Dream Team Lecture Tour

[Magic Newswire]

So... because so many seemed interested in discussing magic lectures and what they love and hate about them in today's climate, I got curious.

Let's say that you can attend a max of six lectures next year (One every other month)... What is your personal "Dream Team" of lecturers that you'd pay to see? Obviously, I'd love to see lectures by Dai Vernon. Erdnase, Marlo, Bobo, Channing Pollock, Zarrow, Ali Bongo and many more that are no longer with us. That isn't what I am asking.

I'd like to hear the names of the the six magicians for whom you'd change your schedule and pay well to attend a teaching session with. Why are they on your list and what would you pay to attend this lecture series?

[Magic Newswire]

Now I am really worried about the lecture circuit.

[T Baxter]

I would gladly pay a few thousand dollars to attend exclusive master classes with the following:

Michael Weber - An encyclopedic knowledge of magic and the wisdom born of decades of hands-on experience at a very high level.

Tim Conover - One of the most creative mentalists of all time (in my opinion) and someone who understands how to get the job and, even more important, how to get invited back again and again.

David Berglas - A legends in magic and mentalism. One of the greatest showmen alive today.

Gaeton Bloom - Gaeton's thinking exemplifies the phrase "outside of the box". An exceptional performer, actor, comedian, magician, and creator of mind-boggling original effects.

Derren Brown - Today's greatest (and not coincidentally, most successful) Mentalist, and an artist of exquisite taste and apparently unlimited imagination. The sheer quantity, not to mention the consistently high quality of his professional body of work is staggering.

Steve Cohen - Someone who had a singular vision of how to "brand" himself and his magic and made it happen in the classiest way possible. Rather than following trends he engineered his own path to success.

- T. Baxter

[Magic Newswire]

Thanks Tom,

That's exactly what I was looking for! I had hoped that people would demonstrate as much enthusiasm for what they want to see as they do when they offer criticism. I'm still holding out hope and crossing my fingers!

And guys, I am sure that there are some underground players that aren't everyday names that you think that it would be great to sit and session with in an intimate environment. It need not be a list of "magic celebrities."

I look forward to hearing more!

[Brad Henderson]

While Mark mentioned the recession as a factor to low lecture attendance (on the JP thread), I will comment here as it is more fitting.

I want to see people lecture who have something to say, not something to sell.

I want to see people whom I haven't already seen at the handful of conventions I attend each year.

And I want to see someone whose entire lecture isn't for sale for $30 on DVD. Why put on pants and drive across town when I have it all at my fingertips already?

Back when the lecture scene was getting hot, we didn't have DVD's at our fingertips and video demos on the internet. Nor did we have dozens of regional conventions all showcasing the same talent.

The world is a different place.

If you want people to attend a lecture - bring them something they don't already have.

[Magic Newswire]

While Mark mentioned the recession as a factor to low lecture attendance (on the JP thread), I will comment here as it is more fitting. I want to see people lecture who have something to say, not something to sell. I want to see people whom I haven't already seen at the handful of conventions I attend each year. And I want to see someone whose entire lecture isn't for sale for $30 on DVD. Why put on pants and drive across town when I have it all at my fingertips already? Back when the lecture scene was getting hot, we didn't have DVD's at our fingertips and video demos on the internet. Nor did we have dozens of regional conventions all showcasing the same talent. The world is a different place. If you want people to attend a lecture - bring them something they don't already have.

Thanks Brad, but that isn't what I was asking. Put together your magic lecture "Dream Team" and tell me who they are and why they bring something special to the table.

[Brad Henderson]

Specifics are so boring. They will inevitably vacillate with time and region.

Pretty much anyone who fits the criterion I outlined, I would want to see.

the most important element, of course, being someone who has something to say - not something to sell.

[Magic Newswire]

:: Yawn ::

[mrgoat]

People that are not magicians.

There - what a crazy idea!

How about an actor - NPH would be ideal with his magic angle
How about a director talking about blocking and staging? - Could be anyone
How about a marketing expert - Seth Godin.
How about a productivity expert - Merlin Mann.
How about a entrepreneur who gets new media - Leo LaPorte

Magic has so little to do with the mechanics of how a trick works it astounds me a convention hasn't thought of not getting just magicians to teach a few tricks.

[Ian Kendall]

It's a lovely idea, Damian, but I doubt it would catch on! Jamy Swiss wrote in a Shattering Illusions umpteen years ago about how he gave a lecture on thoery - he said at the start that there would be no tricks, and half the room walked out!

The problem with the majority of lectures is that they fall broadly into three catagories; a dealer dem, a demonstration of skill that far exceeds the level of the audience or a couple of hours of sanctioned exposure to whet the appetite of the attendees.

One lecturer remarked to me last weekend that they are booked to entertain the audience, and if someone goes away with a new idea or something to work with, then that's a bonus. Much has been written about the problems with the traditional magic lecture, but the most telling is the use of the word - a lecture implies information directed at someone with no investment as to whether that information is absorbed. Compare this with the word 'lesson', which implies an active attempt to transfer the knowledge. The added factor that many magic lecturers have no teacher training, and learned to present by attending previous lectures doesn't help much.

If you want a dream team of lecturers, you would need to make it either people who are so interesting or entertaining that you don't mind that it's a one way street, or people who actually take the time to explain how to do things, rather than simply how they are done. A couple of years ago I saw a lecture by Josh Jay, and a couple of times during the session he get everyone to take out a coin or a deck of cards and work along with the explanation. This was a good thing.

As for the list;

1. I would love to see Steve Forte work, but I'm not holding my breath for that one. The reasons are obvious.

2. The same would go for Tony Giorgio.

3. I second Damian's suggestion of NPH, and tag team with Jonathan Levitt to discuss the crossover between acting and magic, and how the two complement each other.

4. Roy Walton. Not going to happen though.

5. Tom Stone, for his ideas that encompass close up and stage.

6. Someone I've never heard of, but knows how to teach well.

Take care, Ian

[Lawrence mark]

Never fear. I shall be lecturing for International Magic in September.

[P.T. Murphy]

Specifics are so boring. They will inevitably vacillate with time and region.

Pretty much anyone who fits the criterion I outlined, I would want to see.

the most important element, of course, being someone who has something to say - not something to sell.

So based on Brad's criteria, he would be excluding himself from the list.

Lest I be accused of pulling a Mai-Ling or a Brad Henderson, I should stay on topic.

1. Fred Kaps
2. Jay Marshall
3. Charlie Miller
4. Doug Henning
5. Ricky Jay
6. Robert Parrish
7. Germaine
8.

Gosh, I was so busy being snarky I forgot the guidelines for the list...NOW I see how easy it is to get sidetracked. What is this thread about?

Oh yeah, living...okay...I guess Ricky Jay qualifies.

[Jonathan Townsend]

...
I'd like to hear the names of the the six magicians for whom you'd change your schedule and pay well to attend a teaching session with. Why are they on your list and what would you pay to attend this lecture series?

Okay let's presume they are there to teach...

Tom Connover on how to engage and lead an audience
David Roth on how engineer ones sleights and methods
Darwin Ortiz on how design ones effects
Michael Weber on how to find and engineer novelty
Ricky Jay on how to discover what's useful in a book
Robert Swadling on how to construct the things you wish to use

That help?

[mrgoat]

I can't remember a single lecture making a point or showing me a trick I do today.

[IrishMagicNews]

Derren Brown - Today's greatest (and not coincidentally, most successful) Mentalist, and an artist of exquisite taste and apparently unlimited imagination. The sheer quantity, not to mention the consistently high quality of his professional body of work is staggering

- T. Baxter

While not a lecture experience Derrens VHS The Devils PIcture Book has been re released by him on DVD and is available on his website and is marvelous.

If I had the spare funds I think I would travel to Vegas to see Teller's Red Ball lecture at Paul Stones convention later his year.

Would also love to see Luis de Matos.

I was lucky to see Rick Thomas lecture/talk at Blackpool a few years ago. Was fantastic as was his Gala Show spot.

I think the best presented lecture I saw was that of Josh Jay. In fact a previous FISM winner said to me that Josh should lecture magicians on how to lecture.

Brendan

[Lawrence mark]

I can't remember a single lecture making a point or showing me a trick I do today.

I can. I watched Bobby Bernard do a lecture once and still do some stuff from it. And I watched Eric Haylock teach a coin trick that I am still doing decades later.

I also remember a fellow called Jack Gittings do a lecture. I can't remember a single trick he did but I do remember a very powerful point he made. He said that you were to ask yourself "what am I in magic for?" Once you define your purpose you can plan your way forward. In other words are you a hobbyist, a part time professional, a salesman who uses magic to help his business, a magic dealer or a full time professional magician? Once you have that figured out then you plan accordingly.

I think that was more powerful advice and did me more good than any trick that Jack would have explained.

[mrgoat]

Welcome back Mark. Will you be lecturing your sven deck work?

[P.T. Murphy]

But seriously folks :)... following instructions...obviously not something I am good at...

1. Ricky Jay
2. Rene Lavand
3. Juan Tamariz
4. Mike Finney
5. Mac King
6. Max Maven

They are ALL on my list because they seem to be performers who, over the span of their career have learned to be true to who they are and along the way they have discovered and adapted material that suits them well. I think they would all have interesting tales to tell of their "journey of self discovery" as performers. That interests me. I am not as interested in learning "tricks and moves" but I sure hope they have lots of crap to sell!

[Necromancer]

Great list, P.T.! I second it.

Best,
Neil

[David Ben]

Although not lecturing, you can see three of the names on the list - Juan Tamariz, Mac King and Max Maven - in Toronto June 17-20th as part of the Masters of Magic series of Luminato, and absorb some lessons from watching them perform. Visit www.magicana.com for more details.

[mai-ling]

Here's my six and this is a mix of several areas not just one.
Some are particularly based historical lectures.

1. Jeff Hobson
2. Aye Jaye
3. David Ben
4. Jim Steinmeyer
5. Ricky Jay
6. Gay Blackstone

[Bill Mullins]

Why put on pants and drive across town

Brad -- many of us appreciate it that, when you drive across town, you do put on pants.

[mai-ling]

Was thinking about it and if I add a seventh person to the list
it would be Teller ... just to hear him talk. not that I haven't
heard him talk but would like to in person.

[Jager]

I can learn all the effects I ever want from books and DVDs. My dream lectures would be lessons in theory, spectator management and performance.
My dream list would be:

1) John Carney I have never seen anyone perform close-up magic in a more natural way. Its as normal and natural to him as tying his shoes. Anything I could learn from him about performance and routine building would be golden. Tricks are tricks but John makes them look like real magic.

2) Eugene Burger He can take the simplest effect and turn it into a showpiece. I have seen most of his work already on DVD and in books but to learn all the nuances and his ability to connect with his spectators would be worth hundreds to me.

3) Max Maven I would pay good money to listen to Mr. Goldstein talk about anything. His theories on Equivoque alone would be worth the price of admission.

4 David Roth When I think of coin magic I think of David Roth. Retention vanishes, transpositions, palming are all things I need serious work on. An hour with Mr. Roth would be an hour well spent.

5 Doc Eason I really like the Docs routines. He is another one who really gets the spectators involved in the magic. I would pay good money to learn from this man.

6 Christian Chelman Bizarre with a capital B. I like his use of obscure objects to perform bizarre magic.

I would be willing to pay up to $75 for one of these lectures and $150 plus for workshops.

[Ian Kendall]

For what it's worth, I believe Max retired the G name several years ago.

Ian

[Magic Newswire]

For what it's worth, I believe Max retired the G name several years ago.

Ian

Phil Maven then? ;-)

[Magic Newswire]

These are great lists guys. Keep them coming!