try to put yourself on the side of the audience and try to imagine that you’re doing a more difficult move and cover it. Plugs Penguin Magic: https://www.penguinmagic.com/magician/rafael-benatar Vanishing Inc: https://www.vanishingincmagic.com/magician/Rafael-Benatar/ And more in the works!

Jonah is joined by Steve Valentine this week to discuss acting while being a magician – and the dangers of not being taken seriously, uncovering the lost history of magic, and the importance of a presentation that transcends the trick being performed. Steve was introduced to magic thanks to the prescient powers of the gift of a magic kit from his mom, who also predicted the future careers of his siblings with her gifts to them! Steve’s life has taken a lot of twists and turns from working as a DJ in nightclubs in Yugoslavia to acting on television and in videogames to lecturing at Magic Castle and touring with the Illusionists. Steve certainly believes that nobody should ever feel tied to only being stuck doing one thing. A Chance to Be Bad The most surprising fact about Steve’s history is undoubtedly his start as a performing magician, if you don’t count his failed shows in his parent’s garage, was on the stage at the nightclubs we was hired to run in Yugoslavia in the 80’s. What made it so great for him was the change to be bad and fail terribly and have the chance to keep going back out and try again. The chance to find a place and go be bad, where failure was an option, was a blessing in disguise to developing his early skills as a magician. Always an Actor Steve has always lived in both worlds of acting and magic and one always informs the other for him. He advocates for every magician to consider acting classes, if only to help you know how to make your voice strong so your voice will survive a long run of performances. It’s all part of the same art form of entertainment. The difficulty of not being taken seriously as an actor who also performed magic meant that for much of his early acting career magic had to be put to the sidelines, that was until a fortunate break on House which saw both of his worlds blended together again. Steve’s biggest advice for magicians who are aspiring actors is to stick it through and focus on their longevity, a lesson he learned personally after waiting three years for his first speaking role. Teaching Magic Steve has also been named Lecturer Magician of the Year (2013 & 2014) by the Academy of Magical Arts and recognizes that a good magical lecture is not just about the tricks but also the history, the performance, and story. Through his research he’s discovered a wonderful hidden history, of magical acts that were never recorded entirely and whose mysteries have been lost through time. By piecing together different accounts, and a little reading between the lines, he’s been able to recreate 19th century secrets and help understand more about the history of magic and it’s performances. That passion has extended to his latest endeavor with Magic on the Go, an online resource and repository of magic history. What’s most important for Steve is to preserve the history of magic so that the incredible magic secrets of the 1900’s aren’t lost to history and create an easily accessible database for future magicians. Wrap-Up Endless Chain Keith Fields What do you like about modern magic? What do you not like? The level of skill is phenomenal. A lot of that has to with video and being able to learn by seeing and not just reading. But the proliferation of exposure means that the presentation has to transcend the trick. Take Home Point We’re in a world that is a world of deception. But the one person who should never be deceived is the magician. We want to deceive the public, not ourselves Plugs Magiconthego.com Stevevalentine.com Stevevalentinelive.com IG: @SteveValentine Twitter: @SteveValentine

This week, Jonah joins Graeme “Graemazing” Reed on an episode of his podcast, Magicians Talking Magic. The two discuss pivoting to performing virtually, and how to build relationships during these uncertain times. Graeme is an Ontario based magician with a background in media and broadcasting. With the shifting atmosphere, it is now essential for people to shift their personal and business lives online to continue interacting during these uncertain times. For all of us to do this successfully, we as magicians need to share and support each other as we move forward into this new normal for performing. While this is only a section from the episode, Graeme will be releasing the full episode over on his podcast. So, if you’re interested in learning more about producing shows online, I recommend stopping over and giving the full episode a listen. Plugs Graeme’s Website Graeme’s Instagram Magician’s Talking Magic Podcast

Thank you to Javier Naterra for providing translation assistance this episode. Jonah is joined by Dani DaOrtiz this week to discuss the power of muscle memory, the right way to utilize chaos, and communicating through magic. Dani is a Spanish magician known for his chaotic magic style, psychological card work, and is 1/3 of the Fat Brothers. Dani can’t recall how he got into magic, save for receiving a magic kit as a child, but magic has always been apart of his life. His learning was self-driven starting out which, to him, was a blessing and a curse. Juan Tamariz. Ascanio. Lennart Green. These are simply some of the magicians who inspired him in the early years and still influence his style to this day. While he didn’t have the benefits that come with having direct mentors, he was able to define his own style and approach to magic based on his interpretation of the masters. Muscle Memory If you watch Dani perform, you might believe that his show is improvised. To a degree, you would be correct, but Dani explains that his material isn’t truly improvised. While he may not go into a performance knowing the content of the show, he is able to rely on muscle memory to explore what he’s saying at that moment. Overtime, Dani will add different aspects to his muscle memory based on the reactions of the audience. His confidence in his abilities and tools has allowed Danny the freedom to explore emotions in his show as he can become comfortable at any table. Writing & Sharing Discoveries Dani only writes what he discovers. Rather than researching and learning about things like psychology, Dani is focused on uncovering and analyzing the information for himself. He wants to watch his audiences over and over again to dissect how they react to his new effects. Only once he has performed hundreds of times and polished them down, on top of understanding what it is the audience is experiencing, does Dani sit down to write out his effects or theories. He makes it clear that he is not writing for himself but for the community; he knows that some of the ideas he uncovers are not meant for him, but other magicians who can take the concept and improve it. This is why Dani believes in the importance of writing and sharing your knowledge with the community, but, of course, only after you have worked it out and know the material is polished. Finding Your Rhythm Rhythm is the effects you decide to use in your show. The way you structure their place. Your relation to the audience and their attitudes. Every aspect of your show affects the rhythm, and the rhythm is what makes your show. While Dani’s show is generally unstructured, he still breaks his show down into sections and explains his process for why he selects certain tricks at specific points in his act.   Wrap-Up Endless Chain Miguel Gea What do you like about modern magic? Even if he doesn’t enjoy everything he sees, Dan is excited when he sees different styles and conceptions of magic. Take Home Point We’re talking about magic! That’s the most important thing. Plugs Dani’s Website Dani’s Facebook Dani’s Instagram

To get us back into the swings of things, Alex Boyer joins Jonah to discuss visual magic, following your interests and becoming a successful content creator. Alex Boyer is an Ottawa based magician with 26.6k subscribers and 635k+ views on YouTube. Create, Create, Create The only way you’ll start to post is when you start to post. When he was first starting out, Alex aimed to post multiple videos each week just to get into the habit of posting. Creating that much content was overwhelming, but the work and results fueled him. As he continued to post more to YouTube, he learned how to streamline aspects of the process to make everything simpler. Alongside just having the content out there to establish himself online, Alex also managed to find and refine his style. Quality vs. Quantity Alex has shifted away from constantly posting to occasionally posting; his focus has been on creating high production value magic videos that he can release every few weeks. These videos feature original magic, snappy editing and killer visuals. With each video, Alex is aiming to deliver a high production value magic experience. Creating Visual Magic When Alex sits down to work out his videos, his thoughts are on what will look best on camera. What can he make float? What object will be visual on camera? If you want an example, look no further than his floating ribbon spread video. With that in mind, he reminds the audience that they need to determine what their style is. Be true to yourself and start exploring the ideas that interest you; you’ll find your audience. Wrap Up Endless Chain Chris Ramsay What do you like about modern magic? Alex likes that there are so many great magicians and magic tricks that we get to see because of the internet. He also enjoys seeing the innovation of upcoming performers. He isn’t a fan of the oversaturation of people doing magic just for the clicks; he believes that if you’re going to do magic online, you should put the effort into the effects. Take Home Point Step out of your comfort zone. Plugs Alex’s YouTube Alex’s Instagram Alex’s Website

Feeling lucky? This week Jonah sits down to talk about the four types of luck, and how you can leverage luck to work in your favour. We’ll be back to the regular interview episodes in two weeks! The Discourse in Magic Team has been working on some exciting projects during this break that we can’t wait to share with you. If you would like to explore the concept of luck and the resources Jonah mentioned during the episode, you can check out the following links: Naval Podcast Marc Andreessen Article Chase, Chance & Creativity As always, we would love to hear from you! Have you been exploring virtual shows? Working on anything new? Give us a shout or join the Discourse in Magic Facebook group to share what you’ve been working on!

Just started performing virtual shows? Have a few under your belt? Looking to improve your setup? This week, Jonah sits down to give you some simple tips on how to improve your virtual and physical performing setup. Looking to learn more about what Jonah touched on this episode? Sign up for Jonah’s free webinar on July 8th, 2020 at 8pm EST where he’ll lead you through using ECamm Live. Note: ECamm Live is only available for Macs, but Jonah will touch on alternative software.

This week, Jonah sits down to give you a tip on how to practice your material for virtual audiences. With only an email and some simple to use software, you’ll have a system in place that will help you schedule time to test your material in no time. Of course, if you have any questions, you can always reach out to Jonah through email. If you’re looking for the software Jonah recommended in the episode: Zoom Calendly The next two episodes will be magician appetizers as the Discourse in Magic team is currently occupied with some major projects. If you would like to keep up to date, consider joining the mailing list or joining our Discourse in Magic Facebook page.

Jonah is joined this week by Chris Pilsworth to talk about collaboration, appreciating your audience, and creative processes. Chris is a magician based out of Ottawa, Ontario, and is known for his creative ability and engaging performance style. At 11 years old, Chris’ interest in magic was sparked by magic books his brother brought home from the library. Fascinated, he began to learn simple tricks, but it would take him a year to work up the confidence before he put on a show. Soon, however, he was working the birthday party circuit and experimenting with what magic could let him accomplish. Although he knew he wanted to become a magician, his parents recommended he go to University to back his knowledge. Having experience and interest in design, Chris would go on to attend Carleton for Industrial Design. Being Creative There isn’t an answer to how to be creative immediately, Chris explains, but you can get stronger at overtime. Everyone is different, some people are stronger, but Chris reminds the audience that you shouldn’t compare your creativity to others for that reason. Recognize your strengths and remember that creativity is not about being original. It’s about not getting stuck. Throughout the episode, Chris breaks down his creative processes and how he overcomes roadblocks. Appreciate the Craft One of the things that shows in Chris’ magic is his appreciation for his audience. Not only are they spending money to see him, but they’re spending his time. A currency, that he explains, is one that you cannot get back once spent. So, when you step on stage, you should do so with the acknowledgment that these people took the time out to come to see you and experience your magic. When we share the magic, we need to remember that what we do affects other magicians down the road. If you’re hired, don’t put the effort into your performance, and perform badly, you’ve probably ruined magic in the eyes of your audience, possibly preventing further gigs for you and others. Step on stage prepared and rehearsed to give your audience the show they deserve. Adapting to Virtual Shows When the world went into self-isolation, it felt like the entertainment industry had completely shut down. Or at least, that’s how Chris felt at first until he realized that it was simply the platform he performed on that disappeared. People still wanted to be entertained and see magic, they just now are experiencing it online. With a creative limitation, he was excited to play with, Chris has been adapting and rescripting his magic to the virtual screen. Suddenly, tricks that were angle sensitive or props that couldn’t be examined have become viable options, opening up a new field to explore. Wrap Up Endless Chain Gene Anderson Rick Wilcox What do and don’t you like about modern magic? Chris likes that magic is constantly reinventing itself and exploring new platforms. Seeing the younger generation taking advantage of technology inspires him. What Chris doesn’t like are performers who don’t appreciate the time of their audience nor the craft they practice. Take Home Point Don’t be afraid to be creative. Your ego may be fearful of your trick going wrong, but you shouldn’t be afraid to explore what you think magic should be for you. Plugs Chris’ Website Chris’ Products

Discourse in Magic is pausing this week to give way for the voices that need to be heard. Jonah would like to help amplify these voices by handing over the mic to black magicians who have a message for magicians. We want to help educate. To help grow. To help make magic a more inclusive environment. If you are a black magician and would like the Discourse in Magic audience to hear what you have to say, write or send a voice message to the podcast at: [email protected]. We ask that you take a moment, in lieu of this episode, to think about how you can contribute. Reflect on your actions. Have difficult conversations. Ask questions. Seek to understand. Be open to hearing other people’s experiences, and be willing to change your understanding of the world. The magic community shouldn’t continue to fall behind in the conversation. If you don’t know where to start, I suggest checking out Ran’D Shines episode where he speaks passionately about inclusion. Felice Ling also released a fantastic article that examines the damage of Asian stereotypes in the magic community.

This week Greg Rostami joins Jonah to talk about creating, performing, and utilizing app magic. Greg is a prominent app magic creator, known for creating apps like ReaList and Inject. A Svengali Deck was Greg’s intro to magic. He was fascinated by the concept and was pulled into magic because of the clever nature of the art. Closeup magic became the style he loved and would perform it wherever he could. With a background in electrical engineering, Greg started out with the idea of creating magic hardware. His focus shifted from hardware to software with the release of the iPhone; Greg became focused on using features fundamental to technology and exploiting the tech for magical effects. In 2009, this would lead to the launch of his and Randy Croucher’s app iForce. Technology Fears There seems to be a hesitation among magicians to use app magic. People think it’s too complicated. Others are afraid that people will see right through the effect and immediately know it’s the app. For those who find apps complicated, Greg understands. The issue with feature-rich apps is that they can be overwhelming, so focus on finding one aspect to learn. What part of the app can you adapt to your performance now? What intrigues you? Don’t focus on mastering everything the app can do. If your afraid people will know the method, think of it like learning about a thumb tip. You can be fooled by someone making a silk disappear into a thumb tip, but when you learn that it’s just a fake thumb for the method, you might wonder how it would fool anyone. Even though you were just fooled. Apps are similar. Greg recommends finding the apps that don’t smell of technology and then building presentations around the ones you like. You’ll soon find that performing app magic is as seamless as borrowing a spectator’s phone. Swiss Army Applications Acknowledging that presentation wise he’s creatively limited, Greg sets out to create apps that are tools rather than single effects; he wants to create versatile apps that magicians can play with and adapt to their style. With this in mind, Greg focuses on speed and ease. He doesn’t want there to be long-winded presentations inherently designed into the app because strolling magicians want a tool that is ready to go and let them move on to the next group. By offering a myriad of features that act more as a foundation than as single effects, Greg invites performers to play and experiment with his app. Motivation Everything you do in magic needs to be motivated. This doesn’t stop when your magic tool is an app. You have to figure out why your spectator is accessing Google or even pulling out their phone. If you want the spectator to completely dismiss the idea that you were using technology to pull off your effect, you can’t draw a line from A to B. Wrap Up Endless Chain Gui Del Frate What do you like about magic? What don’t you like? Greg loves that magic is an evolving art form that takes existing premises and pushes the boundaries of presentation and method. The current innovation amazes and excites him. He isn’t a fan of how we tend to take things for granted nowadays. It took us years to get to where we are, yet we can dismiss these innovative thoughts by swiping away without a second thought. Take Home Point If you can find motivation in your repertoire in including something that requires the internet, then app magic is amazing. Your spectator walks away with a souvenir on their device. Greg also reminds you that motivation in your performance is key. Plugs ReaList [Android] [iPhone] Inject 2.0 [Android] [iPhone]

Tim Hannig sits down with Jonah this week to talk about performing for kids, upping your production value, and the power of knowing every step of your show. Tim is a magician, author, and motivational speaker who tours schools in the States with his children and family shows. One of Tim’s early childhood magic memories is of the time his father took him to see Blackstone. Both amazed and inspired, the two began to reverse engineer the show together, building mini illusions of their own from the show. By the time he was 17, Tim was performing magic at Six Flags. The theme park was the perfect training ground as he was not only performing the same 20mins six times a day, but he had to learn about maintaining the interest of the audience. Families were there to have fun and would gladly walk away from his show if Tim didn’t engage them. By his sophomore year in University, Tim was performing at schools and has been ever since. A Different Approach to Kid Shows Respecting the kids and their intelligence is Tim’s number one thing when he’s performing a show. He wants to come across as their friend and be on their side. This is why Tim isn’t a silly character on stage. And, through his years of performing, Tim understands how to get the children on his side. Tim champions the idea of knowing every beat of your show, especially for kid’s performers, because it won’t give them a chance to misbehave. During the day he might be performing primarily for kids, but at night the families are invited back. Children sit with the parents they made come out, and the whole family leaves having enjoyed the show together. Tim explains that he knows the parents don’t expect to enjoy it, but he has designed the show with content for the adults. He doesn’t want them to enjoy it through the eyes of their kids but on the show’s own merits. Professionalism Through Production Value From the moment you reply to an inquiry to following up after the show, you should know what’s going to happen at every step of the process. A week before the show, Tim has automated messages that are sent to the school so that they know what to expect for the show. These are in addition to the pamphlet he sends out explaining how to set up for him. His goal is to make the lives of his clients easier which in turn makes his job simpler. Tim also ups his actual onstage production by incorporating music into his shows. Theme songs. Stingers and bumps. Intro and Outro music. Songs behind stories. Music adds an additional element to his show that elevates the experience of his magic. While Tim’s music is custom and designed specifically for his show, he encourages performers to explore royalty free options as music can’t hinder your show (unless used inappropriately). Virtual Magic When Zoom shows were starting out, Tim didn’t jump right into doing one. He wanted it to be a strong product, so he spent his time watching others and developing a show that played to his strengths as a stage performer. After assembling a show, Tim performed three weekends of shows, charging $15 for a ticket. With confidence in his material, Tim has begun to offer the show to his past clients who are interested in keeping the family shows going. Tim explains that your virtual show needs to be different from your regular show. You can’t treat them the same because they’re two very different formats. If you need a viewer to select a card, what is your plan to deal with the lag? Much like in person, you need to carefully consider your options. However, there’s also advantages to performing virtually. Everyone has a front row seat, so you can do close up magic for 100 people. Things that are angle sensitive are now viable options. Wrap Up Endless Chain Terry Ward What do you like about modern magic? What don’t you like? Tim loves that no matter how old you are, there’s an entrance ramp for you into magic. He’s also a fan of seeing the older generation empower the younger generation. Tim doesn’t like when a magician doesn’t know how to be a good audience. He also isn’t a fan of magicians who treat his Facebook wall like a forum. Take Home Point Love your audience. Give them your best every single show. Plugs Tim’s book, Perform Tim’s Website

While it might be a short one this week, Jonah has packed this episode full of advice on how to continue growing your business during these times. If you’ve been stuck on what to do for your business, Jonah breaks down what you should be doing right now to succeed later. He explains how you know what everyone is thinking and how you can start building connections based on this knowledge.

Jonah is joined by Francis Menotti this week to discuss virtual performances, working as a duo, and methods to improve your creativity. Francis is a performer, consultant, and half of the magic duo: Couple of Magicians. When he received a magic kit for his fifth Christmas, Francis was quick to embrace the deviousness of magic as a way of making the impossible possible. His interest continued throughout elementary and high school, where he began to perform at birthdays. By the time he was attending college at Penn State (where he started the first magic club with friend Ran’D Shine), he began to see that magic was the path for him. Knowing he wanted to make a living doing magic, Francis moved to Philly. Forced Creativity If you’ve seen Francis perform, you probably immediately noticed he has a unique approach to performing magic (you don’t have to look much further than his Fool Us performance). A lot of his ideas and acts have come from this idea of forced creativity – limiting your resources and setting guidelines to drive and focus your creativity on one task. From games to understanding what he’s looking for in an effect, Francis has developed different systems to help him improve his own creative process. During the episode, Francis proposes two games that will help you develop your toolset and give the books you own the time they deserve. The first game is a “follow the leader” style game where players try to repeat the actions of the moderator; if you can’t do a move, you now have the task of figuring out how to. The second game involves using a random number generator to select a book and effect/essay that you then need to read and understand. Becoming a Duo Act Alongside being a solo performer, Francis performs in a duo act with his wife, Lindsey Noel. The process to create their duo show has been a fun but challenging one. Francis has been forced to approach aspects of performing differently which has been a beneficial creative experience for him. He’s had to rework the way he thinks about blocking and interacting with the audience on stage, knowing that he has a partner to share the time with. When the two talk about ideas, the answer isn’t ever simply no. The answer is “there’s a way of doing that idea, but you have to remember the time and budget constraints.” It’s not just new ideas they’re creating for the act though. Francis has taken pieces he’s done for years and incorporated Lindsey in them as an equal performer in the routine. Virtual Magic When the self-isolation period began, Francis and his wife immediately began working on a virtual show, recognizing that this wasn’t going to be a short hiatus. The past few weeks have been about trial and error to determine what does and doesn’t work. While they have had success, there have been some learning moments along the way. Francis highlights that right now people are tuning in to watch people do things live for a chance to connect. They’re not looking for high production value currently, but he believes that’s beginning to shift as more people move into performing virtual shows. And, now that people are aware that shows can be done online, the request for virtual performances isn’t going to go away. This is why, as an entertainment industry, we need to figure out how to make it not bad. Wrap Up Endless Chain Marc DeSouza What do you like about modern magic? What don’t you like? He enjoys that magicians are taking more time to figure out performance ideas. He isn’t a fan of the cliquishness of magic. Take-Home Point Keep moving forward and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Plugs Couple of Magicians Facebook Page Francis’ Website Francis’ Site for Discourse Listeners Francis’ Instagram

Derren Brown joins Jonah this week to discuss developing ideas, finding your own voice, and what magic means in our current society. Between his award-winning stage shows, TV specials, and books, you’re probably familiar with the UK based mentalist. Hypnotism was Derren’s path into magic. During his time studying German and law in university, he had the chance to see hypnotist Martin Taylor perform. His interests shifted, and he began to practice hypnosis alongside his studies. When he started working, Derren learned that magic was easier to present to people compared to hypnotism. Derren’s shift from being a gigging magician to a household name was slow. Even with the release of Mind Control in 2000, Derren was still working as a restaurant magician. Between focusing on doing the strongest magic and the skills of the team he’s built over the years, Derren has been able to create a name for himself. Mentalism & Magic Derren dropped the conjuring side of his persona when the TV specials started to kick off. Mentalism, to him, allows for more impressive presentations than simply finding a card; however, you have to go further than just asking someone to think of a word, writing it down, and showing you got it right. The interesting aspect of mentalism lies in the process the performer takes to divine the word. If your goal is to take your audience’s mind to a richer place, you have to commit to the process. There is, of course, the ethical questions behind mentalism that Derren has struggled with over the years. Initially, he would make direct claims about his abilities, but, as he grew, Derren found an area where he could be honest while digging into the interesting aspects of magic. While he’s been able to create a brand that allows for this, Derren explains to performers that you should be taking responsibility for your actions and focusing on the core audience watching you. Tips for Performing Light and shade is necessary for any performance. If a trick is slow and serious, the next one should probably be upbeat and quick. The performer has a responsibility, especially in a theatrical setting, to move people in different ways. Derren explains that you don’t want to be operating in one state of being on stage as it’ll be difficult to create those big shifts your performance needs. You have to earn what you’re doing on stage. For example, if you want to tell the audience how to be, you have to be vulnerable and reflect on your own actions. Derren points to good comics as an example: they often have a lot to say, but they don’t come across as preachy because they put themselves at a lower status than the audience. Never have a better time than your audience. If anything, you want to carry with you the image of a spectator on the verge of leaving. How do you keep them engaged? How do you surprise them and keep them in their seat? Finally, be likable. Be you. You can have all the power if you act like you don’t have it because we want to connect with a human. Derren explains that we like performers for what they do, but we love them for what they are. Creating a Show Derren has worked alongside Andy Nyman and Andrew O’Connor since his early TV specials to create his shows. The three of them will sit down to brainstorm themes, images, and the core of the show. What they don’t do is talk about the tricks. Their focus is on finding the rhythm of the show and determining what beats they want to hit throughout. What tone is he starting the show with? How can they overdeliver with the ending? The finale is what people last remember when they leave the theatre. The finale is where you can get away with madness and rule-breaking as you build up the audience. He wants something simple but that explains so much of what the audience saw. Derren reminds listeners that there are a million ways to end a show. You just need to make a conscious choice about what you want your audience to leave with. Wrap Up Endless Chain Hector Chadwick (Stephen Long) What do you like about modern magic? What don’t you like? Derren doesn’t really keep up with the world of magic, but he has really enjoyed Christian Grace’s work on billet switches recently. Take-Home Point Be human. Be likable in a way that is right for you and love what you’re doing. It’s not about the trick, it’s about your humanity. Plugs Derren’s Twitter Derren’s Instagram Derren’s Website

Jonah is joined by Nathan Coe Marsh this week to talk about finding inspiration, guiding your audience, and balancing your approach to business. Nathan is a magician from Orlando who splits his time between magic venues and the corporate performing world. After seeing his father’s friend perform Kennedy’s floating bill, Nathan was hooked. He laid awake at night, trying to figure out how the trick was done. When he learned he could buy the trick, his excitement escalated and his interest grew. While it started as a hobby that he would nervously perform for friends, he eventually landed a job at a summer camp teaching magic. From summer camp to shows to walk around, Nathan recognized that the more he worked, the more polished his material. He struck deals with dinner theatres to let him perform closeup whenever he wanted, and he spent nights at comedy clubs refining his material in front of a crowd that wasn’t there to see a magician. All of this was important in shaping who he is on stage today as a performer. Creating Magic If you want to uncover and create good ideas, you need a notebook. As you go through magic material, you’re going to uncover effects or concepts that appeal to you, but at the moment don’t quite feel right. In your future studies, however, you may find yourself drawn back to an idea with how to shape it to fit you. Nathan points to the effect he did on Fool Us as an example of an idea that started merely as a quote in his notebook. However, you shouldn’t confine yourself to just magic. You have to be curious in the world and explore where your passions take you. When you sit down to create, your interests are what will shape your decisions and choices. Scripting to Rehearsal When approaching scripting, Nathan has a few approaches he takes depending on the goal he’s trying to accomplish. One such process is recording himself walking through the performance as if there’s an audience and transcribing what he said. With words on paper, he can begin to edit. His main concern with scripting is to lead his audience through four goalposts: focus, rapport, climax, and emotional reaction. Nathan wants to bring this room of strangers together as an audience, take them down a path, and then have them leave the theatre having experienced a particular sensation. Rehearsal is a numbers game to Nathan. For sleights, he works them into his daily routines, finding ways to accomplish reps of moves throughout the day. For his act, he’ll set up a space for his show in his home so he can fully practice his routine. Overall, finding ways to schedule shows and Balancing Business & Performance When starting out, it’s imperative to find a balance between working on your business and working on your performance. By focusing your efforts on just one or the other, you’ll slow your progress down and prevent yourself from developing your business. Nathan explains that there is an inherent intertwining of your business’ pipeline with the quality of your show. So, don’t feel guilty when you’re working on material, but don’t like your booking and marketing tactics fall to the wayside. After exploring where your interests are, you’ll need to eventually sit down and ask yourself where exactly you belong. Does the stage call to you? Or is walk around where you thrive? By being honest about where you thrive, you can continue to build up your skill set in that area. Wrap Up Endless Chain Jack Goldfinger What do you like about modern magic? What don’t you like? Nathan likes the proliferation of high-end magic venues. While magicians are given a reason to elevate their magic, the public has the chance to experience strong magic. He isn’t fond of how magic clubs have failed to adapt to the internet, essentially losing the upcoming generations. Everyone’s an expert online and twelve-year-olds don’t know how to discern what is and isn’t right. Take-Home Point Be willing to suck. Plugs Nathan’s Website Nathan’s Penguin Act Nathan’s Instagram Nathan’s YouTube

This week, Jonah serves up a bite-sized episode on virtual magic shows. With Covid-19 halting shows, some magicians have taken to performing online, a fairly radical shift in the way magic is performed. Under the Toronto Magic Company, Jonah and his business partner, Ben Train, have had the opportunity to put on multiple virtual shows, so he’s passing on some advice and tips to the listeners. Magic is about interacting and while some aspects of performing are lost through video, others become easier. Eye contact is easier to make with everyone. No one has to sit in the back. And, on sites like Zoom, you have easy access to everyone’s name! Just hover your mouse over their image. Selecting a spectator has never been easier. However, don’t go in with the same show you do on stage. Create a show they can interact with. Tailor it to the platform. Do the closeup card magic you can’t do on stage. Try the angle sensitive tricks that would only work on camera. You have the opportunity to get creative and push the boundaries of this new format. Although it’s a different feeling, you can still bring joy and magic to people who want. It’s a break from everything else in their lives right now. If you’re looking for a place to ask questions and discuss virtual magic (or anything magic), you should join the Discourse in Magic Facebook group. Jonah’s been hosting live interviews with previous guests like Garrett Thomas and Fernando Figueras.

Jonah is joined by Nick Diffatte this week to discuss comedy, finding a style, and embracing your ideas no matter how stupid they might be. Nick Diffatte might be young, but his strong magic and comedy chops have allowed him to not only perform internationally but headline residences on the Las Vegas strip and on the Disney Cruise Line. His interest in magic came from his interest in juggling. Attending local library shows and fairs to see jugglers led to him seeing magic shows which eventually led to him getting into magic. In going to local magic shops and joining his local SAM clubs, Nick was guided along the way by local performers like Tyler Erickson. Starting out at twelve years old, he did local events and birthdays before realizing he wanted more stage time. At fourteen, he was snuck into bars to host burlesque shows. Having frequently flown out to Las Vegas to perform at local casinos and sleep on Bizzaro’s couch, Nick decided that it only made sense for him to move out there full-time. Not only was it a cheap city to live in, but it was where the action was. Vegas was where the shows and likeminded performers were. With a forty-five minute set, Nick moved from Minnesota to Vegas. Playing Around If you were to walk into Nick’s apartment, you would be greeted by vintage pranks, toys, and a suitcase of yoyos. To Nick, his whole existence is based on toys and by having everything out in the open he is able to have a creative space where the ideas are in front of him. As someone with multiple creative outlets, he is constantly playing with new thing acknowledging that he never knows what stupid, random thing will be the next big trick. Really, you need to play. You need to play without being concerned that you’re going to create stupid material because you will. But you need to find out what you want to play with. The audience can tell when you’re being authentic. They know when you’re making stuff up because you want to show them specific tricks. You have to show them something that is real to you before they’ll buy it. That’s why Nick does tricks that he genuinely finds funny and come from his interests in juggling and toys. Creating Material & Taking Notes Nick always has a notebook or a piece of paper on him to write down ideas. I f he doesn’t, then that idea is lost. He explains that he writes down everything with the notion going in that he’s going to have shitty ideas. When he’s filled up a notebook, he’ll then sit down and find which ideas appeal to him and will write them into the front page of his next notebook, keeping them fresh in his mind. When adding material to his show, Nick will come in with a set of requirements that the trick must fulfill. With these in mind, Nick will then come up with a concept that fulfills these requirements while meeting his criteria for what makes a good image on stage while appealing to him. Going on stage and rambling out patter is not how he operates. Nick tends to script 70-80% before taking a trick to stage. Stolen Material Having had his material stolen and performed in front of him basically verbatim, Nick knows what it’s like to have your work stolen. It sucks. Luckily, there were people who policed the issue, but Nick feels magic could do more, pointing to the fact that if you steal something in comedy from a well-known comedian, you’re blacklisted in the community. There’s a fine line between using published material that people have willingly offered to the community, and taking someone’s full hour act to perform. Remember, especially if you see it at a convention, it’s a performance, not a lecture. If you’re new and you don’t want to step on anyone’s toes, Nick recommends that you read and create and discuss your material. If someone recognizes that your material is similar to something else, great! Research it. Find the lineage. Reach out to the person who created it before you and ask if your idea is too similar. People are easy to get in contact with and are usually more than happy to help you…beforehand. Wrap Up Endless Chain Paul Kozak Bizzaro What do you like about modern magic? What don’t you like? Nick enjoys that, after putting out his book, young magicians have reached out to him with an interest in pursuing comedy magic. There are only a handful of people his age doing good comedy and good magic. He doesn’t like that everything in magic online and on television feels like a prank show. There’s better ways to showcase magic with the medium. Take Home Point Be open minded. Be open to play. Be open to new mediums. Don’t go into something with the idea that you’re only going to focus on the aspects that are immediately useful to your performances. Just enjoy a new medium for what it is. Plugs Nick’s Book Nick’s Website Nick’s Instagram

Jonah is joined by both Morgan & West this week to talk about scripting, creating an atmosphere, and understanding how character should influence your choices. Morgan & West are magicians, time-travellers & all round spiffing chaps who spend their time touring their shows around the U.K. Morgan & West met in University through theatre productions. Independently, the two of them had begun to learn card tricks, so they started to egg each other on to keep practicing. In 2008, they did a stage show as magicians. While it wasn’t very good, they were able to learn a lot from the experience. Their reason for jumping into performing was simple: sitting in their bedroom doing card tricks was going to help become performers. You have to start making what you want to do to eventually reach the vision you have in your head. Creating Shows Morgan & West have six different shows under their belts. While the small U.K. touring scene is a factor as to why they have so many, they explain that, really, they just get bored and want a challenge. Writing a show is a skill and the only way to get better at it is by creating more of them. Everytime they approach a new show, their goal is to create something bigger, better and more ambitious than the previous one. And the creation of the show extends beyond simply what they’re saying on stage. Morgan & West approach their shows with the phrase “pack large, play medium.” They don’t shy away from bringing in sets to set a mood before the show even begins. When the audience walks into the theatre and sees the sets on stage, hear the music setting the tone, and see the two of them bantering before the show, the audience is more likely to give the duo five minutes of their time at the outset. By improving the overall feel of the show, Morgan & West are promising their audience they’re going to have an experience. Working as a Duo According to Morgan & West, working as a duo is a lot easier than working solo. As a duo, they can independently find material, pitch it to the other, and then have a conversation about how to best adapt the material to their characters. Through these conversations, they’re able to flesh out concepts and turn them into acts that better suit their characters. On the other end of it, the other acts as an editor, pointing out when certain concepts won’t work; these instances are often followed by long conversations to understand why one person doesn’t like a particular idea. Scripting works the same way. While Morgan is better at developing material while on the stage, West is better at putting ideas down on the stage. Between the two of them, they’re able to edit the content down and find the moments that work. With this in mind, they are constantly shaping their performances, discussing what did and didn’t work after their shows. Developing Authentic Characters You don’t need to be a time traveller or a dragon to be a character. A good character, simply put, is a combination of traits and shticks that establish who “you” as a performer are to the audience. Alongside giving you a foundation to follow while making performance decisions (i.e. blocking or effect selection), a character also helps to make magic less confrontational for the audience; they know that you know that this isn’t real, allowing them to swallow a bigger lie as you tell them smaller lies to pull off your effects. The way of creating good bits for your character is to fundamentally understand your character. Write some lines. See how you feel about what you’ve written? What works? What doesn’t? Understand why you do and don’t like certain aspects, and then rewrite. With that in mind, don’t force a certain character on yourself; you have to enjoy it or else the audience won’t. At the end of it all though, you have to understand why you’re making certain choices. Wrap Up Endless Chain Rune Klan Take Home Point The first is to know and understand what decisions you’re making and why. The second point is the only way to get good at something, is by constantly doing that thing. Plugs Morgan & West’s new book: Parlour Tricks Morgan & West’s Website Morgan & West’s Instagram

David Ben joins Jonah this episode to discuss if magic is an art form, producing shows, and developing a curatorial eye to improve your magic. From being a performer to a producer to the founder of Magicana, David has spent the last 40 years shaping magic as an art in the public eye. While he tells many stories of how he entered magic, David’s journey started like many others of his generation; he saw Doug Henning performing on TV specials. Alongside seeing Vernon on various Canadian programs, David was influenced to begin his journey into magic. From Stein Day’s Handbook of Magic to Ross Bertram’s Magic and Methods, he dove into his studies. David grew up in Toronto alongside Jay Sankey and Gary Kurtz while he worked at Morrissey Magic. While working and performing, he attended thr University of Toronto for his undergraduate degree before attending Western for law with the intention of becoming a producer. Putting on a Show When selecting his material, David never chooses his repertoire based on “Will this make money?” By selecting material that he found interesting, he was able to convey through the pieces why the audience should be interested. His show, The Conjuror, came out of his desire to create a character that wasn’t just him. By doing this, he could play with a different style that would create a different show for the audience. When it comes to producing, you need to be able to work on a team; a large show cannot be done by one person. If you’re the leader, you need to learn how to lead beyond telling people what to do. Find ways to draw out the creativity and expertises of those you’re working with. Additionally, learn the language of the industry so that you come across as knowing what you’re talking about. Developing an Aesthetic Taste To anyone who wants to develop an aesthetic eye, David recommends looking beyond that magic world. Take in art and music to understand what moves and interests you. David believes that magic isn’t an art but a craft that, in the right hands, can be elevated to an art form. Aesthetic emotion, a term coined by art critic Clive Bell, is a concept that explains that at the core of any art form are certain fundamentals that move people. When you’re creating your magic with this in mind, you should be focused on finding those universals that move people to tell your stories around – seeing snow for the first time isn’t a good emotional hook. You want people to feel what you’re saying on an instinctual basis rather than analytical, or else they’ll just try to work out how the tricks are done. In terms of material, you need to set criteria for what you’ll need. Do you need it to be short and visual? Is the setup worth the payoff? But, make sure you’re still choosing material that moves you in a way that you can convey it to the audience. You want to create texture in your magic by considering everything that you’re doing on stage and what the journey it is your audience is taking throughout the performance. Magicana Receiving funding for a magic production has always been difficult. After noticing that theatre and film had funds in place to support the industry, David put on his producers hat and decided to create his own charity to help magicians: Magicana. With the help of Patrick Watson and Daniel Zuckerbrot, the arts organization was established to explore and advance magic as an art form in the public eye. Later on, Magicana would recieve financial support from the Slaight family. The foundation has focused on putting on public shows, making content accessible to the public with free online exhibits, has helped in curating art exhibits like the Illusions: Art of Magic exhibit at the AGO and has created an annual award that recognizes emerging magicians and those who have contributed to the development of magic. Allan Slaight Covid-19 Relief Fund The Slaight’s are a community-driven family who want to support the magic community. With the recent blow dealt to the entertainment industry by Covid-19, the Slaight have set up a $150,000 fund to support professional, Canadian magicians for the next three months. All magicians who meet the requirements will receive $500 to be used towards expenses. You can apply here: https://www.magicana.com/allan-slaight-relief-fund-professional-magicians David hopes that other people who have done well by magic will step up and replicate what the Slaight have done in their own communities to support out-of-work magicians. Wrap Up Endless Chain Teller What do you like about modern magic? What don’t you like? While he enjoys that magic can be found online and accessed by anyone, he dislikes that people are able to flood magic with bad material, further muddying the waters for people trying to find material. Take-Home Point Broaden your horizons and don’t be afraid to be a lone voice. Plugs Magicana David’s Website David’s Email: [email protected]

Michael Ammar joins Jonah this week to talk about signature tricks, mentors, and leaving room for your audience’s imagination. From teaching to creating to performing, Michael Ammar has done it all, building his name in the magic community. Magic never seemed like a viable career path for him. Sure, he liked it, but he always thought he’d take over his father’s steakhouse. The turning point came one busy day at the steakhouse where his father told him that the restaurant would one day be his. Realizing that the steakhouse wasn’t fun the way magic was, Michael made a deal with his dad; he had two years to do something with magic or he’d come back. Knowing what would wait for him if he didn’t succeed, Michael started doing conferences and schools, alongside winning at a SAM convention which led him to doing lecture tours. Along the way, he’d perform some of the best spots on late night shows, create one of the most in-depth magic tutorial series, and become a mainstay in the community. Signature Magic If you’ve seen any of Michael’s material, the word “visual” would most likely come to mind. The effects he chooses, Michael explains, are simple to explain and visual because it is a visual art form. However, over the years, he’s come to appreciate the cerebral aspects of magic. Referencing the book Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud, Michael explains that by leaving spaces for the audience’s imagination to fill in the blanks, you create a collaborative environment. Suddenly, the audience and performer are working together to create the magic. After they’ve filled in the blank, Michael will then hit them with the strongest visual possible. Writing & Performing a Script Michael approaches scripting by sitting down, writing too much to say, and then scrapping what doesn’t feel right when he’s on stage. He explains that he’d rather have too much to say while he’s performing on stage rather than having nothing while he’s performing. That is the key, Michael points out. You have to find a safe stage to be able to perform material to find what does and doesn’t work. Creating Magic Tutorials When he set out to create magic tutorials, there was always the temptation to teach more than what was necessary. But, knowing that they not only wanted to set but elevate a standard, Michael went into creating the tutorials by asking what they could to make it a more effective teaching device. He spent hours immersing themselves in material longer than other people because they could. The market was ripe for good learning material which is why the tutorials hold up to this day. Nowadays, Michael says, the shelf life of this products is limited. Most products aren’t meant to sit on a shelf or become a mainstay in a collection. Putting the time and effort into products like they did back in the day isn’t necessarily worth it today with how quickly the market turns over. Wrap Up Endless Chain Jeff Taylor What do you like about modern magic? What don’t you like? Not being able to predict trends, is what Michael does and doesn’t enjoy. Trends today are things that he wouldn’t have banked on being successful a decade ago. Take Home Point It doesn’t matter where you are. You can benefit from the wealth of magic knowledge that is out there. Plugs Michael’s Website World’s Greatest Magic Want to join in on the discourse? Join the Discourse in Magic Facebook page.

Right now, we’re living through some scary, uncertain times. But, with everyone self-isolating, we’re flattening the curve and giving our healthcare system a fighting chance to get us back to some semblance of normal as quickly as possible. With all this time now, we should be focused on improving ourselves so that when we can come back, we can come back stronger than ever. The Discourse Team promises that in the coming weeks, we’ll have some fantastic guests to keep you occupied and thinking about your magic. Most likely, you’ve had gigs cancel or postpone on you due to Covid-19. Jonah, and TMC, has felt the impact and sympathizes with your circumstances. While getting through this time, Jonah offers some tips to performers: Get a deposit for future shows. Book shows a few months in advance. Include a Corona Clause to keep your current clients for the future. Make gift cards so people can still support your shows now. Whether you’re a professional or a hobbyist magician, there are activities you can be doing now to take advantage of the time. Recently, Jonah sent out an email with ideas on how to spend your time. If you’re not signed up for the mailing list and would like to keep informed, you can do so here. If you missed the email, here were the ideas mentioned in the email: Learn a new trick from the material you already own. Gather your marketing material together so that when you need it, you have it all in one place. Back up your computer. Clip out some of the footage from the shows that we’re sure you’ve been recording. Have a jam session over Skype. Transcribe your act or trick to clean up your script. Build better expense management processes. Fix your website. Listen to podcast episodes you’ve set aside (or binge some of your favourite Discourse in Magic episodes). Watch some magic online. This could be on Magicana’s Screening Room, Fool Us acts, or checking out some of the Magic Castle acts magicians have posted to YouTube. If you’re interested in joining some fans of the podcast and want to add to the discourse, you should join the Discourse in Magic Facebook group (Jonah knows. 208 episodes later and now he decides to create a place for his fans?! But! It’s here now). At the end of the day, we’ll get through this. Don’t give up hope. We’ll see you next Thursday. Peace!

Jonah joins Luke Dancy this week to discuss exposure online, consulting for Criss Angel, and the magic marketplace. Alongside being a magic consultant, Luke works with Murphy’s Magic Supplies and hosts a weekly livestream where he talks with magic creators about their recent product releases. At the age of eight, Luke saw David Copperfield performing on TV and, since then, he’s been a magician. While his journey into magic began with him dabbling with tricks, he began to take it seriously after attending a S.A.M. convention in Milwaukee when he was sixteen. Seeing so many magicians and masters of the craft in one room was an eye opening experience to him. He began to befriend people in the community, and he quickly developed a community around him. He started out as a performer, polishing his magic at a high end sushi restaurant two nights a week. As he continued to attend conventions throughout his early twenties, he began to build a name for himself and, through the help of his friend Tim Trono, Criss Angel eventually reached out to him, inviting him to join his team. After working with Criss for seven years, he would eventually move on to working with Murphy’s Magic. Consulting for Television Being a television consultant is more than just creating concepts for tricks. While you are taking old plots and making them fresh for a performer, you also need to recognize that you’ll need to wear various hats behind the scenes. There is a timeline with television productions, so if something goes wrong, you need to be ready to think on your feet and be ready to move on to the next effect if necessary. It’s a fun but extremely stressful job. Luke’s strength with consulting was his ability to take effects and place them into a real world context. When he was plotting out new tricks for Criss to do, he would walk through the casino and figure out what effects Criss could perform based on the spots he passed. The Magic Marketplace The marketplace is flooded but you shouldn’t let that discourage you, Luke explains. If you have a trick you want to see become a reality and you’ve put months or years into perfecting it, you shouldn’t give up on bringing it to the marketplace. That being said, you shouldn’t expect to become rich from releasing material; to actually make money doing that, you would need to constantly be creating and releasing and it’s impossible to continuously release quality effects. But what makes a good effect? Based on Luke’s observations, he says that tricks that have a toy aspect, are built well, and are visual are often the effects that sell well in the marketplace. The tricks also need to be something you would perform. People can tell when a trick is released for the sake of making money. Online Exposure If you’re sharing magic online when it’s not your material, Luke does not agree with it. He sees these people as wanting to gain views and monetize ideas of other people. Most of the people online sharing the scerts haven’t done anything for the community and are only damaging it by teaching other people’s material incorrectly. While he hopes that this is only a fad and will soon die out, Luke points out that if the people who stumble across these videos and gain a real interest in magic dig deeper, they’ll find the actual good material. Wrap-Up Endless Chain Ryan Schlutz What do you like about modern magic? What don’t you like? While Luke loves that the internet has given us the ability to connect with magicians and discover a deeper wealth of magic making it easier to cite sources, he dislikes how people abuse social media to get views and skip the hard work necessary to build a real name in the industry. Take Home Point Luke wants people to know that he loves magic, and he is doing everything he can to inspire and guide the next generation into the art form. Plugs Luke’s Facebook Group: All Things Magic Luke’s Murphy’s Live Show Luke’s Instagram Want to join in on the discourse? Join the Discourse in Magic Facebook page

Mike Pisciotta joins Jonah this week to discuss transitioning from close-up to stage, originality, and expressing your you through magic. Mike is an established bar magician at the Magic Castle, having won Close-Up Magician of the Year twice and Parlour Magician of the Year. While his interest in magic started at a young age, he didn’t begin practicing it until after witnessing Copperfield performing live; the dancing girls and bright lights convinced him that magic was more than just tricks for children. Desiring to know how Copperfield did what he did, Mike picked up a copy of Mark Wilson’s Complete Course in Magic and from that point forward he knew he was destined to become a magician. Throughout his life, he strayed from his path to becoming a magician several times. At one point, when he felt at his lowest, he left behind a cushy life and moved to L.A. to learn and work among the magicians at the Magic Castle. Although not the easiest scene to break into, Mike’s passion eventually helped him land his dream job of being a Magic Castle bar magician, where he still works to this day. Finding You If you’re struggling to find something to talk about on stage, you’re probably focusing on the wrong subjects. Mike explains that you need to find topics that you’re passionate about and bring you bliss. Those are the things people want to hear you talk about on stage; they don’t want to hear you reciting a script from an old magic book you found on your shelf. Your ideas can come from anywhere. For example, Mike is a constant reader with an interest in philosophy, who has brought together the ideas of other people to build up his own take on the world. When he goes on stage, he is expressing his interests through the tricks, rather than just doing tricks for the sake of the tricks. Confidence Through Comedy When Mike was starting out in L.A., he had a brief stint in comedy. Hopping from open mic to open mic, he experienced how brutal the comedy circuit was, but he gained the confidence to stand in front of a room and just speak. He knows that he doesn’t need to rely on his tricks to be interesting, which has elevated his performance. The best part of shows, Mike explains, are not the tricks but him. People book him for who he is, not because they’re looking for another magician. From Close-Up to Stage There aren’t a lot of people hiring close-up performers for intimate sets which is why he developed stage material (alongside the fact he loves it). Mike notes that the biggest difference between the two formats is not only in the trick selection but how you are presenting the effects. Suddenly, you’re trying to give thirty to a hundred people the feeling of magic which means you have to make sure everyone can see and hear what you’re doing. Wrap-Up Endless Chain John Wilson Modern Magic Mike likes that the art is coming back into magic and that stage shows are pushing magic forward. He, however, isn’t a fan of Instagram or YouTube magic that doesn’t work in the real world. Take-Home Point Follow your bliss. Plugs Mike’s Website Mike’s Instagram Mike’s Twitter Want to join in on the discourse? Join the Discourse in Magic Facebook page

Tyler Erickson joins Jonah this week to talk about working with a mentor, finding the positive, and what to consider when scripting. Alongside being an extremely skilled sleight of hand artist, Tyler is a magic coach who works to improve the approach magician’s take to assessing their own magic. Tyler’s interest in magic started while he was watching Saturday morning cartoons and eating cereal with his friend as deep inside that cereal box was a trick based on the grandma’s necklace principle. Unimpressed with the trick, Tyler resumed watching TV, forgetting about the trick until that following Monday; his friend had gathered a crowd performing the trick, and it was then Tyler realized he wanted that type of attention and told his mom he was interested in magic. Growing up in the swampland of Minnesota, Tyler depended on the inter-loan library system for his access to magic. Reading books like The Magic Handbook by Peter Eldin and 3/4 of the Greater Magic series, Tyler developed his knowledge and skills alone. He had an opportunity to show off what he learned to fellow magicians after about a year when he visited his first magic shop. While he admits the vanish he did was rather meh, the magicians were impressed that his first bit of coin magic involved putting the coin into Down’s palm. As he grew more aware of the magic community, he began to work with other skilled magicians who welcomed them into their world, sharing their own knowledge and libraries with him. Working with a Mentor A mentor is able to provide you with something that books, dvds or any other instructional text can’t provide you, Tyler explains, eyes on you. Material created by other people is created with the belief that the person buying is capable of performing exactly what it asks; the creator can’t take into account what you specifically are capable of. Whereas a mentor is able to see who you are and capitalize on the aspects that make you strong while pushing you in the directions you’re clearly passionate for. Alongside focusing on your interests, a good mentor will also help you recognize the aspects of your performance that are wrong so that you can begin to adjust and improve your performance. Thinking with Context At the end of the day, when you’re planning your performance it all comes down to context. Where are you performing? A stage performance in a theatre and sitting down at a coffee shop are two very different settings. What tone do you want? Who is the audience? What are the forces that are going to affect your trick overall? If you fail to acknowledge that different contexts call for different requirements in your performance, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Stories & Magic When it comes to telling stories with your magic, you have to step back and ask yourself: Do I like telling stories? If the answer is no, that’s fine; we’re not all born storytellers and you can’t force yourself to take on a role you don’t want to play. By forcing themselves to include stories with their tricks, magicians often cover their magic or overload the audience with information, lessening the impact of the effect. At the end of the day, Tyler points out, we’re human beings and we need to let our passions guide us for, when we express the passion we have for our interests through our performance, that’s what the audience will find entertaining. Practical Sleight of Hand If you want to do strong sleight of hand magic you need to leave your ego at the door. Tyler explains that sleight of hand magic isn’t good if your sleights are seen; you don’t get points for trying hard material. He drives home the point that you should be looking for moves that are versatile, not angle sensitive, and are at your level. Some moves may be flashy and cool for Instagram, but if you’re terrified by the thought of someone viewing the sleight from the side, then it’s probably not the correct sleight to use. His primary advice, however is: Practice. Practice. Practice. Practice. You can’t always spend your time always reading books and watching videos. While these are fine to learn from, you won’t get anywhere with your magic if your time is spent only viewing theory; you have to apply the theory to your practice and then actually perform what you’ve been working on to improve. Wrap Up Endless Chain Al Schneider Nick Diffatte What do you Like About Modern Magic? What Don’t You Like? Tyler likes that people are working harder than ever to make things better than they were in magic. However, these interesting ideas got leveraged into terrible effects because, somewhere along the way, we’ve seemingly lost clarity regarding what is classified as a miracle. Take Home Point Tyler wants the audience to remember that it is the mindset with which you teach yourself and others. The framing of things in the negative is typically disempowering. If you don’t like something, ask why and press on these things to discover the reason you’re not a fan of them

Discourse is back from our break and, to kick things off, Kostya Kimlat joins Jonah to discuss balancing your business and art, considering various audiences, and the importance of building a community. Alongside being a skilled sleight-of-hand magician, Kostya is also a business consultant and motivational speaker based in Orlando, Florida. To Kostya, he views his journey through magic as a series of episodes that have led him to his current point in life; the first episode was in Ukraine, where his father taught him two simple card tricks that sparked his interest. When his family moved to America, Kostya discovered the World’s Greatest Magic, which he would record and dissect. Between friends and mentors, Kostya continued to grow in his magic throughout his childhood until eventually his father invested in the Tarbell Course. His contributions to the field of magic started when he was young. Between newsletters and publishing in magazines, Kostya established a reputation for himself among magicians. He valued, and still does, sharing and teaching magic to help other succeed alongside him. Motivation Losing motivation when starting out your business is all too simple due to the lack of a reward system. In magic and entertainment, you are rewarded for your practice through your audiences. In business, you may only see failure after failure which is difficult to get your head around if you don’t reshape your view of success. To keep motivated, Kostya recommends starting your business with a friend. If you’re planning to go to restaurants to offer your walkaround services, pitch with a friend who shares your desire; you can keep each other accountable and give the person a nudge when they need it to continue. Keeping Secrets Any answer is only a few key strokes away if you’re determined enough to discover the secret. While this access is great for the development of humanity, it is a hindrance for magicians as there is such a wealth of knowledge out there that they don’t know how to find the good material. Kostya points to YouTube as an example of the blind leading the blind; there are people online who have measured there success in view counts, so they’re sharing less than useful information. Kostya has nothing against sharing material, pointing to his work on the cull as an example. His distinction, however, is that he studied the cull for years and has spent time teaching it in person to magicians. He goes on to refer to his YouTube video that breaks down his spots on Fool Us. He knew that kids and amateurs would be posting videos that exposed the technique, so he decided to change the conversation and post his own exposed video so that those who stumbled across it could truly appreciate the effort he put into his spot. Creating a Business For the last eighteen years, Kostya has been on his journey through magic, building the necessary skills and knowledge to start truly serving his audience’s needs and focusing on the tricks. His journey into business began with his work with tradeshows, where he had the opportunity to see how the world is much bigger than what he knew. His business views shifted when he began to learn about franchises. As he went from city to city, he recognized that there were the same magician types—with a few magicians in every city who had the same goals as him. Kostya realized that the model he built for his own success could be shared with other magicians to help them succeed. Starting out though, he knew he couldn’t treat his art like his business. The EMyth Revisited inspired Kostya when he was starting his business. Mapping out the various departments he would need for his business to efficiently run, Kostya took on each of these roles until, over the course of three years, he could hire people to fill positions. Everyday, he would put on a different hat, shifting his perspective of what he was getting done; he recognized that he sometimes needed to focus on his magic to improve his services while other times his focus needed to be in marketing. By understanding that he could focus on different aspects of his business, he shifted his definition of a successful day. Developing Magic There is a difference between practice and rehearsal. Practice is a personal thing where you work on the moves. Rehearsal involves actively working through your content and recognizing the aspects that need to be improved. Kostya rehearses alongside a team of people, all of them sharing the approach often seen in Spain; they are actively helping each other improve rather than smiling and keeping their criticism to themselves. Much like his approach to business, Kostya likes to compartmentalize his rehearsal by breaking it down into sections. One of his rehearsal techniques is what he refers to as the Penn & Teller brain. One rehearsal he doesn’t talk but moves through the actions while the next rehearsal is the talking without the actions. By

One last bite-sized episode before we return to the interviews! This week, Jonah talks about the magic of scripting and why you should seriously consider it before going on stage. There’s a magic to memorizing your script. Not only are you able to focus on the moment, but you can listen to the audience and take in their feedback. Maybe someone says a line you know you can call back to later on. Or, someone derails your trick, you can immediately jump back into your presentation. There’s also a confidence you gain when you know your script. No longer are you standing off to the side, thinking about what you’re going to say. Your focus can be on your breathing and taking in the performance atmosphere. Furthermore, having predetermined lines allows you to play with your delivery. Being able to play with your tone and volume allows you to better control the flow of your show. Memorizing a script allows you to explore and be confident when you go on stage. You don’t have to fumble for what to say next or panic when something goes wrong. Scripting acts as an anchor for you and gives your show a reliable longevity as you continue to grow on stage.

Keep your magic taste buds ready with these quick tactics from Jonah on how to book more gigs in 2020. The interviews will be back soon with some amazing guests. Booking Tactics: Email Marketing: Get into mailboxes! Reach out to the people in your market to let them know what you do. Cold Calling: If you think of it as telemarketing, you’re doing it wrong. Contact the people in your market to build a personal connection with them. You’re looking to build a relationship so when the time comes, they know a magician who would be perfect. Niching Your Network: If you know your target market, scroll through your friends with your niche in mind and reach out to them to see if they have potential opportunities in mind. Rebookings: the more organized you are, the easier this will be. Personally email the people who have booked you in the past to see if they’ll bring you back on again. Referrals: Reach out to your past gigs to see if they can connect you to people like them. Facebook Ads: You can target the people in your industry, view your metrics and customize your ads to better reach your market. Google Ads: When people search for a magician in your niche, you want to be the one that comes up first in their search.

As Jonah mentioned in the previous episode, he’s taking a four-week break from the regular interviews. So this week, while he works away behind the scenes, Jonah wants to hear about what magic is like in your city! Do a little research to see where magic and magicians reside in your city. For example, in Toronto: Clubs: Sid Lorraine Hat & Rabbit Club, Alakajam, Browser’s Den Monthly Club Shops: Browsers Den of Magic Conventions: Browser’s Bash Organization: Magicana, The Toronto Magic Company Shows: Newest Trick, The Art of Magic, The Wanderer Show, Magic & Martini Maybe you’re not seeing the event or community you want. Maybe there isn’t a community at all in your city. Well, good news! You have the opportunity to build one yourself! There are a lot of people who have recently started putting on shows and creating the magic they want to see in their area: Felice Ling & Zach Evans started up the Boston Magic Lab Brent Braun launched the J & B Magic Shop The Magic Underground has started up in Indianapolis If you’re not sure where to start, please reach out through email or social media! Jonah would love to help you build up your community.

Is this the end of Discourse in Magic? Of course not! But, Jonah is taking a break from interviews for the next few weeks to work on some projects for you, the listeners. However, he’ll keep serving up some bite-sized episodes to keep your appetites wet. While the podcast might be taking a slight break, Jonah won’t be. He’s currently working on a course that will help you take a trick and turn it into your own masterpiece. For more information, you can sign up for the mailing list at the bottom of the page. Jonah also recently released a book! If you’re looking for help on how to become a professional, Your First Five Gigs is a great resource. Jonah draws on his own experiences starting out to help you avoid the common mistakes he did. You can purchase the book here: https://gumroad.com/l/ZibZR. As always, if you have questions or comments about the podcast or anything magic related, please reach out!

Episode 200! To celebrate this milestone, Jonah travelled all the way to Spain to sit down with the maestro himself: Juan Tamariz. At four years old, Juan fell in love with magic and knew he had to become a magician. However, becoming a magician wasn’t a viable option back in the day, so he attended film school. While working in the film industry, he performed in the summer; he learned a lot about performing while making very little. Eventually, after a brief stint in advertising, he decided to pursue magic as nothing else would suffice for him. Mentors Slydini. Ascanio. Robert Houdini. Frakson. These are some of the magicians who were his friends and mentors. From teaching him to love his audience to not seeking glory to the fundamentals of magic, Juan learned alongside and was inspired by these magicians. During the episode, Juan steps away from the mic to show Jonah a photo of him and his friends: Magic in Spain What separates magic in Spain compared to anywhere else, is the love of magic and fellow magician. Magicians in Spain are constantly meeting and sharing ideas, working together to create magic moments to share with their audiences. When newcomers to magic approach him or come to the magic club, they aren’t turned away but rather led down a path that matches their skill level. More and more, the people in Spain are recognizing magic as an art. They attend shows, know magicians and appreciate the beauty behind magic. Compared to when Juan was starting out, magic has continued to rise in popularity, making the potential to be a magician and share magic an attainable goal. Making Magic Juan has no one method for creating his magic. He waits for inspiration to strike him. When an idea hits him, the focus is on the effect rather than the method; while he doesn’t want the audience to know how an effect is done, he wants the effect to be simple and clear. In terms of expressing emotions or theme, Juan doesn’t set out with the single goal of expressing a particular idea through his patter or the trick; he believes that the effects he chooses and the way he performs express his interior views of the exterior world. At the end of it all, he mainly wants to experience the magic with his audience. He loves the audience, and he loves magic. By stopping to experience the magical moment before moving to the next trick, he too can revel in the emotional impact magic can bring. Wrap Up Endless Chain Roberto Giobi What do you like about modern magic? What don’t you like? Juan enjoys the communication of magic alongside the fact that there are more magicians sharing the wonderful art form with the world. Take Home Point “I LOVE YOU!”

Jonah is joined by Nathan Kranzo this week to talk about creating unique effects, entertaining an audience, and taking risks. Nathan is known for his out of the box thinking when it comes to magic and performing. Like most kids, Nate received a magic kit, but he wasn’t exactly ready for one; it didn’t take long for him to fill the drawer box with lit firecrackers. His influence to take up magic came from his grandfather who, while not a magician, was the ultimate prankster. Nate was introduced to fake snot and envelopes filled with rattlesnakes eggs by his grandfather at a young age. While not magic, it instilled the love of jokes and pranks in him. It wouldn’t be until he was 15 that he saw live magic. The carnival came to his suburban town and in the beer tent the local IBM had stationed their booth. He watched a man do an amazing billiard ball routine, giving him his first taste of good sleight of hand. Nate took their flyer and put it in his junk drawer, only returning to it a year later when he and his friends started to get into magic. Nate would go on to cover every aspect of the familiar magician starting out stories. He joined a club and saw a performer with chops. He went off to university and worked at a magic store where he honed his presentation and sleight of hand skills. He started street performing and learned from buskers. He dealt with kids shows and made his way around open mic nights to hone his skills. Unique Creations Say things out loud and follow the tangents. Throw things at the wall and see what sticks. Write down ideas that sound dumb because those are the ones that tend to be the best ones. There are no rules to creating, Nate explains, which is why you can’t limit yourself. When he was starting out, he started creating his own effects by drawing on the sleights and concepts he knew; he didn’t really have access to material and nobody told him he couldn’t try to make his own material. Research Nate spends a lot of time researching and going down rabbit holes. Utilizing the endless amount of magic content on YouTube, library resources, calling and emailing people, and following leads on sites like Alexander, Nate has built up a substantial toolbox for himself. When an idea falls into his lap, he is able to point to similar concepts. While this, at first, isn’t necessarily creative, his knowledge helps him develop his own material. Going out to see live entertainment is a resource Nate uses for performance research. The only way to be inspired to entertain is seeing other performers. Watch how they work the room and connect with the audience. Magic crosses over with a lot of other art forms, so you can draw on techniques of good showmen from other entertainment areas. Comedy & Magic Magic doesn’t need to be funny, it just has to have an energy that moves the audience; you want them to feel the passion behind what you’re doing if you want them to be entertained. Nate just prefers mixing comedy and magic because making others laugh is what brings him joy. If you’re looking to add comedy to your magic, Nate recommends not only watching comedians but listening to the audience. On the odd occasion and audience member may toss you a line that you can integrate into your show. Wrap Up Endless Chain Eric Buss Modern Magic Nate enjoys the fact that technology allows us to connect with people easier than before. Even though magic clubs are struggling, younger members are able to find them because of posts they see on Twitter and Instagram. Suddenly, they are now plugged into their community. Nate doesn’t like how much people shit on each other. We’re all playing in the same sandbox. Take Home Point There are no wrong answers. Magic can be whatever you want it to be for you. Plugs Visit Kranzo Magic and use the discount code THANKS for 20% off for the next few weeks! Nate’s Instagram Nate’s Twitter

Ben Train, Chris Mayhew and Jacque Swan join Jonah once again this year to reflect on 2019 and look ahead to 2020. From winning awards, to getting into performing, to disillusionment, a lot has happened since last year’s episode. The four also discuss coin magic, soup, and Ben creates a drinking game involving Jonah’s hats. Highlights Ben: His highlight was being able to produce so many shows in 2019. Through TMC, he has been able to share the magicians he loves with Toronto. Chris: Now that he’s working with Lost Art, he had the opportunity to experience the business and curation side of magic. He also was happy to start performing on stage again. Jacque: Her highlight was the amount of shows she performed in, seeing her confidence grow on stage, and finding tricks that she’s been able to make her own. Jonah: Overall, he had a fantastic year. Between travelling to interview magicians for the podcast to his summer tour to the work he did with TMC, he was able to accomplish so much magic wise. Lowlights Ben: He didn’t make the changes he had wanted to make in terms of his personal show. Chris: Although working with Lost Art has been fantastic, he regrets not working on more of his own material for release. Jacque: The period where she just had no drive to practice or do any magic. She feels the impacts of that down time now. Jonah: He struggled with how much time he wanted to spend focusing on the creative aspects of magic. 2020 Resolutions: Ben: He wants to find a balance in his magic by looking into other aspects like lecturing and producing shoes. He’s also made moves in other areas outside of magic to help this balance. Chris: He wants to start performing his one man show again. Jacque: She wants to actively show people the material she’s working on. Jonah: While he still wants to be a performer, he wants to grow as a show producer and podcaster. Words of Wisdom Ben: Accept and invite change in your life. Chris: Self love is critical. Jacque: Embrace your community. Jonah: Plan big. Be ambitious. Plugs: Ben’s Instagram (Check out The Toronto Magic Company) Chris’ Instagram (Check out Lost Art Magic) Jacque’s Instagram (Check out Sleight Club)  

To kick off the new magic year, Jonah sits down with Woody Aragon to discuss developing taste, resonating with an audience, and expressing a message through your magic. Woody is viewed as one of the most important modern card magicians, known for his contribution to stack work. Woody jokes that he came out of themwomb loving magic. He can’t recall a time when he was a layperson even though, where he grew up in Spain, there wasn’t a magic scene. Because access to magic knowledge was difficult, his formative years were spent recording and analyzing Tamariz performances. Eventually, he gained access to books and the Spanish magic community. While magic may currently be his profession, it wasn’t really an option for him growing up. Woody’s family, having not come from the arts, wanted him to do something more practical than “magician,” so he took up a job in the video game industry and, eventually, worked as a composer. His career as a magician didn’t begin until he started to win magic competitions, leading to other magicians booking him for shows. Realizing magic could sustain his lifestyle, Woody pursued his dream. Developing Taste Magicians have a tendency to kill the feeling of magic as they don’t take in the external life of a trick. While lectures and books are great for learning, they fail to let you experience the effects for what they are. So, to truly develop a taste, Woody recommends watching the audience. Observe when they laugh. When they’re shocked. When they’re excited. Little by little you’ll develop a taste for what excites an audience. The Subtext of Magic Through your art you are creating something that expresses what you have inside of you. If you over analyze what and how you want to express yourself, you will lose it. Choose the effects and patter that feel natural to who you are. Behind every trick you perform is a message whether you acknowledge it or not. Structure & Composition Knowing the difference between structure and composition is a useful tool for magicians to know. Structure applies to what the audience doesn’t see; the secret moves necessary to create the desired effect. Composition applies to what the spectator sees. Together these two aspects affect how the spectator observes and feels about the performance. For a deeper insight into Structure & Composition, you can read the essay in Woody’s A Book in English. Tamariz & Spain Tamariz was like a father to Woody; he was generous in sharing with Woody, teaching him everything he knows about magic. And therein lies the secret, Woody explains, the sharing of knowledge. Spain is about sharing and being open with magic. Whether new or veterans, magicians in Spain gather together to share and collaborate on effects, creating a dynamic that influences the progress of magic. When Woody enters other communities, he’s often disappointed by the lack of sharing between the older and younger generations. Wrap Up Endless Chain Hector Mancha Camilo Vazquez What do you like about modern magic? What don’t you like? Magic is always great! Take Home Point How do you feel when you perform magic? How do you express that feeling to the audience. What do you want to do with this feeling? Plugs Woody’s Website Woody’s YouTube Woody’s Instagram Woody’s Penguin Lectures

Surprise! It’s a bonus episode to end your year with a little more magic. Jonah sits down with Paul Gertner to talk about performing on TV, putting a spin on your magic, and developing a kicker. Paul is a closeup magician with an on running show in Boston; he’s also the only magician who has appeared on Fool Us three times. The ads on the back of comics for magic tricks and other oddities fascinated Paul. While he never ordered any of the magic, he sought out magic books in the library. Soon, he was building props on his own, learning simple card tricks, and studying the world of magic. However, as a kid growing up in Pittsburgh, he didn’t know how to access these other magicians. His first introduction to the magic community came from his mother having a chance encounter with a woman on the bus – her husband was a magician and would soon become Paul’s mentor. His mentor, Ron, would soon introduce him to the magic club and store alongside showing Paul there was a world of knowledge beyond what the library books could offer him. Creating Unique Magic At some level, there are those with the innate ability to create unique magic. However, to truly develop good magic, obsession and knowing the ins and out of your art will make a difference. If you’re fascinated with the creating aspect of magic, then you need to be willing to play and practice with your magic. Learning the techniques and concepts while diving further into what surprises you can get out of a trick will help you develop your own twist on effects. Now, if you’re looking to add a kicker, you need to be weary – too many kickers and “surprise” moments will get boring, and adding a kicker that requires too much thinking on the audience’s part may result in a lackluster response. You need to ask yourself “Why am I doing this?” from the audience’s perspective. Is there a moment you can call back to? Does the kicker make sense in the overall plot thread of the trick? Appearing on TV Between his multiple appearances on Carson and Fool Us, it’s safe to say that Paul knows how to perform on television. For getting on Carson, it came down to understanding what Johnny wanted and appealing to his desire to be a magician again. For Fool Us, even though he wasn’t initially supposed to appear on the show, Paul understood that he needed to play against what Penn & Teller knew if he wanted to fool them, and he wanted to fool them in a way that they’d enjoy. Developing a Show When he was living in Pittsburgh, Paul’s dream of having his own boutique close-up show didn’t seem reasonable. There wasn’t enough traffic to sustain a show like the one he wanted. It wasn’t until he moved to Boston that his dream became realistic, and he set off from hotel to hotel, trying to find a venue that met his needs. With some venues wanting too much money and other’s outright declining him, Paul was becoming discouraged but, on a whim, took a shot at the Omni Parker Hotel. Miracles and Other Deceptions is now a weekly show going three years strong at the Omni Parker. While the show had a slow start, Paul now performs his intimate close-up show twice a night for sold out audiences. Wrap Up Endless Chain Richard Turner What do you like about modern magic? What don’t you like? Gertner enjoys the fact that someone like Shin Lim, a closeup magician, can become a star on the same level as Siegfried and Roy. He isn’t a fan of how some magicians posting online seem to believe that a method is a trick in itself. Take Home Point Ask yourself “Why am I doing something?” Plugs Paul’s Show Paul’s Website Paul’s YouTube Paul’s Instagram

Happy Holidays! As the decade draws to a close, Jonah sits down to reflect on the trends we’ve seen in magic and makes his prediction on where magic is headed.

This week Ben Earl joins Jonah to discuss practice, sleight of hand, and approaching magic as an art. Alongside being a skilled sleight of hand artist, Ben is also an author and founder of Studio52. Ben’s interest in magic started when he stumbled across Expert Card Technique at his local library. The book was his glimpse into an underground subculture that he knew he needed to learn more about. However, in his twelve year old mind, sleight of hand was illegal, so he dropped the book out of the window. He didn’t want the librarian to take the book away from him or send him to jail because he was considering taking the book out. Ben devoured the book, never connecting that the moves he was learning were for magic tricks until he saw David Blaine on TV doing moves he recognized. After showing his friends a few moves and finding a magic shop, he was addicted to the art form. Magic as an Art Magic has been a constant in Ben’s life as the art keeps him intellectually and creatively stimulated like nothing else. He can take a coin and make it appear or disappear with this intuitive understanding that he is just playing with bigger ideas. Methods and concepts are just tools he can use to communicate ideas and understand his own approach to the world. There is an inherent duality to magic. At times, Ben feels that he’s just performing card tricks whereas other times he recognizes he can reshape someone’s understanding of the world. Just by understanding that magic, like any other art form, has an inherent, absurd duality to it, Ben is able to step aside from one aspect of magic to focus on ones that intrigue him. This is why he doesn’t call himself a magician per se but a creative artist; he is constantly creating, and writing, and thinking about magic, but he is only a magician in the eyes of a layperson who can only describe what he just showed them as magic. By calling himself a creative artist, he doesn’t feel like he’s attaching himself to a restrictive or reductive title. Attributing Meaning Magic is fascinating because it isn’t real. The art form revolves around simulating the impossible with the shared understanding that what is being done isn’t real. However, like in a film, we suspend our disbelief long enough to experience something beyond our understanding of the world. With this being said, it can be difficult to bring your own meaning into the art form. For Ben, meaning comes from moving towards the things he likes; when something feels right, he does more of it. Overtime, he discovers things that have meaning to him and what drives him to what he’s connected to. Problem solving and creating aesthetically pleasing solutions appeal to Ben which drives his magic creation process. Approaching Sleight of Hand Sleight of hand, supposedly, is using deceptive means to achieve a certain result, yet magicians often regard good sleight of hand artists as ones where we can “see” the moves happening; you perceive in their performance that a move has happened. In Ben’s opinion, good sleight of hand is when the sleight is so perfectly choreographed into the routine that you can’t tell when or how it happened; you missed the move like you were supposed to. To achieve good sleight of hand, you have to put into perspective what you want sleight of hand to be for the spectator. An ace cutting routine is inherently a demonstration of your skill, while controlling a card or performing a pass shouldn’t even be smelt by the spectators. With that being said, magicians are still trying to determine how to separate the performance aspect of sleight of hand from the deceptive nature of the practice. When you’re practicing sleight of hand, you are building habits and muscle memory that will eventually make a move an extension of your body. However, if you practice slouched over your desk, staring at your cards, and disregarding the other factors inherent in performance, that is how you will perform for other people. Ben recommends practicing moves in environments that stimulate social situations as to grow comfortable with compensating for environmental restrictions. Discovering your Path Magic is an overwhelming art form with various avenues to explore. You, unfortunately, can’t do all the moves and tricks. Rather than trying to cover up your magic gaps, Ben recommends embracing them as a part of who you are. The difficult part is finding the right path for you and what you want to explore in magic. Writing, teaching, performing. These are just some of the paths in magic people can explore, and they may not all be for you, but just enjoy the process of discovering what is magic to you. However, be aware that you’re being trained to be a consumer. Magic is a small community, and there is material constantly being released. With everyone buying and reading the same material, Ben sees people approaching magic with the same influences; they are all talking and developing the same material, rather than exploring different ter

This week Jonah is joined by R. Paul Wilson to discuss scams, the ties between magic and film, and the exposure of magic. Alongside being a magician with a vast knowledge of cons and scams, Wilson is also an author and filmmaker. At eight Wilson was hooked on magic after seeing his first trick. Around the same time, he watched his first film about scams. Since then, his life has been intertwined with these passions. Growing up in Edinburgh, however, made finding material to learn magic from difficult. Eventually he stumbled across a book on card tricks which turned out to be Hugard’s Card Manipulation series. As his interest in cards tricks developed, he realized that the moves in the book could be adapted to playing card games. Cons & Scams Not wanting to turn to a life of crime, Wilson needed to find a different way to share his interest in cons and scams; he had all this knowledge just nowhere he could (legally) use it. His chance to use his knowledge came in the form of shows like Takedown and The Real Hustle. Suddenly, he had the opportunity to pull off cons and scams he had only read about. Working on these shows helped him realize why certain seemingly obvious or convoluted scams worked on people. Wilson explains that, while you may not fall for one scam, there is always something that will appeal to you. To protect yourself from falling victim, he explains that the best you can do is learn the general principles behind scams and understand that anyone can fall victim to a con in the hands of a skilled con artist. It’s human nature. Just be willing to step back from a situation and realize that you might be falling victim to a scam. When you have an appreciation for something that is highly illegal, you need to find a different way to share your interests. For Wilson, The Magic of Film Filmmaking is magic to Wilson. Film is an environment where magic is conducted as you are creating an immersive world to tell a story. By cutting together sound and images in a certain ways, a filmmaker has the potential to create a compelling illusion. The seeds for cinema, however, were cultivated by magicians. The thinking of magicians led to filmmakers exploring and discovering tricks they could do with the format. If magicians had ignored the motion picture phenomen, Wilson believes film would have taken a different path to get to where it is today. Creating Magic When Wilson creates an effect, he goes down a rabbit hole of “it’d be interesting if…” and follows the trail. Of course not everything turns out to be perfect — some ideas are written down or set aside. His goal when creating is to develop something strong but useful; he doesn’t want magicians shoving his work to the back of their drawers. If you sit down with the intent of creating something new, Wilson warns, you have to be wary that you’re not treading on already trodden ground. You probably aren’t discovering something new, and, if you think you have, you have to be willing to check to see if it’s been published elsewhere. Our Magic Our Magic came from Wilson growing weary of people outside of magic trying to show what the inner world of magic; they would come into the world for a small period of time and give their basic perspective on the art. But, if you’re not a magician, how would you really know what world built on keeping secrets is like? He wanted lay people to hear what magic is from really strong magicians, so he approached Dan and Dave with a proposal for a documentary. In the film, very little magic is shown on the screen. This was a deliberate decision as Wilson didn’t want to boil magic down to a few effects that may or may not hook the audience. Instead, Wilson interviewed people who could speak about magic without needing to resort to a trick to make their point. His goal, at the end of the day, was help the public develop a respect for the art. Wrap Up Endless Chain Ian Kendall Tom Frank Mat Ricardo What do you like about modern magic? What don’t you like? Wilson doesn’t like how easily information is disseminated nowadays. He’s not against sharing magic online, he just wants there to be some level of direction for incoming magicians, so they have an appreciation for where the material has come from. Take Home Point Wilson reminds listeners of the importance of being open and sharing. Magic, like many thing in life, is genuinely about sharing yourself with your audience. Plugs Wilson’s Website Wilson’s Twitter Wilson’s Instagram Penguin Magic Vanishing Inc. However, he asks that you forget about his material and go read a good magic book. Any book that interests you. Just read it cover to cover. It’ll change the way you approach magic.

Javi Benetiz joins Jonah this week to discuss movement, meaning and the importance of experiencing life. Javi is an award winning sleight-of-hand magician from Spain, who brings his passion for life into his magic. The moment that drew him into magic, Javi recalls, happened when he was four years old; his father did a colour change that has stuck in his memory ever since. Between seeing Tamariz on television and his older brother’s own interest, Javi began to practice magic. It wouldn’t be until reading Ascanio’s books that he began to see magic as a beautiful form of communication; Javi could feel the passion behind Ascanio’s words and fell deeper in love with the artistic side of magic. Treating Magic as an Art Magicians often refer to magic as an art, but they don’t always treat it as such. While some magicians don’t consider why they are doing a trick, others fail to value their own and the audience’s time. Javi explains that what the audience doesn’t see is the time and effort magicians often out into their effects; by not properly presenting tricks and considering you spectator, you are doing yourself a disservice to the effort your out into the effect. In terms of bringing meaning to your effects, Javi explains that it’s not what you can say with magic but knowing what’s right to say for you. You have to be interested in what you’re saying as you cannot produce something others will be interested in if you don’t care about it yourself. At the end of the day, the magic should about you building a connection with the audience and bringing them into your world. Movement in Magic Drawing on what he learned while working in advertising, Javi explains that good design makes life easier. Movement in magic has the same purpose. Whether you’re physically moving or moving the spectators mind to a specific point, movement should make following the magic easier for the spectator and the magician. After all, we are our bodies, not our hands. By only focusing on exact technique and not adapting the moves it to our entire body, we lose part of our expression alongside the clarity movement can bring into a trick. A Positive Attitude You need to be you, and you need to believe in you. By constantly putting yourself down and not believing in your ideas, you cannot develop in your art. That being said, however, Javi reminds the listeners that you also have to be critical. If you’re an over believer in yourself, you face similar troubles. At the end, it’s about believing and pursuing in what you think. If you don’t, you make it easier for people to change or not care about your ideas. Wrap Up Endless Chain Miguel Munoz What do and don’t you like about current magic? Javi enjoys that magic is seeing new ideas. With media, magic is seeing young people try creative things. It’s now not a question of where we are taking our ideas from but where are we taking the ideas to. While Javi enjoys watching this trend, he dislikes the direction magic seems to be growing towards. The focus is more on “How did you do that?” then creating a sense of the impossible. Take Home Point Be totally passionate about your magic and learn everything you have to learn to be what you want to be. Plugs Javi’s Website Javi’s Instagram

While in Spain, Jonah sat down with Fernando Figueras to discuss presentation, honesty in magic, and being a magic coach. Alongside being known for his rich and emotional presentation style, Fernando is also a magic coach who focuses on developing magicians’ practical performance skills. At nineteen, Fernando was attending university for computer engineering. When he began to develop an interest in magic, he may have practiced his hacking to get into “secret” magician forums. As he delved into these forums, he began to realize magic went deeper than he first expected. He was hooked. Fernando was never alone when learning magic. Rather than him sitting alone with a book, he attended clubs and sought out people with an itnerest in magic to develop his own skills. People warmly welcomed him, eventually becoming his ‘Maestro Amigos,’ or his mentor/friends, who lived and learned in magic with him. Performing Magic in a Group Fernando’s introduction to performing magic was alongside a group of magicians. Rather than a traditional approach to a magic show, Fernando and his friends created a weekly show with Monty Python-esque style of routines; at any given time, there would be at least two magicians on stage with each new scenario being woven into the preceding act. The plots were simple and their close team dynamic allowed them to create entertaining shows. The overall goal of the show may have been to have fun, but Fernando points out he learned a lot from that experience. Roles. Blocking. Misdirection. Forgetting your ego and working with someone else to let them pull off a miracle. Campus Magico For the past five years, Fernando has hosted a week long workshop at a cottage near Madrid, Spain. With class sizes limited to fifteen students, attendees will spend ten hours a day immersing themselves in the study of emotions, movement, creativity and metaphor in magic. There are no tricks, only practical instruction that students can apply to their overall performance. Campus Magico started out of Fernando’s desire to share the experience he had learning magic in Spain: Magic, beer and fun. He explains that the students who have attended the workshop often leave with a new perspective and approach on magic; they realize that buying magic is not the way to improve, but deeply studying and dissecting tricks. Crafting Reactions If you want genuine reactions, you need to be honest. Magic is an art in communication, and, through this art, you will be communicating a piece of yourself. If you’re not honest with who you are, or you don’t know who you are, it can be difficult to perform genuine magic. Fernando acknowledges that you will change as a person and feel different things at different points, but you have to be aware of these changes and how they affect your approach. When you’re considering what sort of reaction you want from your audience, Fernando asks what is your definition of ‘reaction?’ It’s a given that you want the audience to be surprised as surprise and fascination is inherently embedded in magic; if you simply perform a trick without putting yourself into it, you didn’t really do anything to get a reaction – the trick did. You cannot fully control the reactions of the audience; they’re going to react based on their mood and what they are willinging to take in from your magic. By being honest in what you want to express, you can let your emotions flow through your tricks. With that in mind, however, your magic should not turn into a group therapy session. Wrap Up Endless Chain What do you like about modern magic? What don’t you like? Fernando appreciates the level of dedication Miguel Munoz put into his FISM act; he had the honour of watching it evolve over the years as Miguel continues to polish it. Take Home Point Try to know yourself. Plugs Campus Magico Fernando’s Instagram

Jonah has returned from Spain and, as souvenirs for his listeners, has brought back a number of episodes with some amazing Spanish magicians. First up is Juan Rubiales, who sat down to discuss mentors, bringing emotion into your magic, and loving yourself. Alongside being a skilled magician, Juan is also a talented caricature artist. After being shown a magic trick at fourteen, Juan decided to perform it for his ill grandfather. Upon finishing the trick, Juan witnessed his grandfather smile for the first time in a month. Driven to recapture and share that feeling he had upon seeing his grandfather’s reaction, Juan knew he was meant to become a magician. Not aware of magic clubs or meetings, he began to search out people who could teach him at bars. He was obsessed with learning the art. It wouldn’t be until he met a performing magician that he discovered the world of magic in Spain when he was invited to a magic club twenty minutes from them. Entering into the club, Juan was greeted by the likes of Juan Tamariz alongside those he was not familiar with at the time, but he would later learn were skilled in their own right. Driven by Magic After seeing his grandfather smile, Juan knew he was meant to be a magician. Magic was something bigger than him, and, to truly feel like he was living, he needed to share it with others. He landed his first reoccurring show at a theme park after showing a higher up a trick; the director proceeded to fund a stage show for him, letting him perform it multiple times a week. However, eventually, he left it all behind. Magic had stopped being about sharing his passion for the art and quickly became about the money. Shows had just become a way to earn a paycheck for Juan, and he hated that this was true. So, he quit magic. It wouldn’t be until two years later that Tamariz would bump into him and ask where he had been. After explaining the situation, Juan was invited to dinner with Tamariz where the two spent five hours discussing magic. Juan left that meeting with a new passion for magic and a promise to himself that he wouldn’t perform magic in a place he didn’t want to perform. Mentors Juan has had the opportunity to learn under a few mentors in Spain, including Juan Tamariz. His mentors, however, showed him more than just magic. They taught him about life. About sharing emotions, and about understanding the audience. If you’re looking for a mentor, Juan recommends finding someone who not only has more magic experience than you, but more life experience. A mentor should help you grow as a magician and as a person. Being Yourself Under his mentor, Juan learned that if he was going to truly express his emotions and soul through his magic, he would need to accept himself. Conforming to what others expect of you and hiding away what makes you you only stifles the effect of your magic. Everyone picks up ways to act from others, so it’s imperative to sit down and work out who you are. Asking friends and family to answer a few questions about you can help in sorting out you personality traits. The most important part about magic, according to Juan, is not the magician but connecting with the audience. The magic happens in their heads, so you need to be able to connect with them at a personal level to truly share your magic. Figuring out who you are is a key component to creating this connection. To bring your personality into your magic, you have to be ready to fail. Choose a trick you love and have a connection to and fail. Then keep working to improve it, diving into research if necessary, to make it something you love performing. The failure will hurt but the effort will be worth it when you eventual perform a beautiful effect. Wrap-Up Endless Chain What do you like about modern magic? What don’t you like? Juan likes what magic online is doing it. Not only is it showcasing magic to a larger audience, but it’s giving those who are interested in magic another way to enter the art. Juan isn’t a fan of magic on television that relies heavily on stooges and editing. He’s fine with it as a form of entertainment, but he wouldn’t refer to it as magic. Take Home Point You must do the thing that you love. Don’t look at other people, just be yourself. Plugs Juan’s Instagram Juan’s Twitter Juan’s Facebook Juan’s Website Juan’s Material

While Jonah’s away in Spain, Ben Train has infiltrated Jonah’s computer (he really needs a less obvious password). Instead of his original list “10 Weird Facts About Jonah,” Ben has decided to give you some tips on how to start your own show. So, without further ado: Build a Team: You can’t run a show alone! Find like minded individuals who want to help create and run the show. Find the Show’s Purpose: Simply put, what is the show about? Are you putting on an open mic or a classy parlour affair? Learn Your Audience You can’t please everyone. Learn who your audience is so you can better design and market your show. Pick a Name: And make it memorable. You need a name that is interesting, expresses what the show is about, and is unique – you don’t want your audience to confuse you with other brands that have the same name. Find a Venue A free venue to be exact. Find a place that serves your show’s needs. A lot of venues will gladly welcome free entertainment. Create Graphics Anywhere you advertise needs a graphic. Remember that some of the places you advertise on will require different dimensions. Take Photos A picture is worth a thousand words! Take photos of visual magic and the audience to share on social media. Investing in a photographer i Invest in Production Value Start with a mic. Not only will your audience be able to hear you, it’ll raise the perceived professionalism of your show. After that you can consider purchasing lights, speakers, backdrops, etc. Sell Tickets You’ll probably rely on friends and family starting out. But, once you put together a good show and start advertising, you will start to draw the public’s attention. Just be realistic about your audience numbers! Produce a Good Show Flashy graphics and photos will only get you so far. You want people to not only experience an amazing magic show, but you want them to tell their friends about it. At the end of the day, you need to just go out and do it. You’ll learn as you go, and you might even find that some of Ben’s advice isn’t right for you. Just give it a shot! And let us know if you’re putting one on – Ben promises that Jonah will personally come down to perform on your lineup. Shout out to the Magic Lab in Boston which has its debut show December 5th!

It’s a minisode this week! Jonah recently sat down with math tutor Vanessa Vakharia on her podcast, Math Therapy, to work through his math-related traumas. If you hate math, this is the perfect podcast for you! If you’re interested in hearing the full episode or still need more math therapy, you can find the full episode list on the Math Guru website. You can even find the homework Jonah was prescribed to help him come to terms with his math trauma. The following clip was pulled from Episode 3: A Mathemagical Crisis.