Preparing a Lecture

I like to think of myself as a knowledgeable magician, but my performances usually contain magic classics that every magician already knows (if not performs), like Egg Bag, Linking Rings, and Cups and Balls.

So I was very surprised when the Wizards' Club of Chicago asked me to lecture. The membership is composed mainly of seasoned magicians who have been in the business longer than I've been alive. So I asked myself "What could I possibly teach them that they don't already know?"

Rather then trying to come up with half-baked ideas in the month I had to prepare, I decided to stick with what I knew. I wrote up my lecture notes that contain many of these classics, along with citing some of the best sources I've found in learning them.

This lecture is far different than my first. My local IBM Ring in Lansing, Mich. asked me to lecture. I knew at the time I was far from ready. I considered myself (and still do) to be of intermediate skill. The difference now is the vast amount of performing experience I accumulated since that first lecture in 2005.

That experience is what gives me the appropriate background to share my thoughts and opinions, and to know what works for me may not work for anyone else.

If you are planning on putting together a lecture or release a new product or routine, always make sure it has been thoroughly tested in front of the real world audience to work out all the bugs. Releasing something that is half-baked does a disservice to yourself and your consumer.

Here at FUN Inc, our staff of expert magicians looks at new items from every angle, not just if the trick "works" or not. We ask questions like "What sort of magician might like this? How is the reset? Are the instructions clear? What performing situation would this effect be best for?" along with many others. Rest assured, we don't sell it unless we're sure about it!

In my next post, I'll let you know how my lecture went!