REMARKABLE MAGIC

Like almost every magician I started learning magic the day after I got my first magic set. I was about eleven-years old at the time and I have been learning magic ever since. Of course, in the intervening sixty-years there has been some seismic changes in the actual process of absorbing knowledge. Here are a few of my thoughts on this topic

Once I had mastered that first magic set, I was excited to discover that our local library had a nice little collection of magic books. This kept me busy for a while as I explored their offerings. I next purchased a couple of “serious” books that dealt exclusively with card magic, my favorite form of magic. My earliest books included Jean Hugard’s “Encyclopedia of Card Magic” and “Basic Card Technique” by Anthony Norman.

Books.

Learning card moves/tricks from a book has a few difficulties that presented themselves almost immediately to the “would-be” magician. I often found both my hands assuming very complicated configurations with the playing cards and then disaster! The page needed turning always at the most crucial moment of the proceedings when I was unable to spare a hand or fingers to get the job done. I quickly became very proficient at turning book pages with my nose. This was a very useful skill to master, and one that has stood me in good stead over the years.

When I arrived in America in 1974, I was delighted by all the magic books that were available. I worked my way through the Harry Lorayne and Paul Harris books. A great deal of “nose turning” took place because of those two incredibly prolific magical creators. I have always been excited to study and own magic books and this has carried through to current days.

Video.

The next paradigm of magical learning was when VHS (and BETA) arrived on the scene. The concept of learning via video was initially a rather foreign notion to me. It certainly is easier to copy someone else’s handling on video. Here was the catch for me, By the time they have mastered the move/routine most people end up closely emulating the magician in the video. Some people even manage to learn the exact patter too. Always remember that there are many ways to execute a move, and the method you are looking for is one that looks the most natural (and deceptive) for YOU.

Learning from a book requires an approach that uses the brain in a rather different manner than learning from video; it takes a little more mental gymnastics and substantially more inner visualization. In my opinion there is quite a qualitative difference in learning from a book. Once you have mastered the move/trick is the ideal time to watch several videos and pick up tips and various alternative handlings.

One thing that didn’t change with those early magic videos was they needed to be re-wound many times to master the exact handling. As my good friend Steve Schlanger says, “A video doesn’t stop!” A book allows you to take things at your own pace. The good news was that it was slightly easier to handle this re-wind maneuver on your VCR with full hands than turning pages in a book. I believe that once, while mastering the Panoramic Shift, I did have to stop and start the VCR with my nose a couple of times. 

The next wrinkle on video tutorials arrived, along with personal computers, was the release of a several magic CD-ROMs which were interesting enough, but not as much fun as they should have been. Then began the golden era of video tapes available at good prices. It was a bonanza of great magic taught by the creators themselves. Entrepreneurs like L & L, Joe Stevens, and A1

-MagicMedia did a wonderful job of capturing the very best magicians teaching groundbreaking magic. What’s not to love?

Strangely enough magic books were having their own golden era. Richard Kaufman published many remarkable books and other writers, such as Stephen Minch, all helped propel magical literature to its next level. As magicians we all benefited from the huge advances in learning that were now available. It was possible to research/mix & match/learn and develop your magic as never before.

DVDs.

Next up was the DVD as the latest video delivery system and all the old magic videos were re-released plus a bunch of new ones. However, before you could say, “Blockbuster” the DVD format disappeared faster than a bird cage up the sleeve of a loose jacket. I am always bemused to hear younger magicians proudly proclaim that they no longer have a disc drive on their computer. Guess what? For forty bucks you can get a top notch plug and play USB DVD player; and there are some great deals on magic DVDs out there.

Downloads.

The Download is currently the chosen medium for magic videos. This seems to be future of magic tutorials until innovative technology allows us to teleport a magician into our living room to teach us personally the “real work” on their latest magical creations. What has made downloads so popular is the sheer instant gratification involved in the process. Browsing the web, you spot a cool looking effect and after failing to determine how the trick was accomplished, you press the DOWNLOAD NOW button. A few minutes later you know the secret of the trick—but will you ever perform it? Most likely not, It will be stored on a hard drive along with dozens of other routines. In most cases, by stored what I really mean (certainly in my case!) is lost.

E-books and Digital Reading.

The written word PDF E-book is the equivalent of a video download and I like it a lot. Having spent many years declaring my overwhelming preference for physical paper and ink books I am now very comfortable with digital books and enjoy the many advantages that they offer.  I still enjoy reading my physical books but personally I do this to benefit from an overview of someone’s magical philosophy. If I want to learn a specific move/routine I would rather read about it on my iPad. That finishes my rundown on the various evolutions that my lifelong study of magic has taken over the years. However, that still leaves one major new source of learning magic……

The Internet.

The obvious elephant in the room is the mighty impact of the Internet on informing and connecting magicians worldwide. There are more magical podcasts, blogs, and journals than you can shake a stick at on the web. These can be illuminating or alarming depending on which you choose to follow. In this brief synopsis I am going to focus specifically on two unique elements that are Internet specific; they are YouTube and social media.

YouTube.

There is enough malicious exposure of magic methodology on YouTube to be distressing to any magician who still believes that secrets still matter. I can’t watch these videos without my blood beginning to boil. Another equally alarming development is the number of magicians who post excruciating videos performing tricks that they haven’t mastered. Exposure by ineptness. Be careful of what videos you post because they will be around for a long time.

There are, of course, some very positive things on YouTube including seeing past masters performing their effects and finding a decent tutorial to help you master a new move. As a stockpile of magical content YouTube is totally unprecedented. Here are a couple of additional thoughts on important things to keep in mind regarding YouTube.

1. When performing magic to lay people it is important not to share the real names of tricks. If you say, “This is my version of Twisting the Aces,” an audience can Google how it is done before that final Ace of Spades turns face up!
2. Remember that just because there is a video of a performer performing a routine posted on YouTube that does NOT mean it is OK to steal it (or the patter that accompanies it) and put it into your own show. 

Social Media.

On Facebook alone there are numerous “pages” devoted to magic that contain threads and questions that are of interest to magicians. I know that it is said there are no such thing as a stupid question. Spend a few days exploring these pages and you might have to question that conventional wisdom!

I am aware of the current trend of throwing out questions to the FB Group Mind. There is such a thing as stupid answers as well as stupid questions. I have seen some of the worst advice I have ever read in these pages. If you want advice, then go to an expert and not someone who bought his first packet trick a month before. Sure, they will give you advice but is it of any use? Almost definitely not.

Part of the problem is the nature of the questions, if you post, “What is the best trick using cards?” The question is so vague that formulating a useful response is all but impossible. I suspect many of these questions are posted by magicians to build up their name recognition and see how many replies/likes they can garner. One last thing, never, ever, ask questions about what to charge for shows. Any magician who hasn’t figured out that magicians all lie about what they charge shouldn’t be allowed to accept any payment for a show!

That is enough about the evolution of learning magic. Besides, I have a new deck of red bicycles and Benjamin Earl’s Less is More book on the table in front of me and my nose is itching to start turning some pages.

~ by Nick Lewin on October 18, 2023.

Posted in Magic, Magic and Magicians
Tags: Learning Magic