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djurmann Inner circle thinks time to practice and stop writing 1481 Posts |
Dear Mr Wilson,
My question regards your views on what are the key skills for a wannabe close up performer that are NOT tricks/sleights and how to acquire them and if you answer that my next question would be your views on new magicians imitating experts. To quote two of the greats with apparently opposing views: Whit Haydn has said "It is essential that those who want to learn magic start by copying or imitating others.....In fact I don't believe one can learn to be a good magician except through imitation....A beginning guitar player isn't told to make up original songs. He first learns to play other people's work. Neither should a beginning magician be asked to do original tricks. The way that patter goes with the presentation of the trick, the feel for routining, the subtleties of misdirection. These are all learned best by the student taking a great routine and learning to do it the way it was created by a competent working performer" (The Chicago Surprise, page 31, Against Originality in Magic) Conversely Eugene Burger wrote "Most magicians, I think do look for the easy way and that usually means imitating and stealing from the acts of other more successful performers.You look around and see something that you like and you take it. And this something can be a particular effect, an entire routine, or a single line. The problem with this easy way is that it is only rarely successful theatrically. What works for one performer rarely works successfully for someone else. Material that expresses one performer's persona, if taken by somebody else, usually serves to conceal rather than reveal their own persona. To make a long story short, I think the real path toward excellent performing is difficult because it is the path where you seek to be completely and thoroughly yourself." (Growing in the Art of Magic, pp5-6) As you may have guessed my current obsession is becoming a better performer. Many thanks, Danny |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » The September 2011 entrée: Gregory Wilson » » Imitation vs originality when starting (ie a know nothing) » » TOPIC IS LOCKED (0 Likes) |
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