talkmagic.co.uk

As I lay upstairs in bed last night (my son see's to it I see more of the night than I'd ideally like! although to be fair he's only 3months old)...anyhoo I got to thinking...

Does/did anyone stop as they skip(ped) down the road of learning magic, and think back to their inspirational magician(s) (whomever they are/were) and start to think ok that's how that particular effect was done...and then start to think at the same time...in some respects I wish I hadn't come to that conclusion!

I do sometimes...And then I think I don't mind, as the reaction of the people I perform for makes up for my loss there this and the other points below...

I'm not saying that learning magic detracts from the performance, it's the techniques we learn, not the performance. The performance comes from the person which is always a joy to watch, and not to be taken of course, and there will always be as many ways to perform and effect as there are magicians, and "new" effects popping up

In fact some could argue that knowing the techniques allows you to concentrate on the performance ergo taking the enjoyment of the performance to a different level! And of course personally speaking 90% of the stuff I don't know (yet) (and that's being generous to me ).

So I reached the conclusion that, learning magic is just allowing the bug that's been inside to take control a little more...and open my eyes even more to the performance!

My opinion of course...and I welcome different views!

EDIT: oops...just started reading this... post[/url]

The more I know about the art, the more I am intrigued to watch others perform it.....think of it like a musician.....they don't stop liking/listening to music just because they perform it themselves......it is often quite the oppoisite......I do enjoy watching it for slightly different reasons than I used to, but that doesn't detract from watching it at all!

I still love watching magic as much as I always have but I'm more selective in what I watch now than I was when I was starting out. I used to watch just about anything but now that I've developed more of a sense of what I like to watch and don't, and also what I can potentially use myself as I've progressed.

I'm also more interested in watching other magicians performance skills as well as the actual magic that they are performing.

It is extremely rare that I do not know how a trick is done - or at least how it could have been done. Yet, when I watch magic I completely disregard my knowledge and just enjoy like a layperson. I love watching magic, and if it is perform nicely I enjoy as much as anyone else. Yet, I can still analyse what I watched in retrospect and maybe find ways to modify or maybe even improve the presentation. It is only if the magician is poor, boring or have bad technique that my enjoyment stop at I begin to think in critical terms.

I love watching magicians for the tricks I can't decontstruct. I am a big Derren Brown fan and have recently watched both series of Trick of the Mind and Something Wicked. Being quite a novice, I still don't have a clue how half (roughly) of them are done and they are great. I also like to see how really simple some of them are and how much you can make of something that simple; like the liar test on Something Wicked.

I absolutely love watching magic and even if I'm watching a trick that I know how its done. I can just appreciate the skill of the performer, a well performed peace of magic is after all a peace of performance art. Like watching a juggler I suppose, knowing how it is done doesn't detract in any way from the beauty of the performance.

It seems to be the main thing is..."it's art...enjoy it!"

And quite right too!

I love watching some of the Paul Daniels stuff! And some of those fellas now messrs brown, blaine et al

P.S. Moodini Absolutely loved the analogy to music and linked in with what you're saying probably comes from the fact I've been playing guitar for a few years now (14 to be precise).

I always loved watching magic as a kid, especialy amazed at how things were done. Sleight of hand was always one of the most amazing types of tricks as there were no large boxs or props it was simplier and more stunning I thought. Only recently did I rediscover magic, When I saw Penn and teller's cigarette trick explaingin palming I discovered how manyof the simpler tricks wre probably done, it took away the mystery but at the same time replaced it with admiration for the skill and inumerable hours of practice it mus have taken. I still enjoy stage magic for trying to think of how a trick was done or at least how it could be done.

The answer is NO, if you are a true magician and love magic. Knowing the techniques and secrets should enable you to appreciate even more a skilled performance or original/polished presentation.
Alas in any Art there are those wanabees and never will be's who will run anything and anyone down. This is very prevalent in Magic ( and Art & Music). THEY don't have the skills of real performance, though sadly many THINK they do, so to run others down is easier. Magician's Ego is the cause. " Oh I do it this way" etc. is an oft heard cry as though there is NO other way of doing it. This is one of the reasions why Magic is often despised by members of the Public and the Profession.
I have been immersed, passionately,from childhood, in Magic, since 1942 & Theatre, since 1937. As an adjudicator for many years, I have had to CONSTRUCTIVELY criticise performances, always pointing out the good points, stengths etc. and advising HOW to remedy the weak ones. Consequently, when watching a play or magic performance,for pleasure, I've had to divorce my critical faculties from that performance . Otherwise I'd never enjoy what I'd gone to see.
RETAIN YOUR SENSE OF WONDER & LOVE OF MAGIC.
NEVER confuse personal opinion with personal rancour
Ask yourself, "Could I stand up there and do that Act in front of that audience?"
Keep yourself sane and happy. Don't run magic & magicians down, especially ( as I've seen on a number of occasions) in the Pub;lic's hearing.
Allen Tipton

no not really i love magic I am addicted to perfect it and show off the new skill i learned and if i know how some things done and watch it I have to relax myself just to enjoy it like a normal spectator watches the effect so I am not nosey and try to see when he or her does the dirty work. But always have the magical moment feeling when watching true magic. If I don't know how something is done i will watch it over and over. if i watch it on tv there is always recording it and watching it over and over until I have an idea how its done. I think anyone would be shocked how many times I have watched David Copperfield Illusions that is true magic along with criss angels mindfreak episodes.

Since I got into magic. I loved watching magic even more. I don't get to perform as much in England but I'll take whatever I can get. I tend to pick up something new when watching someone else perform it.

Jon Armstrong performed the 'Biddle Trick' for me once and I've changed almost all of the handling of the trick.

I would love to watch a magician-if only there were a show around here!
Haybails, check; cows, check; jacked-up pick-up trucks, check; magic shows? Nah, not likely!

It doesn't detract at all!

What gets me is all my friends saying " i saw this magician do 'x' the other other day... can u do and and can you tell me how?"

How many times do you say no i can't tell u, before they stop?? hehe

nhmagicman wrote:It doesn't detract at all!

What gets me is all my friends saying " i saw this magician do 'x' the other other day... can u do and and can you tell me how?"

How many times do you say no i can't tell u, before they stop?? hehe

Friend: tell me...

Me: no.

Friend: ah go on...tell me

Me: No.

Friend: please...tell me.

Me: NO...now sod off before I magically turn your beer into pee...

maybe we should all get specially printed t-shirts/polo shirts (for the smarter engagement) that say yes I'm a magish...i'll do ya some tricks on the front and on the back "now sod off I will obviously not be tellin' you how it's done" so they see it when you walk off!

just a thought...!

Being honest, I've actively learned magic since I was knee-high to a grasshopper (well, about 6 years old), and now, nearly 30 years later, I love it as much as ever.

I think that by having a little knowledge it just somehow makes you more discerning about what you watch