Discourse in Magic

In episode 67 we sat down with the very brilliant Michael Feldman. Michael is a full time Lawyer as well as a recognized magician. He performs and creates fantastic magic that’s as knuckle-busting as it is baffling. We spoke to Michael about his journey in magic, specifically his unlikely path the Lawyer/ magician. With a love for creating and being on stage, and a slow reduction of free time. He decided that the best most enjoyable way to spend his few non law focused hours on magic. First we spoke about giving and taking advice. Michael like many magicians believes it is our duty to help bad performers become better performers. It is however important that we make sure they want our feedback and criticism before we give it to them. The more bad magic we remove from this world the better all of magic becomes. Sometimes, there are sensitive topics for magicians that might be hard to help them get better. A fun example is magicians shuffling cards during a magic show. A BIG HUGE NO-NO No shuffling, no holding, no anything. You’re an audience member, we get that it’s your fidget spinner, but it’s just not the time. Then we dove into the land of magic law. [cue the Law and Order music] To make a long story short: magic may very well be copywritable…. but you wouldn’t want to be in court trying to prove it. Which means it’s up to us magicians to self police theft at our discretion (You can go as crazy as the Jerx protecting his book) Finally we spoke about Michaels New book: “A New Angle” It’s available, its beautiful, and I’m going to get one. For more info about Michael hit up his website or Social Below Contact Website Facebook Twitter Instagram The post The Laws of Magic and How to Give and Take Criticism with Michael Feldman appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In episode 65 of Discourse in Magic we sit down with old friend Ryan Edwards. We’ve known Ryan from once again, Sorcerers Safari, but we wanted to introduce him to all of you and give you a chance to get TOP NOTCH magic tools! Ryan does it all! He’s written and performed two of his own magic shows. He’s advised and built props for top magicians around the world, and he most importantly  he handcrafts tools (wallets, card clips, close up pads) for magicians looking to up their magic style at REhandcraftered.com  We started by chatting with him about his alternate path into magic. Ryan had an interest in magic, but the thing that helped get him noticed was his crafting skills. He was found on the scene because of a custom card clip that he made for himself. After attending a large magic convention it all started. Endless demands from the magic community; an inbox full of request for their own hand crafter products. With that, he launched his very successful business. Here’s the twist. He’s not just a great craftsman. He’s a fantastic magician too! Probably because he brings the same dedication to his show as he does his craftsmanship. All to help him craft an amazing show! Just hearing him chat about the steps he took to have a successful show, makes it clear that he’s amongst the pros. We discuss the importance of scripting, show design, and how to make sure that you’re doing a great job. If you’re in the process of making your own show you’ll like this episode. If you want to be inspired to do something different with your magic, you’ll really like this episode. Ryan has worked with friend of the podcast Patrick Kun, as well as advising for Steven Brundage during his run on AGT. Ryan’s one of the guys who’s spent his years behind the scenes, crafting materials and sharing his ideas. Now that he’s been creating and producing his own shows, I think we’re going to see much more of him on the scene. Let’s chat about what Ryan is known best for: His hand crafted materials. Ryan makes Close-up pads, card clips and everything in between for close up magicians looking to up the style of their most important tools. He’s created things for Teller, for David Copperfield, and he’s even made a close-up pad for me…. AND I LOVE IT! There’s very few people that do what he does…. and boy does he do a great job! If you’re looking for a handcrafted close-up pad, card clip, wallet, or ANYTHING. Ryan is your guy. You can check it out at : REhandcrafted.com I usually put contact info…. But just Go to the website. They’re gorgeous!!!!! The post How to be Meticulous in Your Craft with Ryan Edwards appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Not all hero’s wear capes, and not all magicians live on the stage. Some can be found sitting at the table at the magic shop, shuffling cards, or creating some new magic. Jeff was an important character in the Toronto magic scene who had an impact on the on two young budding Toronto magicians (Tyler and I). He was at the magic store, at magic camp, and in all of the big time Toronto magic circles. One day we found out that Jeff quit magic. I know… I performed tricks that he had invented. Had been inspired watching him lecture, jammed alongside him, and now he was quitting magic? It didn’t make sense. Well since then 3 great things happen. Jeff Came back to magic after many years of separation. The Toronto magic community rejoiced. He started working at the magic store again, bringing all that is right back to the universe He joined us to talk about his expirience on episode 64 of the podcast. If you’ve ever experienced falling out of love with magic, this episode might strike a chord with you, and might help you fall back into love We walk through the reasons why he left, why he’s back, and what you can take from that. All artists have experienced some distaste for what they do at some point in their careers and I thought it would be interesting to address those emotions and experiences dead on. When you fall in love with magic, your whole life becomes magic. While I don’t know what you personally might struggle with, I know that everyone struggles with something. If what you need it a break from magic, take it. If what you need is more inspiration, FIND IT! Whatever you need, you can take something valuable from Jeff in this episode. Another reason why I loved this episode was because Jef walked us through aspects of Toronto’s magic scene that he admired before, and that brought him back, more recently. Things like the Browsers Den and Sorcerers Safari, which come up on the podcast often have had a huge roll in the development of magicians in Toronto. It was nice to once again dive in deep with a local magician, and give listeners an opportunity to get a taste of what it’s like to be a young magician in Toronto. At the end of the episode we tackle a more hard hitting issue: Why does Jeff like “Oil and Water” so much? He walks us through why he thinks it’s great. Let me know what you think of the episode, it would mean the world. If you’re looking for something to do next time you’re in Toronto why not head to the Browsers Den of Magic to go see Jeff! The post Falling in Love with Magic Again with Jeff Hinchliffe appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In episode 63 of the podcast we sit down wit Mark Calabrese to talk about what it takes to make it in magic. Mark is an incredibly accomplished performer. With multiple baffling card effects released on the magic market, as well as appearances on Wizard Wars and Penn and Teller Fool us. In this episode we broke down just that. We broke down his journey into full time magic, and his journey on those fantastic magic shows. We started with his Penn and Teller Fool Us performance. What looked like a really cool act was secretly a directional nightmare. Without spoiling what happens all I can say is the finished product on video is NOTHING like what actually happened in the studio that day. We’ve had a few guests walk us through the behind the scenes of some of the shows that they’ve been on but this was probably the most surprising. He also walked us through his Wizard Wars performance. We learned once again that there’s more than what we see on the final product. Mark wasn’t entirely pleased with what happened behind the curtain and you can hear all about it in the episode. Finally we chat about what it takes to make it as a magician through word of mouth. It takes quality, it takes not cutting corners, it takes being awesome, and going the extra mile. As a magician it’s not that hard to go the extra mile. Stay an extra hour at the event you’re performing at, or make sure that every last table sees you do magic. It’s little things like that which go a long way. Anyways, I’m not going to spoil the whole episode. You have to listen to it to find out! If you do, let me know what you think about it in the comments below! The post Success by Word of Mouth, and Behind the Scenes TV Magic with Mark Calabrese appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In this episode we sit down with Canadian Comedy Magic Icon Matt Disero. Matt is a hilarious Canadian comedy magician, who has made his way up through the comedy circuit. Sitting down with Matt in person it gave us an opportunity to really interact, dig deep, and touch on some of the important nuances of comedy magic. I first found Matt when he was part of James Alan’s Toronto show: “Magic Tonight” Little did I know that Matt’s a Toronto Magic Comedy Icon! In the episode we got advice in both the performance and technical aspects of comedy magic, as well as some more business related aspects. For example Matt gives us clear instructions on how to deliver a joke: Stop all movement on the punch line. You may want to repeat the set-up or the premise multiple times (like Chris Rock is known for) to make sure everyone is on the same page. The punchline however, needs to be delivered at a stop point. In terms of business we also learned a ton from Matt! Being a magician in the stand-up comedy is tough. I’m not referring to writing jokes, I’m talking about the cut throat industry. Sometimes magicians are told that this specific comedy show does not bring magicians on. That can be incredibly unfortunate. However, Matt Disero is a pro performer who does not get bogged down my sour comedy establishments. He’s performed at corporate events, cruises, private events all over! Plus he’s going to be performing at the magic castle in LA! Check out this clip of Matt! One of the best parts of chatting with Matt is he’s someone who’s been through the comedy and magic circuit in Toronto. He’s been a part of institutions such as Yuk Yuks, Harper’s and other important staples for Comedy and Magic in Toronto! If you want all the goodies from the episode, the best way to do it is to listen to it! If you want to catch more Matt Disero you can either find out where to catch him on tour, or check out some of his social medias to keep up to date! Contact Facebook Twitter Instagram Website The post Magic in the Stand-up Comedy Circuit with Matt Disero appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

We brought on expert mentalist, hypnotist and rockstar entertainer Spidey. If you haven’t seen Spidey on Youtube, Facebook, or on TV you might have seen him at your local theatre. Guzzo Cinemas in Montreal to be exact. That’s how Spidey got his first pocket of fame. After many years of performing Spidey spun a deal with the theatre owner that he would make videos that play before the movies (instead of those quiz shows). The videos would always be changing, and continue to drive people to the movie theatre. It turned out to be a great success. Not only did Spidey become an icon of Montreal, but his reach started to spread. Wizard Wars, Americas Got Talent, Penn and Teller Fool Us, and other major Television shows. Check out this cool spider: Having Spidey on the podcast was fun for me (Jonah) since every time I performed in his city, people would mention him by name and that he was at the movie theatre. It wasn’t until recording this episode that I fully understand what everyone meant. Spidey gives us the exact approach he’s used to get to where he is. Everything from having a manager to having great material, Spidey puts it all on the table. He seems to work with the best in the business at some of the best events in the world. Now is the time to find out how he did it (and how you can do it too) If you know who Spidey is, this episode will help you understand how he got to all of the amazing places he is today. If you don’t know who Spidey is, it’s time to tune in, and find out. Either way, you’re going to learn a thing or two from this episode Enjoy Contact Facebook Twitter Instagram Website The post From the Cinema to Centre Stage with Spidey appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In this episode we sit down with Marc Kerstein. If you haven’t used, or been fooled by one of Marcs magic apps, you’ve missed out. Marc is THE iphone magic app guy, and has been brought on to consult on multiple TV series including David Blaine’s most recent special. This is what I’m talking about: How did the effect work? Marc did it. YUP. So now it’s time to tune into the episode. ….. How do you make a magic app? I don’t know. But we asked Marc in the episode, and he walked us through what his creative process is like, which was pretty helpful. I mean, I didn’t expect to know after he told me. You need to know how to code, which I do not. Marc does it by drawing inspiration from the worlds of magic and the worlds of technology. It’s sort of obvious when you think about it, but it’s important. It’s important that he stands out because he’s combining his interests. The things that are going to make our magic different are the same things that make us different. If you have an interest in VR, try to pair that with magic. Maybe you have an interest in theatre, pair that with magic. If you love charities, pair that with magic. Using magic + your talent or magic + your interest is a great basis for uniqueness and originality. One of the most exciting aspects of the episode is we touch on some of the difficulties of technology magic. There are some apps that are basically card tricks in the app, which is backwards. There are some apps, where it’s obvious that technology is behind the work. Just because you’re using technology doesn’t mean you abandon all of the important psychology that usually goes into magic tricks. For example everyone thinks every single app magic trick is done with voice recognition. As an app creator you have to make sure people don’t thing that it’s voice recognition. Even when it isn’t voice recognition. There’s so much that goes into making these apps. It takes the ideas, the creation, the design, the coding and the scaling to hundreds of users.  All of which Marc does on his own. 1000 True Fans I mentioned a concept in the article that I think is supper important for magicians, artists or entrepreneurs. It’s written by a man named Kevin Kelly. It’s very short read (3 min) that will change the wya you think about being an artist. 1000 True Fans Where Can I Find Marc’s apps If you do magic, enjoy mentalism, and own an Iphone WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW OWNING ANY OF MARCS APPS! Click here and start exploring You’re welcome Contact Website   The post The Magic of Apps with Marc Kerstein appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In this episode we had the pleasure of interviewing our friend Suzanne. We met Suzanne at Sorcerers Safari (RIP) last summer!  Suzanne is an expert restaurant magician. To be a great restaurant magician you have to be good at more than just magic. You need to be able to work well with people. Be a part of team. And make sure your spectators are both seen and heard. Suzanne taught us a thing or two about compassion. Let’s start with when you’re actually getting the restaurant gig. She teaches us not to promise that we’re going to bring in people. But to let our actions speak for themselves! It’s important to find a venue that truly understands the value of regular magic. Whether that’s because they’ve worked with a performer before, or because you can convince them the value. It’s important that you both know why you’re there. For us as magicians it’s important that we remember we’re not there to show off our own ability. We need to be a valuable part of the team, and we need to be a chameleon when it comes to helping the restaurant in the waitstaff If that means we have to run to table 6 to perform for 10 minutes to stall the drink order coming out, then that is what we have to do to be most valuable. Maybe it means we have to stand by the front and performance for the guests who are waiting for their reservation and getting antsy. Magic is such a fascinating and valuable tool in a restaurant. Treat it like one! We are there to make sure the guests have a great time and return. But we’re also there to help the restaurant bring people in,  order food and drinks, and turn over the tables. Then Suzanne teaches us how to work with the audience. Suzanne’s style is with caring. Just like before, performing is not all about us. We need to be able to feel the vibes of the table. Anything from the table who’s there to party, to the one there to grab a bite to eat after their mother’s funeral. It is our job to make sure that the customers are seen and heard. Sometimes that means hearing them say that they do not want to see us perform. But sometimes, it means they should have the starring role in your magic. The dining experience is all about being served: You’re served food made specifically for you. From a waiter that was designated to serve you. Then the magician comes over to your table and explains how he’s the most magical person in the world??????????? Something doesn’t fit!!!!! How about this: The magician comes to your table and shows you why YOU are the most magical person the world, or this is the most magical evening in the world! Anything but being all about the magician!! As Suzanne puts it, it’s all about caring. Actually listening to others.  Hearing them. Actually paying attention to what they say. And responding accordingly I thought this was a fantastic episode.It was full of love and full of compassion. The way to Magic should be! Contact Website Facebook Twitter   The post Helping Your Clients and Hearing Your Audience with Suzanne appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

It’s been a long time coming to get my good friend Morgan Pierce to join us on the podcast. Morgan is a wildly talented magician turned financial advisor from Kingston, Ontario who joined us to chat about finances and limiting beliefs. If you want to better understand what you’re worth, listen to Morgan talk. He’s one of the only guys who can QUICKLY put things in a way that changes the way you think about yourself. Here’s an example from the episode. When Morgan was explaining how to price yourself he asked us: “How much would you charge to stand there and do nothing for an hour”. That question itself made me think about raising my price, since I deliver much more value performing than I do standing there doing nothing. Using the example that I would need to be payed at least $100/ hour to absolutely nothing, how much does that mean I’m worth to do something great!! All of a sudden my worth just went up, because of a change in my own mindset! The other fantastic thing about Morgan is he’s obsessed with how we think. Which means he’s often talking about limiting beliefs instead of tactics, mindsets instead of “hacks”. Since everything we do flows from the inside out, making sure you have a positive outlook, and setting  yourself up for success are really important. Like anything difficult, you have to go into it with the right mindset. In Episode 55 we finally dove into talking about money. Since Morgan is a financial advisor, I thought asking him for some standard financial advice for a magician would be helpful. It turns out, it was VERY helpful. Things like insurance for what we do is incredibly important which I wouldn’t have thought of. But also he gave us tips as to how to track what you do, and why that makes such a difference. Most importantly when chatting about money, one of the important themes is tracking. Having a metric to track, allows you to really understand where you’re at, where you were, and where you’re headed. If you know how much money you NEED to make, how much you usually make, and what your expenses are. Its much easier to make more, than if you’re purely guessing everything. Find a way to track your income, and expenses to make sure you’re paying yourself first, putting the right amount of money into savings, back into your business, and making sure you are being responsible! While the episode was mostly about money and limiting beliefs we did touch on a few other ideas that are worth mentioning. The first is a New York Times article about recognizing patterns. Since so much of what we do is pattern recognition. I really love the article since it demonstrates the only way to learn a pattern.  https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/07/03/upshot/a-quick-puzzle-to-test-your-problem-solving.html (Do what I do and send it to girls when they say they don’t want to go out with you) Another thing that we spoke about is engaging with your audience and performing the magic that they asks for. As a performer it’s our job to serve our audience best. Which is what will allow us to charge what we’re worth. As Pat Flynn says: your income is the metric which measures how well you serve your audience. If we can learn over time what it is that our audience wants, then we should make magic that fulfills what they ask for (I wouldn’t want to play cards with you, can you make my wife disappear, etc…). The better you get at serving your audience the more income you can expect. It’s a equal balance of impact and income. Overall, if you’ve ever had trouble with pricing yourself, it’s worth listening to the episode, even just for a philosophical reboot. Lastly, our free course “Fantastic Gigs and Where to Find Them” starts May 1st. If you cares about getting booked more be a part of our free 5 day course. If you want to get involved head to ****{COURSE CLOSED} Contact Facebook Linkedin Twitter Instagram The post Pricing and Limiting Beliefs with Morgan Pierce appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In episode 52 we chat with our first guest of “motivation month”. The point of the month is to give you the motivation you need to get off of your ass and start fighting gigs. They’re out there, you just have to find them. In thus episode we interview Brian Miller, who snaps us back to reality to explain hot to book some gigs: Website Business Card Google Thats it! But it  takes days of hard work. He also gave us a fantastic tip for people starting out Restaurants As Brian put it, lets say you want to advertise on google. You have to pay money for a dozens of people to see you every day. With restaurant magic they pay you for dozens of people to see you every day! It’s a no brainer. With a good website, a good business card, and a constant flow of fresh leads (restaurants, google, email lists, phone numbers) there is no reason why you shouldn’t have gigs rolling in! If you enjoyed Brian’s interview you might also enjoy his vlogs! Here’s the most recent video about his upcoming tour: Otherwise all of the gems are in the episode! Brian packs it full of tips for magicians at many levels in their careers from those who are just starting out, to those who need just a few more gigs. The last thing that Brian spoke about is finding your market. I think this is such an important point that magicians seem to thing doesn’t apply to them. PICK A MARKET AND OWN IT!!! If you want to contact Bryan check out any of his social medias below Contact Website Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram The post Networking for Magicians with Brian Miller appeared first on Discourse in Magic.