Discourse in Magic

Jonah was invited to the Better Business with Magic podcast, to join host Nolan Webster to discuss the intersections of math and magic and how they can work for anyone who wants to improve their business skills.

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This week Jonah talks about how to break into the virtual magic business.

The post Magical Appetizer #17: Getting Into The Virtual Biz appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah is joined by business partner and co-founder of the Toronto Magic Company, Ben Train, to discuss the details surrounding their upcoming virtual magic convention, UnConventional.fun!

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Jonah was invited to the Preconceived Podcast to talk about magic and understanding the craft and business of magic. This episode is a selection of that conversation that Jonah had with Preconceived host Zale Mednick.

The post Preconceived Podcast appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah is joined by Ken Weber to discuss his revised and expanded Maximum Entertainment 2.0.

The post Maximum Entertainment 2.0 with Ken Weber appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week Jonah talks about one of his favourite obsessions, virtual magic shows. Jonah goes over his key strategies and breaks down the specific things he does when booking a virtual magic show.

The post Magical Appetizer #16: How To Sell a Virtual Show appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah is joined by Rafael Benatar to discuss his translations of magic masters into other languages, the secrets to memorization, and cultural differences in magic performances. Rafael is a prolific writer and has played a pivotal role in bridging the language gap between the magic community at large and legends such as Darwin Ortiz, Juan […]

The post Translating Magic with Rafael Benatar appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah is joined by Steve Valentine this week to discuss acting while being a magician - and the dangers of not being taken seriously, uncovering the lost history of magic, and the importance of a presentation that transcends the trick being performed.

The post Acting, Magic, and the Importance of Performance with Steve Valentine appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week, Jonah joins Grame “Grameazing” Reed on an episode of his podcast, Magicians Talking Magic. The two discuss pivoting to performing virtually, and how to build relationships during these uncertain times. Graeme is an Ontario based magician with a background in media and broadcasting.

The post Virtual Restaurant Magic with Graeme Reed appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah is joined by Dani DaOrtiz this week to discuss the power of muscle memory, the right way to utilize chaos, and communicating through magic. Dani is a Spanish magician known for his chaotic magic style, psychological card work, and is 1/3 of the Fat Brothers.

The post Improvisation without Improvisation with Dani DaOrtiz appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

To get us back into the swings of things, Alex Boyer joins Jonah to discuss visual magic, following your interests and becoming a successful content creator. Alex Boyer is an Ottawa based magician with 26.6k subscribers and 635k+ views on YouTube.

The post Becoming a Content Creator with Alex Boyer appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Feeling lucky? This week Jonah sits down to talk about the four types of luck, and how you can leverage luck to work in your favour. We'll be back to the regular interview episodes in two weeks! The Discourse in Magic Team has been working on some exciting projects during this break that we can't wait to share with you. 

The post Magician Appetizer #15: Four Types of Luck appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Just started performing virtual shows? Have a few under your belt? Looking to improve your setup? This week, Jonah sits down to give you some simple tips on how to improve your virtual and physical performing setup. 

Looking to learn more about what Jonah touched on this episode? 

Sign up for Jonah's free webinar on July 8th, 2020 at 8pm EST where he'll lead you through using ECamm Live. Note: ECamm Live is only available for Macs, but Jonah will touch on alternative software. 

The post Magician Appetizer #14: Improving Virtual Production Value appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week, Jonah sits down to give you a tip on how to practice your material for virtual audiences.

The post Magician Appetizer #13: Testing Virtual Material appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah is joined this week by Chris Pilsworth to talk about collaboration, appreciating your audience, and creative processes. Chris is a magician based out of Ottawa, Ontario, and is known for his creative ability and engaging performance style. 

The post Exploring Creativity with Chris Pilsworth appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Discourse in Magic is pausing this week to give way for the voices that need to be heard. Jonah would like to help amplify these voices by handing over the mic to black magicians who have a message for magicians. We want to help educate. To help grow. To help make magic a more inclusive environment.

The post A Message From the Team: Black Voices Matter appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week Greg Rostami joins Jonah to talk about creating, performing, and utilizing app magic.  Greg is a prominent app magic creator, known for creating apps like ReaList and Inject.

The post The Versatility of Magic Apps with Greg Rostami appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Tim Hannig sits down with Jonah this week to talk about performing for kids, upping your production value, and the power of knowing every step of your show. Tim is a magician, author, and motivational speaker who tours schools in the States with his children and family shows. 

The post Knowing Your Show with Tim Hannig appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

While it might be a short one this week, Jonah has packed this episode full of advice on how to continue growing your business during these times. 

The post Magician Appetizer #12: The Best Investment During a Recession appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah is joined by Francis Menotti this week to discuss virtual performances, working as a duo, and methods to improve your creativity. Francis is a performer, consultant, and half of the magic duo: Couple of Magicians.  

The post Unique Creativity with Francis Menotti appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Derren Brown joins Jonah this week to discuss developing ideas, finding your own voice, and what magic means in our current society. Between his award-winning stage shows, TV specials, and books, you’re probably familiar with the UK based mentalist.

The post Be Human with Derren Brown appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah is joined by Nathan Coe Marsh this week to talk about finding inspiration, guiding your audience, and balancing your approach to business. Nathan is a magician from Orlando who splits his time between magic venues and the corporate performing world.

The post Discovering, Scripting & Rehearsing Material with Nathan Coe Marsh appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week, Jonah serves up a bite-sized episode on virtual magic shows.

The post Magician Appetizer #11: Virtual Magic appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah is joined by Nick Diffatte this week to discuss comedy, finding a style, and embracing your ideas no matter how stupid they might be. Nick Diffatte might be young, but his strong magic and comedy chops have allowed him to not only perform internationally but headline residences on the Las Vegas strip and on the Disney Cruise Line.

The post Writing Comedy Magic with Nick Diffatte appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah is joined by both Morgan & West this week to talk about scripting, creating an atmosphere, and understanding how character should influence your choices. Morgan & West are magicians, time-travellers & all round spiffing chaps who spend their time touring their shows around the U.K.

The post Defining a Character with Morgan & West appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

David Ben joins Jonah this episode to discuss if magic is an art form, producing shows, and developing a curatorial eye to improve your magic. From being a performer to a producer to the founder of Magicana, David has spent the last 40 years shaping magic as an art in the public eye. 

The post Aesthetics in Magic with David Ben appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Michael Ammar joins Jonah this week to talk about signature tricks, mentors, and leaving room for your audience's imagination. From teaching to creating to performing, Michael Ammar has done it all, building his name in the magic community.

Want to join in on the discourse? Join the Discourse in Magic Facebook page

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Right now, we're living through some scary, uncertain times. But, with everyone self-isolating, we're flattening the curve and giving our healthcare system a fighting chance to get us back to some semblance of normal as quickly as possible. With all this time now, we should be focused on improving ourselves so that when we can come back, we can come back stronger than ever. The Discourse Team promises that in the coming weeks, we'll have some fantastic guests to keep you occupied and thinking about your magic. 

The post We’re In This Together. appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah joins Luke Dancy this week to discuss exposure online, consulting for Criss Angel, and the magic marketplace. Alongside being a magic consultant, Luke works with Murphy’s Magic Supplies and hosts a weekly livestream where he talks with magic creators about their recent product releases.

The post Releasing Magic with Luke Dancy appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Mike Pisciotta joins Jonah this week to discuss transitioning from close-up to stage, originality, and expressing your you through magic. Mike is an established bar magician at the Magic Castle, having won Close-Up Magician of the Year twice and Parlour Magician of the Year.

The post Follow Your Bliss with Mike Pisciotta appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Tyler Erickson joins Jonah this week to talk about working with a mentor, finding the positive, and what to consider when scripting. Alongside being an extremely skilled sleight of hand artist, Tyler is a magic coach who works to improve the approach magician's take to assessing their own magic.

The post Stronger Magic with Tyler Erickson appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Discourse is back from our break and, to kick things off, Kostya Kimlat joins Jonah to discuss balancing your business and art, considering various audiences, and the importance of building a community.  Alongside being a skilled sleight-of-hand magician, Kostya is also a business consultant and motivational speaker based in Orlando, Florida. 

The post Balancing Business and Art with Kostya Kimlat appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

One last bite-sized episode before we return to the interviews! This week, Jonah talks about the magic of scripting and why you should seriously consider it before going on stage.

The post Magician Appetizer #10: The Magic of Memorizing appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Keep your magic taste buds ready with these quick tactics from Jonah on how to book more gigs in 2020. The interviews will be back soon with some amazing guests

The post Magician Appetizer #9: Gig Booking Strategies for 2020 appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

As Jonah mentioned in the previous episode, he's taking a four-week break from the regular interviews. So this week, while he works away behind the scenes, Jonah wants to hear about what magic is like in your city! 

The post Magician Appetizer #8: Magic in Your City appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Is this the end of Discourse in Magic?

Of course not! But, Jonah is taking a break from interviews for the next few weeks to work on some projects for you, the listeners. However, he'll keep serving up some bite-sized episodes to keep your appetites wet.

The post Magician Appetizer #7: A Short Break appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Episode 200! To celebrate this milestone, Jonah travelled all the way to Spain to sit down with the maestro himself: Juan Tamariz.

The post LOVE with Juan Tamariz appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah is joined by Nathan Kranzo this week to talk about creating unique effects, entertaining an audience, and taking risks. Nathan is known for his out of the box thinking when it comes to magic and performing.

The post No Wrong Answers with Nathan Kranzo appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Ben Train, Chris Mayhew and Jacque Swan join Jonah once again this year to reflect on 2019 and look ahead to 2020. From winning awards, to getting into performing, to disillusionment, a lot has happened since last year's episode. The four also discuss coin magic, soup, and Ben creates a drinking game involving Jonah’s hats. 

The post 2020 Visions with Ben Train, Chris Mayhew, and Jacque Swan appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

To kick off the new magic year, Jonah sits down with Woody Aragon to discuss developing taste, resonating with an audience, and expressing a message through your magic. Woody is viewed as one of the most important modern card magicians, known for his contribution to stack work. 

The post Composing Magic with Woody Aragon appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Surprise! It's a bonus episode to end your year with a little more magic.

Jonah sits down with Paul Gertner to talk about performing on TV, putting a spin on your magic, and developing a kicker. Paul is a closeup magician with an on running show in Boston; he’s also the only magician who has appeared on Fool Us three times.

The post Finding the Right Approach with Paul Gertner appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Happy Holidays! 

As the decade draws to a close, Jonah sits down to reflect on the trends we've seen in magic and makes his prediction on where magic is headed. 

The post Happy Holidays: Magic Trends & Predictions appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week Ben Earl joins Jonah to discuss practice, sleight of hand, and approaching magic as an art. Alongside being a skilled sleight of hand artist, Ben is also an author and founder of Studio52.

The post Magic is Hard with Benjamin Earl appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week Jonah is joined by R. Paul Wilson to discuss scams, the ties between magic and film, and the exposure of magic. Alongside being a magician with a vast knowledge of cons and scams, Wilson is also an author and filmmaker. 

The post Cons, Scams & Hustles with R. Paul Wilson appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Javi Benetiz joins Jonah this week to discuss movement, meaning and the importance of experiencing life. Javi is an award winning sleight of hand magician from Spain, who brings his passion for life into his magic.

The post Movement and Meaning with Javi Benitez appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

While in Spain, Jonah sat down with Fernando Figueras to discuss presentation, honesty in magic, and being a magic coach. Alongside being known for his rich and emotional presentation style, Fernando is also a magic coach who focuses on developing magicians’ practical performance skills.

The post The Magic Coach with Fernando Figueras appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah has returned from Spain and, as souvenirs for his listeners, has brought back a number of episodes with some amazing Spanish magicians. First up is Juan Rubiales, who sat down to discuss mentors, bringing emotion into your magic, and loving yourself. Alongside being a skilled magician, Juan is also a talented caricature artist. 

The post Loving Magic with Juan Rubiales appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

While Jonah’s away in Spain, Ben Train has infiltrated Jonah’s computer (he really needs a less obvious password). Instead of his original list “10 Weird Facts About Jonah,” Ben has decided to give you some tips on how to start your own show.

The post Stolen Episode: How to Start a Show Hosted by Ben Train appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

It's a minisode this week! Jonah recently sat down with math tutor Vanessa Vakharia on her podcast, Math Therapy, to work through his math-related traumas. If you hate math, this is the perfect podcast for you!

The following clip was pulled from Episode 3: A Mathemagical Crisis.

The post Vanessa Vakharia on The Math Guru appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Boo! 
To celebrate Halloween, Jonah dug through the annals of magic history to find you a frightening magic story. His research led to the following clip of Eugene Burger recounting the tale of one woman and her haunted dollhouse. So lock your doors, shut off your lights, and prepare to be spooked by The Dollhouse of Millie Riggs.

The post Halloween Episode appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah sits down with Ryan Hayashi this week to talk about finding a personality, magic competitions, and the ins & outs of television magic. Ryan is a hobbyist sleight-of-hand magician with a number of competition wins and television performances under his belt.

The post Personality, Television, and Magic Competitions with Ryan Hayashi appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week Jonah sits down with Michael O'Brien to talk collaboration, developing material, and making effects relatable for your audience.  Michael is a sleight of hand magician known for his work with the linking rings.

The post Making your Magic Unique with Michael O’Brien appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Brian Brushwood joins Jonah this week to talk creating content, finding a niche, and failing until you succeed. If you've searched for magic on YouTube, there's a good chance you've come across Brian's channel Scam Nation. Alongside being a YouTuber, Brian is a magician, a podcaster, a comedian, and an author - really, he just loves to share stories. 

The post The Magic of Collaboration with Brian Brushwood appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Hi, Jonah here!
This week I read an excerpt from an upcoming project that is available for pre-order about the most important things to do when going pro.

The post Magician Appetizer #6: All-Purpose Magician appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Curtis Kam joins Jonah this week to discuss coin magic, thinking about your audience, and finding interesting plots. Although known for his coin work, Curtis is a well-rounded magician and writer who takes a unique approach to his presentations. He also once opened for a volcano. 

The post Finding a Moment with Curtis Kam appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah is joined by Anastasia Synn this week to discuss biohacking, the future, and the shocking side of magic. Anastasia is a biohacker, magician and stunt performer with 26 implants in her body that she uses in her performances and day to day life. 

The post Biohacking Magic with Anastasia Synn appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah is joined by Pit Hartling this week to explore creating magic,  counting tricks, and making presentation decisions. Pit is a German magician who brings his own take to sleight of hand card magic. 

The post Striking a Balance with Pit Hartling appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week the Amazing Johnathan joins Jonah to talk about comedy, magic and earning your chops. Johnathan is a worldrenowed comedy magician known for his shocking humour and twisted magic tricks.

The post Comedy Magic Secrets with Amazing Johnathan appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah sits down with Jimmy Ichihana this week to discuss community, embracing your interests, and bringing card magic to the stage. Jimmy is a sleight of hand performer from Florida who has performed at the Magic Castle and has appeared twice on Fool Us.

The post Bringing Closeup Card Magic to the Stage with Jimmy Ichihana appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week, Jonah sits down with Ray Anderson to discuss putting on a show, developing a character, and keeping your material fresh. Ray has been a featured performer with the long-running variety show, Esther's Follies, for 20+ years. By mixing parody with grand stage illusions in an intimate setting, Ray brings a unique approach to magic.

The post Esther’s Follies’ Inner Secrets with Ray Anderson appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

You had questions, Jonah has answers!

Recently, Jonah asked listeners via social media and the mailing list to send in any questions they have regarding magic to be answered on this week's episode.

The post Magician Appetizer #5: Listener Q&A appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah is joined by Mario the Maker Magician this week to discuss bringing value to your show, learning to be a flexible performer, and instilling passion into your magic. Mario is a children's show performer who uses D.I.Y robots, handmade props and a slapstick performance style to show that magic can be found in anything.

The post Never Stop Exploring with Mario the Maker Magician appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week, Jonah sits down with Stuart MacDonald to discuss storytelling, effective methods for practicing, and what to consider when changing your act. In 2017, Stuart made history at the IBM-SAM Combined Convention where he claimed all 5 top awards with his unique performance. 

The post Reinventing Your Magic with Stuart MacDonald appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah is joined by Jamy Ian Swiss this week to discuss persona, creativity and the importance of learning the classics. Alongside being a dedicated, lifelong student of magic, Jamy is a prolific writer, sleight of hand artist, and magic historian. 

The post Finding Your Voice with Jamy Ian Swiss appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah serves up another bite-sized episode this week, giving you the motivation you might just need to hear.

The post Magician Appetizer #4: Reaching Out appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Does the blank page scare you? Do you constantly find yourself deleting and retyping the same thing, only to repeat the process? Do you wish the computer could just read your mind and write the script you want for you? 

In this bite-sized episode, Jonah addresses writer's block and offers an easy strategy to start writing your magic script. 

The post Magician Appetizer #3: Sitting Down to Write appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah sits down with Adam Rubin this week to discuss creativity, writing, and applying magic to other aspects of your life. Alongside being a magician, Adam is the Director of Puzzles for Art of Play, a #1 New York Times best selling picture book author, and an ex-creative director in advertising. 

The post F**k Fear with Adam Rubin appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This episode Jonah sits down with Julie Eng to discuss Magicana, the community within magic, and elevating the perception of magic. Julie is an award-winning performer and the executive director of Magicana.

The post Perceiving Magic with Julie Eng appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week Jonah is the one being interviewed as he joins Sammy Younan on his podcast, My Summer Lair, to discuss the perception of magic and developing in your craft. 

The post Sammy Younan on My Summer Lair appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Kiko Pastur joins Jonah this week to discuss aesthetic magic, challenging your creativity, and finding symbolism in an effect. Kiko is a magician from A Coruña, Spain, whose style draws on the beauty and wonder of our world. 

The post Finding Beauty and Poetry in your Magic with Kiko Pastur appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week Jonah sits down with Nate Staniforth to discuss disillusionment, determining your intent, and creating visceral effects. Alongside touring the college circuit, Nate is the author of Here is Real Magic and Clouds and Kingdoms. 

The post Disillusionment and Exploring Intent with Nate Staniforth appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This episode Jonah sits down with Ran'D Shine to discuss performing on the college circuit, creating inclusive environments and the rich history of African Americans in magic. Alongside being a highly sought after, award winning magician on the college circuit, Ran'D is also a magic historian and educator.

The post The Heart and Soul of Magic with Ran’D Shine appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week, Jonah sits down with Ryan Joyce to discuss the realities of touring, marketing a show, and working towards a solid show. Ryan is a Canadian magician who spent thirteen years touring the country with a stage illusion show. Ryan has also been seen on Penn & Teller's Fool Us, Canada's Got Talent, and his YouTube channel with over 8 million views. 

The post Tips for Touring Tricks with Ryan Joyce appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

It's another bite sized episode this week! This time, Jonah suggests an interesting way to discover your character.

The post Magician Appetizer #2: Discovering Your Character appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week, Jonah is trying out a different kind of solo episode. Short but packed with information, the Magician Appetizer episodes are meant to whet your appetite for the larger topics often discussed on the podcast. To start the new format off, Jonah explores the idea of putting on the shoes of your audience member.

The post Magician Appetizer #1: The Audience’s Perspective appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

On episode 161, Jonah sits down with Gordon Precious to discuss exploring life and searching for real magic. Besides being an incredible magician, Gordon has travelled to over 100 countries, owns an extensive magical apparatus collection, and holds the world record for being the oldest heli skier at the age of 94.

The post Searching for Real Magic with Gordon Precious appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

On episode 160, Jonah sits down with Michel Clavello to discuss finding the magic that’s right for you, how to share joy through your magic and producing magic products. Co-owner of Vernet Magic, Michel is a magician and mentalist from Argentina who has won several awards at major conferences for his innovative illusions.

The post Finding Joy in Magic with Michel Clavello appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Gambling expert, Norman Beck, sits down with Jonah for episode 159 to discuss taking a logical approach, public speaking and when to take a bet. Alongside being a magician and public speaker, Norman has been the VP of Claims and Secuirty for SCA for the past 24 years, spending his time working out how individuals may cheat the system.

The post Wagers, Bets, and Gambles with Norman Beck appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

On episode 158, Matt Johnson joins Jonah to discuss escapology, adding human elements to your magic, and recreating your brand. You may know Matt for his water tank escape on Penn & Teller: Fool Us or for his semi-place finish on Britain's Got Talent.

The post Never Give Up with Matt Johnson appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

With Toronto's annual magic convention right around the corner, Jonah sits down for episode 157 to give you ten tips on maximizing your magic convention experience.

The post 10 Tips to Succeed at Magic Conventions appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

For episode 156, Brent Braun sits down with Jonah to discuss what you need to do to improve your magic. Co-founder of the Magic Firm, Brent is regarded as one of the top behind-the-scenes magic consultants, helping magicians move beyond simply thinking about tricks and methods.

The post Making Better Magic with Brent Braun appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

On episode 155, Kainoa Harbottle sits down with Jonah to discuss coin magic, educating your audience on magic, and magic in the 19th century. Kainoa is known for his extensive work on coins and his ability to bring theatrical techniques into his performances to elevate magic for his audience. 

The post Palm the Damn Coins with Kainoa Harbottle appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Alan Alfredo Marchese joins Jonah for episode 154 to discuss choosing effects, creating emotion, and the Spanish School of Magic. Attributed to his deep understanding of magic, Alan is known for performing memorable and impactful effects.

The post Bringing Card Magic to the Stage with Alan Marchese appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This episode the interviewer becomes the interviewee. Jonah sits down with Brian Miller on his podcast, One New Person, to discuss his identity as a magician, copywriting and a chance encounter with one person that had a ripple effect on his life. Brian is a magician turned speaker with the goal of helping people feel heard and valued in our disconnected world.

The post Brian Miller on One New Person appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

For episode 162, Jonah sits down with Dan White to discuss working with a team, creating a show, and performing on television. Dan has appeared on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ten times, has an on running show at the Nomad, and has consulted for people like David Blaine, David Copperfield and Kanye West.

The post Teamwork, Fallon, and the Audience with Dan White appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah is joined by Manuel Llaser for episode 151 to discuss emotion in magic, learning from teachers, and analyzing your approach to magic. Manuel is an Argentinian magician who developed his deep appreciation for magic under the guidance of Juan Tamariz.

The post Being Conscious About Your Magic with Manuel Llaser appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

For episode 150, Jonah would like to thank the listeners for accompanying him on this journey. To do so, he has sat down to reflect on a trick he has been performing for a while now to see how it has changed with him. Alongside the audio, there is a video component to accompany Jonah’s reflection.

The post Growth in Magic appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

For episode 149, Jonah sits down with his roommate and business partner, Ben Train, to take a critical look at their own approach to magic and their performances.

The post Honest Conversations for Performers with Ben Train appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

The "Millionaire's Magician" Steve Cohen joins Jonah on Episode 138 to discuss branding, developing a show, and how to shape a career. Steve is best known for his long-running weekly show, Chamber Magic, but has also appeared on numerous television shows, produced a sold-out show at Carnegie Hall, and has performed all over the world for esteemed audiences.

The post Make No Small Plans with Steve Cohen appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jay Sankey sits down with Jonah for episode 147 to discuss magic online, creating and persuasive communication. Not only does Jay hold the world record for creating the most original illusions, but he runs a successful YouTube channel, is an international public speaker, comedian, performer, and consultant.

The post YouTube, Exposure and Making Magic with Jay Sankey appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah sits down with Haim Goldenberg to discuss the business of magic, taking risks and finding your character for episode 146. Haim is an Israeli-Canadian mentalist who is behind Cryptext and the show Goldmine.

The post Scaling Up your Performance with Haim Goldenberg appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

To start off 2019, Jonah sits down with Steve Shaw, better known as Banachek, to discuss mentalism, the ethics behind deception, and parapsychology. Banachek is one of the world’s leading mindreaders who has helped debunk psychic claims, created effects for leading performers and is sought after by venues around the world for his performances.

The post The Truth About Mentalism with Banachek appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

New year, new magic! To ring in the new year, Jonah sits down with Ben Train, Chris Mayhew, and Jacque Swan to discuss their magic highlights and lowlights from 2018, and what they plan to change for the upcoming year. 

The post Magic 2018 vs. 2019 with Ben Train, Chris Mayhew, and Jacque Swan appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Pipo Villanueva joins Jonah for episode 143 to discuss adding impact to your magic. Pipo is a magician from Spain who has performed at the Magic Castle and is known for performing impactful effects.

The post Impact, Emotion, and Frustration in Magic with Pipo Vilanueva appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Episode 142 is a new take on the catch-up episodes. In the first half, Jonah is addressing a topic in the magic community which has been a part of many recent discussions: Magic exposure online. In the second half, he sits down with his writer and editor, Jacque Swan, to discuss magic in Toronto and behind the scenes of the podcast.

The post Exposure and Behind the Scenes appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

After several recommendations, Joe Diamond finally sits down with Jonah for episode 141 to discuss ritualistic magic, believability, and engaging your audiences. Joe is a mentalist based in Illinois who delves into the weird side of life through his magic. He has headlined at the Chicago Magic Lounge, performed alongside David Parr, and hosts a weekly show called The 13th Hour.

The post Rituals, Experiences and Engaging Mentalism with Joe Diamond appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah sits down with Zivi Kivi for episode 140 to talk the business of performing. Zivi is not only a children’s entertainer, but he operates several podcasts like the Balloon Artist Podcast, Generous Podcast, and the Magician Business Podcast while also instructing with the Kids Entertainer Academy.  

The post Marketing Secrets for Entrepreneurial Magicians with Zivi Kivi appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week, Jonah sits down with Ondřej Pšenička to discuss creating magic, Fool Us, and the importance of community. Ondřej is an award-winning magician who has performed at the Magic Castle, on Penn & Teller, and is the creator of the Butterfly Deck.

The post Creating Magic and Fooling Magicians with Ondřej Pšenička appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

It’s a solo episode for 138 as Jonah sits down to catch you up on his trip to Austin, where he’s at with his magic and new ideas for the podcast.

The post Monthly Catch up: Len Cooper and Esther Follies appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Magic podcast hosts collide this episode as Carisa Hendrix, co-host of Shezam, sits down with Jonah to discuss performance, women in magic, cultural theory, and It Factor. Carisa is known for creating characters that draw on her visual arts and sideshow background.

The post Secrets to Developing Your Act with Carisa Hendrix appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Musician-turned-magician Jonathan Friedman joins Jonah this week to discuss combining outside passions with your magic and how magic has changed over the years. Jonathan is the best selling author of The 80’s Called...They Want Their Magic Book Back Vol. One and The Magic of Jonathan Friedman: The Musical.

The post Music, Magic and Using Your Other Passions with Jonathan Friedman appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week, Jonah finally sits down with Andi Gladwin—co-founder of Vanishing Inc.—to discuss the business of magic, creating magic, and how to manage your time. Andi has also appeared on Fool Us and The Next Great Magician where he performed his Man in a Balloon act. 

The post Vanishing Inc, Going Pro and Publishing your Magic with Andi Gladwin appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

It’s a short episode this week with Jonah talking about the state of the podcast, the Banksy painting fiasco, and the Toronto Magic Company.

The post Co-hosts, Banksy, and Getting Caught Up appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

With his passion shifting away from magic, Tyler says goodbye to the magic community and to Discourse in Magic in episode 133. Over the course of two hours, Tyler and Jonah discuss why he has decided to leave while reminiscing about their time working on the podcast. 

The post Why Tyler is Leaving the Podcast appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Known for his appearance on Fool Us, David Parr joins Tyler and Jonah. Bringing his theatrical background to magic this episode, David discusses the value of live theatre, the power of storytelling and Fool Us.

The post Performance That Engages on Multiple Levels with David Parr appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Harapan Ong joins Tyler and Jonah this week to discuss Instagram magic, developing your art, and the public’s exposure to magic. While Harapan is not a full-time magician, you can find him performing from and reviewing magic books on his Instagram show, Fully Booked.

The post Bridging the Old and the New with Harapan Ong appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week, Tyler and Jonah sit down to discuss their past month’s projects, advertising, their views on ethics in magic and Shin Lim. 

The post Ads, Ethics, AGT appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

We are very excited to have Axel Hecklau join us. He is an award-winning magician, taking second place for parlour magic at the 2018 FISM World Championship, who brings his unique insight to improving existing methods this episode.

The post Innovation and Being Unsatisfied with Existing Methods with Axel Hecklau appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

We start episode 127 by catching up with Tyler and Jonah. While Tyler hasn’t been performing much practical magic, he has been developing his video and editing skills. Meanwhile, Jonah’s month was steeped with magic.

The post Summer Catch-Up and Remaining Q & A appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Episode 126 is with Slight of Hand magician Karl Hein who is known for WOWing audiences with amazing and original magic and routines. Jonah has seen him perform both at the Magic Castle, and at a Toronto Magic Company show he produced in Toronto. 

The post Magic Goals and Winning the Crowd with Karl Hein appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Today’s monthly episode is a 1 am Q&A Episode, with Discourse in Magic: Nights. There was a lot of questions this time, mostly from the mailing list, sorry if they didn't get to your question. Get on the Newsletter to be in contact with Jonah and get your questions answered next time.

The post Quarterly Q & A appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

David Peck is a Toronto magician who specialized in manipulation. He is now a speaker, a writer, and a mover and a shaker in the world of social change. You may recognize him from his Face 2 Face podcast.

The post Using Magic to Make an Impact with David Peck appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Kayla Drescher is a fantastic magician, who really cares about character, comedy and the importance of theatre. She recently performed on  Pen & Teller's “Fool Us” and has a new podcast, called Shezam chatting all about women in magic.

The post Becoming an Amazing Performer with Kayla Drescher appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

It’s time for the Discourse in Magic boys to have their monthly get together episode, but this time they’re separated as Jonah has been touring Ontario and Quebec. Tyler, meanwhile, has been shooting more videos for his work and Instagram, while also watching other magician’s live performances. Some magicians that they’re both excited about is […]

The post Internet Exposure, AGT, and Other Magic Updates appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Dave Curran is a Ontario based Hypnotist known for his Las Vegas-like shows. He’s a friend of Jonah’s (who’s seen his shows over 200 times). Dave was horrible with magic at first, but after buying and practising magic-shop tricks at the age of 11, he begun doing close-up and walk-around shows. He then took improv lessons and, after seeing Terry Stokes live, decided to pursue Hypnosis.

The post Hypnosis, and the Business of Show Business with Dave Curran appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jason Ladanye is a world-class sleight of hand magician and card cheating expert, known for his latest book “Confident Deceptions”, his studies with Darwin Ortiz and knowledge in the major topics of theory, practise, scripting and tension made him a great addition to the podcast.

The post How to Perform Card Magic with Jason Ladanye appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In this minisode (mini-episode) Jonah records a short episode with his advice to the responses he received to his regular email asking the Discourse in Magic audience one special question. He asked our 1000 person email newsletter: "What do you want to learn", and he received dozens of answers that landed in two categories. 

The post Make Your Own Magic and Start to Get Bookings appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

It’s time for your regular catch-up episode with Jonah and Tyler. The episode starts with a quick recap of the last month, where Jonah talks about the Art of Magic, his trip to Chicago and Minneapolis, and much more, and Tyler tells us about a corporate gala gig he got to do!

The post Is There a ‘Correct’ Type of Magic? appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

For Episode 117, the Discourse in Magic boys got a chance to sit down with Jason England. If you didn't know, Jason England is the leading expert on Erdnase, Casino gambling and cheating. His interest in cards
started after learning how to play blackjack with his Grandma, and watching the Carson show with
his Dad, which lead him to the beginnings of buying card books.

The post Gambling, Cheating, and The Expert at the Card Table with Jason England appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In this episode, Jonah slides over to the other side of the couch so that he can pair with Ben Train and talk about the birth and the growth of the Toronto Magic Company. It start with the story of how TMC began.

The post The Toronto Magic Company appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This week Jonah and Tyler talk with magician Kyle Marlett about his new show Mutant Powers. Kyle explains the ins and outs of working in the world of magic and how he has become a fantastic magic consultant and creator.

The post The Internet, Creation, and Mutant Powers with Kyle Marlett appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

It’s time for episode 114 and our monthly catch-up for Jonah and Tyler. The pair like to get together every four weeks or so to talk about their magic careers and to answer you questions. Tyler has been slow on the performing side but has been creating at steady clip. He’s had to prioritize his downtime because of his new job. That has forced him to set aside some quality magic time. Tyler also recently booked one of his first corporate gigs ever, so he’s been pretty excited about that. Tyler feels like he’s back in high school when his passion about magic was at its height.

The post Surrealist Performance Art appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Rob Zabresky is an actor, a songwriter and, most importantly for our purposes, a magician. Rob was a musician in the band Possum Dixon in the mid 1990's when he strolled into a magic shop in Baltimore to escape the summer heat. The owner of the store showed him a simple handkerchief disappearing trick and was immediately drawn to it. He performed a version of that trick on stage in front of his bands audience and that was the start of his magic career.

The post Character, Acting, and Honing Your Act with Rob Zabrecky appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Ryan Plunkett is well known as the author of A New Angle and from his work at The Chicago Magic Lounge.  We’ve been eager to get him on the podcast for some time now.  Ryan worked for a while at a magic store. It ended up teaching him about the things that he hated about magic.  So much of the industry is based on pushing cheap tricks with little actual value.

The post A New Angle on The Chicago Magic Lounge with Ryan Plunkett appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

We’ve been trying to get The Evasons on the show for a long time now.  Then out of the blue they phoned us up and said that they were in town.  We invited them over the house to record this week’s episode and the results were pretty spectacula

The post Succeeding as a Touring Duo Act with The Evasons appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

We're really excited to have the co-founder of Vanishing Ink Magic Joshua Jay on the podcast. Josh and Andi Gladwin founded the company on the belief that there was a real dearth of high-quality magic on the market. 

Josh was criticized when he first began selling difficult, high-quality tricks. The critics suggested Vanishing was giving away too much. But Josh says that giving a newbie a really impressive trick right away will ensure that they are hooked for life. But the company is not based on profit at any cost. Josh says they have pulled innumerable products either because there was a missing credit or because the products were not up to snuff.

The post Teaching, Lecturing, and Making a Show with Joshua Jay appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

It's time for another catch-up interview with Jonah and Tyler. The episode starts with a quick recap of the last month. Tyler has made a terrible mistake and gotten a Muggle job. He works at at vape store, which is apropos since he uses an e-cig himself. He got the job by doing some magic for the company and they were so impressed they gave him a job. Jonah thinks that's a good lesson for everyone proficient in magic. It's always a good way to impress the normals.

The post What do you love about Discourse in Magic? appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

We've invited magic legend Johnny Thompson otherwise known as The Great Tomsoni onto the show today. Together with his wife Pamela Hayes Johnny has been performing for packed houses in Las Vegas for decades.

Johnny saw a movie about a Mississippi river boat gambler when he was a kid and he decided he wanted to become a card sharp. He bought The Expert at the Card Table at a Chicago bookstore for 35 cents. He spent the next four years trying to learn everything between those covers. Johnny eventually realized that there wasn't a lot of places for a 12 year old card cheat to work so he decided to switch to magic.

The post Show Business and Magic Consulting with Johnny Thompson appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

We're excited to have Denis Behr on the show this week.  Denis has consistently released some of the most innovative magic in the world.  His dedication to the craft shines through in everything he does, especially in his new DVD titled Magic on Tap. Denis first started with magic as a kid after being given a kit as a kid. Card magic has become his obsession. He never worked as a professional magician having trained in mathematics at university. He now works as a web developer and programmer at company based on Munich, Germany.

The post How to Love Magic with Denis Behr appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

You know him from his incredible Instagram presence – we're super excited to have @JustJoshInMagic on the show this week. Josh became obsessed with magic as a teenager. It was an interest that started as a diversion from his rigorous training as a musician. But soon enough he had traded the saxophone for a deck of cards. As he entered college he could no longer afford buying magic and so began to create his own tricks – all of which were horrible. He would perform for kids at various daycares and preschools but realized he preferred the magic he did for his friends. He went to school at UCF which is the largest university in the United States. That enormous student body provided a great audience for his early effort

The post Money Magic with Josh Janousky appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

It's episode 105 and time for another solo chat between Jonah and Tyler. It's been a month since our heroes sat down for one of these. Jonah had a ton of show throughout March with the Toronto Magic Company. Newest Trick in the Book is now a weekly show every Tuesday which is something that Jonah is really happy about. He continues to work on his time machine phone bit and has an idea of incorporating a “magical” amulet in one of his routines.

The post T-shirts and Talismans appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

It's taken more than two years and over 100 episodes but we've finally done it.  We managed to convince one the biggest names in magic to join us for a feature length interview. Teller tells us about his early years performing magic with Penn Jillette and how, together, the built one of the most durable brands in live performance.  He also reveals the secret to succeeding on his TV show Fool Us and why he believes Discourse in Magic is the best podcast he's ever listened to.  We can't think of a better way to usher in spring 2018 then with this interview!

The post Fool Us and Beyond with Teller appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

He's an incredible magician, a close friend but most importantly he's a listener to the podcast. Caleb Wiles is well known for his amazing stage performances and his appearance on Penn and Teller's Fool Us. As he started diving deeper into card magic he became totally obsessed. As his journey progressed he became known as the magic guy in his class and in his family. Soon enough he was performing on-stage.

The post Magic, Math and Pro Wrestling with Caleb Wiles appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Paul Vigil has burst out of his native Salt Lake City taking his magic to TV and the Las Vegas Stage. He has appeared on Penn and Teller's Fool Us twice. He trained with Johnny Thompson and worked as a street performer for years – slowly honing his skills. In his early 20's he was only interested in performing magic for himself. He grew to understand the importance of developing an act that appealed to audiences.

The post Religion, Psychedelics, and Other Types of Magic with Paul Vigil appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

We're have a really special guest this week. He runs Ellusionist and made waves with his viral performance on Fool Us. Adam Wilber also produced the best selling trick pyro and we're really excited to have him in the show. Wilber was six years old when he stole a prop from a friend for a trick. He mastered that trick, fooled his dad and never looked back.  Adam studied education in college and thought he was going to become a PE teacher.  He started supplementing his income as a walk-around magician but it took another decade before he managed to make a living at it.

The post Behind the Scenes at Ellusionist with Adam Wilber appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Our guest this week is a brilliant mind in the community. He's a magician, a priest and a raconteur – we're really excited to have Jared Kopf. Every child is born with a sense of wonder that gradually dwindles. For Jared it never dwindled. He doesn't remember a specific moment when he fell in love with the art form. But by the time he was a young kid he had become totally obsessed. By 14 he was making pretty good money doing walk-around magic in restaurants. By the time he returned to magic after university he was much more interested in the art of magic rather than just fooling people.

The post Real Magic with Jared Kopf appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

We made it! 100 episodes is a milestone we never expected to reach. Well, Jonah did. It's why he started the numbering with 001. Even still, we're super excited to have gotten this far. In this episode we reflect on how important the podcast has been on their own magic careers.

The post Is Discourse in Magic Ending? appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

You know him from his Workers project, his book Paradigm Shift and his work as a consulting producer on Fool Us. In this episode you're going to learn all about how to have a good presentation, how to have an act worthy of television, and how to make your magic better!

The post Get on Penn and Teller Fool Us with Michael Close appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Mario Lopez was just a kid when a friend put a lit cigarette into his fist and made it disappear. He learned how it was done and from that moment on he was in love with magic. He moved to Granada in his native Spain when he was 18 where he trained with one of the countries top magicians. He was taught the art of performance and how to create the magical moment. He didn't teach young Luis any tricks specifically. It was all about how to perform on stage. Mario is incredibly dramatic on-stage which he says is a product of his environment. Clowns, actors and musicians are everywhere in Granada and they have all had an impact on his magic.

The post Using Your Face with Mario Lopez appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Lloyd Barnes grandfather became a travelling magician shortly after the war. He developed many tricks over the years and passed those onto Lloyd. His focus was much more on sport as a teenager – especially boxing and gymnastics. His university career was less than successful – he was thrown out in his final year. But that ignited his interest in magic and soon he was selling tricks and illusions that he developed himself. He was broke and homeless for a time and slept on many friends and families couches over the next few years.

Lloyd now works with Ellusionist. He scouts tricks from other performers and from submissions to the company. He helps to make them more practical and performable. When you send a trick to the company, he's the guy that reads the email. The other part of his job is to shoot and edit the trailers for the new effects. Along with his own performing career that keeps him incredibly busy.

The post Visual Magic and Ellusionist Secrets with Lloyd Barnes appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

It's episode 96 and time for another solo episode with Jonah and Tyler. We start the episode talking about what we should do to celebrate our upcoming 100th episode. We have had some pretty dumb ideas in the past like listening to all 100 episodes in a row. We need your ideas on this one. Hit us up on Instagram!

The post Look How Far We’ve Come appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

He is Blue Crown Magic, he is Alex Pandrea. He first got into magic when he was five years old.  A clown came to his birthday party and did tricks like disappearing silk or sponge balls.  But his interest continued into young adulthood.  He grew up in New York City and it was through the local magic shops in Queens like Tannens that he discovered more magic.  He created some new effects as a teenager. 

The post Making Magic and the Playing Card Revolution with Alex Pandrea appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

David Williamson is an incredible comedy magician and sleight-of-hand master. He feels that he was bitten by the bug early and he had no other choice but to follow his passion.  He was totally obsessed with it from a very early age. David was painfully shy.  But he forced himself to get up on open stages at bars at the age of 15, and look at him now!

The post Becoming an Entertainer with David Williamson appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Our guest this week came across our Instagram feed a few months ago and we knew we had to have him on the podcast.  His work as a cardist is truly awe-inspiring.  John first got into magic after his family got him a magic kit when he was 8 years old.  He learned the boomerang card throw at age eleven and from that point on cardistry became his obsession.  Finding tricks was difficult as he fell into the generation where magic stores started to close but online stores were not yet common.  That forced him to develop his own magic and his own style.

The post Cardistry, Magic, and Getting Noticed with John Stessel appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Welcome everyone to Episode 92 – our first episode of 2018! We both had a good New Year's Eve. We relaxed with friends, some hors d'oeuvres and champagne. Last New Year's we challenged ourselves to come up with some magical resolutions. Jonah resolved to work more on scripting his magic performances in 2017 – something he managed to achieve. Tyler, meanwhile, can't remember what his resolution was. Though, he may have promised himself that he was going to perform more.

The post New Year, New Magic appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Felix Bodden has appeared on Fool Us and has created a really popular Instagram feed.  He first became interested when he was eight years old in 2001 – the same year that the first Harry Potter movie came out.  But Felix became frustrated when he realized there was no such thing as real magic.  His Mom took pity on him and bought Felix his first magic kit.  When you’re a kid everything is magical. 

The post Inner Secrets of Instagram Magic with Felix Bodden appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

We’ve been trying to get Tony Chang on the podcast for a long time and it’s finally happened!  Jonah and Tony spent some time together and NYC recently.  But this is the first time we have had the chance to talk to him about his history.  Tony first fell in love with magic when he saw a clown magician as a kid.  He got curious and he went to the public library in Idaho, where he grew up and found some books.  They were incredibly discouraging.  So he turned to some magic rooms on IRC in the early days of the internet.  He ordered a Hank Lee book and read it repeatedly.  His goal with magic is to create something incredible with imperfect means.  You can create an illusion using blunt mechanics to achieve something impossible. 

The post Making Good Magic Great with Tony Chang appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Geraint’s advice for a magician who wants to begin to sell illusions depends on what you want to accomplish.  Some people just want to make as much as possible.  But others want to be known and respected for creating quality magic.  Networking with the magic community to create something of value is hugely important.  But, he advises that once you conceive of a trick you should sit on it for a while.  Geraint has created tricks that he perfected over years before bringing to market.

The post What Makes a Great Magic Product with Geraint Clarke appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

This episode is packed full of questions that we want YOU to answer! Join in the fun, leave a comment and let us know what you feel about these deep philosophical magic questions!

The post Questions for Your Magic Mind appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Sean O is a master of cardistry and has achieved a lot at a very young age.  Sean is only twenty years old but has been honing his skill since he was in grade school. He did his first paying gig was when he was nine.  He performed at a five year olds birthday party.  He first saw card magic when he was given The Trilogy by Dan and Dave.   He would also watch XCM battles and was obsessed with it.  Both of Sean’s parents worked in IT and he had many computers in his house growing up.  He has combined his interest in the web and magic from the very beginning.

The post Instagram and the Cardistry Subculture with Sean O appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Xavior Spade is making waves as one of the highest profile YouTube magicians.  He is using live streaming to connect with an every-growing audience.  Xavior found magic as a young person while growing up in Jamaica, Queens in New York City.  But it was magic that helped him to escape the ghetto.  It was incredible eye-opening experience to be treated as an equal in the magic community.  Eventually, Xavior gravitated to new platforms like Twitch and Discord as a gamer.  Some magic discussions took place on those video streaming services and eventually ended up on YouTube. 

The post Modern Magic and Why it Lives Online with Xavior Spade appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Garrett Thomas is an incredible magician, an opinion that was confirmed recently when Jonah saw him perform at the Buffalo 52 magic convention.  Garrett first fell in love with magic because of his father.  His dad was a huge fan of magic and was friends with the bar magician Eddie Fechter. Who had a brilliant way of teaching people.  Fechter taught Garret’s dad a few tricks which were then passed on to young Garrett.  That instilled an obsession in him at a very young age.  His family has a history of addiction and Garrett feels that he funneled that addictive personality into magic.  

The post Understanding Magic with Garrett Thomas appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Allan thinks that young magicians should start out by learning from the masters.  It would be foolish to ignore the classics.  Work your way through Card College.  There is enough knowledge there to last a lifetime.  Eventually you will discover two or three pieces that resonate with you.  That will then help you discover what your strengths are.

The post Presentation, Effect Selection, and How to Practice with Allan Hagen appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Demian Aditya has become world famous because of his insane escape acts.  Demian first became interested in magic because of David Copperfield who was on TV regularly in his native Indonesia. 

The post Becoming a Death Defying Escape Artist with Demian Aditya appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Billy has taken her background as a busker worldwide, regularly performing in Europe and on television. She trained as an actor in Edmonton and was almost totally disinterested in street performing and magic. That is until she saw Nick Nickolas performing at the Edmonton Street Performers Festival nine years ago.

The post Busking for Magicians & Earning Your Chops with Billy Kidd appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

On today's episode, Mahdi Gilbert joins us to talk about the state of magic.  He first got into magic as a little kid despite not having much exposure to it.  He didn’t have a TV or internet but he had heard about magicians from other kids at school.  His childhood logic was that if he could learn magic he would be able to do anything.  Everyone told him that he couldn’t do it because he was so small, had a speech impediment and because he was born without hands.

The post No Hands, No Feet, No Excuses and No Limits with Mahdi Gilbert appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Lawrence Hass is the Associate Dean of the Magic and Mystery School in Las Vegas.  We wanted to invite him on to talk about the theory of magic at its deepest level.  Lawrence has a Ph.D. in philosophy and taught the subject for many years.  As he was finishing his Ph.D. he happened upon a David Copperfield performance on TV.  He immediately started thinking about what Copperfield was doing in a philosophical framework.

The post How to Create Magic Out of Tricks with Lawrence Hass appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

You know him from his incredibly popular videos The BC Shuffle and The Instagram Sessions.  Jeremy Griffith has popularized social media magic in a way no one else has. He's developed a new way of performing magic online.

The post How to Grow Your Instagram Following for Magicians with Jeremy Griffith appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jeremy Hanrahan is renowned in the magic community for his secret identity as @GaffGuy52.  He started early and became completely obsessed.  At first, he was a sleight of hand expert before he moved into gaffing.  He started his career selling his gaff decks to Morrisey Magic in Toronto.

The post Everything You Need to Know about Gaffing Cards with @Gaffguy52 appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Steve Reynolds is a renowned New Orlean’s card magician who is obsessed with keeping the history of magic alive. But Steve doesn’t have a step-by-step advice about how to become a magician.  He just did it.  He was full of passion and obsessed with learning.  Steve remembers how difficult it was to find information when he was younger.  Steve finds that there are a lot of young magicians that have the right attitude about magic.  But many people are stuck in a bubble of performing only for their friends.  In fact, Steve thinks that if they step out of that bubble and perform for a real audience they are going to be in for a rude awakening.

The post Standing on the Shoulders of Giants with Steve Reynolds appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Zack Mirza has created a remarkable career both as a professional animator and a magician.  He has animated a variety of children’s programs and his magic career was featured in the OLN series Illusion of Grandeur. 

The post he Artist’s Journey with Zack Mirza appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Harrison Greenbaum is the hardest working man in comedy and magic.  His unique act has landed him slots on Last Comic Standing and America’s Got Talent.  His career started early first as a stand-up comic who occasionally used magic in his sets when the jokes weren’t landing

The post A Masterclass in Comedy Magic with Harrison Greenbaum appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Our guest this week is Glenn West.  Glenn is a fantastic magician who started his love affair with magic after being introduced to the craft by his father.  Magic is constant presence in his life though he is not a working magician. Instead, he works as an animator in film and television.

The post Crafting Incredible Visuals with Glenn West appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In episode 69 we sit down with cardist Anna DeGuzman to talk magic, cardistry, content creation and much much more!

The post Cardistry, Community, and Content Creation with Anna DeGuzman appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jason is a rockstar magician. He is a rockstar - The drummer for Sidewise; a crazy metal band, as well as an accomplished and creative magician. Jason dives in with us to ways that you can benefit as a magician even if it isn't your career.

The post How to Benefit From Magic When it’s Not Your Career with Jason Dean appeared first on 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.

The post The Laws of Magic and How to Give and Take Criticism with Michael Feldman appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

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 

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.

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 incredible accomplished performer. With multiple effects released on the magic market, as well as appearances on Wizard Wars and Penn and Teller Fool us.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The post Networking for Magicians with Brian Miller appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Boo Ya everybody we made it to Episode 52! To celebrate we invited over four of our closest Toronto magic friends to talk about Toronto magic in the past, present, and future.

The post Magic in Toronto with Ben Train, Rosemary Reid, Chris Mayhew, and Mark Correia appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

If you're talking about comedy magic, there are just a few names that automatically come to mind. John Archer is one of them. Not only is his magic baffling, but he's also absolutely hilarious. He’s known for whipping up his audience, and getting incredible moments out of the magic and the punchlines!

The post Tools and Tips to Make Your Comedy Magic FIRE with John Archer appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

There is absolutely no question in my mind that you've heard of Gazzo. Maybe you've seen his Fool Us performance. It's possible you've seen another clip from Youtube. Or equally likely, you could have seen him busking in your city!

The post How to Become an Unstoppable Old School Entertainer with Gazzo appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

If you saw them walking down the block you would stop dead in your tracks. A haunted couple just walked out of a catalogue from the 1930s. Mysterion, a fast talking Dracula looking gentleman with a white streak...

The post How to Get Noticed as a Performer with The Sentimentalists (Mysterion & Steffi Kay) appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In episode 47 we sit down with David Malek...THE KING. He's not just the King at entertainment, but he's also one of the most skilled card man alive today.

The post Entertainment Value and Finding Your Shtick with David Malek appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In this episode we sit down with John Guastaferro and we chat all about making your own effect awesome. John is an expert at working on different important elements and put them together to make a beautiful trick.

The post The Napkin Approach and Enjoying the Process with John Guastaferro appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Nick Wallace spills the beans on exactly how scripting a show creates an incredibly powerful experience for your audience! In this episode he breaks down exactly how he works with a director and why he would never create a show without it.

The post Episode 45 – Scripting and Working with a Director with Nick Wallace appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

James was a special guest on the podcast because he won January's contest. But we've known James for a long time. He's been a friend of ours from Toronto* for years!

The post The Effect Month: Props, Identity, and Paying Your Dues with James Harrison appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In episode 43 we sit with Chad Juros to tell us his story of magic. I'll save most of the details for the episode itself, but I can provide you with a short version of Chads incredible story.

Chad was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia as a child. During many of his years and months at the hospital Chads father brought magic to help take his mind off of things.

The post Using Magic to Spread an Important Message with Chad Juros appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Welcome to our first ever live show!

We invited Wes Barker, Eric Leclerc and Chris Ramsay to Toronto to record an episode but we said HEY, why don't we invite the local magicians too. SO WE DID!

And it was a blast!

The post Live in Toronto – Views, Comments, and Awesome Magic Content with Chris Ramsay, Eric Leclerc, and Wes Barker appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In this episode Tyler and I sit down with Caroline to chat about everything it takes to build a community and following. Caroline Ravn is the queens of outreach. In the episode she gives us tips about how to get published in an article.

The post Secrets to Outreach and Building Relationships with Caroline Ravn appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

If you don't know who Asi Wind is, I recommend stopping the podcast episode and checking him out. Not only has he released incredible effects that have ROCKED the magic community (links below), but he is also a leading magical thinker.

The post Why Being Sincere Means Connecting with Your Audience with Asi Wind appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

If you've ever wondered how to get into a Fringe Festival, what it is, how to use it to make money and why you would want to do it, you're in the right place.

In episode 38 Keith Brown lays it all out for us.

The post How to Master Fringe Festivals with Keith Brown appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

If you've ever seen anything that Chris Funk has ever done (which you probably have) you know how special what he does is.

The post How to Make Your Show About You with Chris Funk appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

We sit down with Toronto's own James Alan to discuss some of the finer details of crafting a show. This episode was particularly exciting because James has been a fan of the show. Not only did he come prepared, but he was also able to blast misconceptions that we had spoken about in previous episodes.

The post The Value of a Great Introduction and How to Tweak Your Show with James Alan appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

You know him from Comedy Network! You've watched his Viral Videos! You know him Cupcake Wars (okay maybe not) the one and only Justin Willman joins us on the podcast!

The post Tools, Tips, and Tricks to Having TV Quality Magic with Justin Willman appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In this perfectly timed episodes days after David Blaine's special we have the very bright Daniel Garcia telling us about the ups and downs for consulting. Garcia consults for many of the major TV magicians including Cyril, Dynamo and of course David Blaine.

The post Magic Consulting and Making Your Own Inspiration with Daniel Garcia appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

If you're reading this it means you care about modern media and social media. For that you are already a winner.

The post Magicians Guide to Mastering Every Social Media Platform with Justin Flom appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Julian has basically done everything under the sun in terms of magic. He's performed, taught, created 2 podcasts, and created tons of products that are meant to help magicians with the commercial side of magic (often the most difficult part).

The post Expert Online Marketing Tools and Tips for Magicians with Julian Mather appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

The one and only Wes Barker brings the heat on episode 29 by chatting all about how to get booked. Since he's made big waves in a short time, he's tells us exactly what to look for in branding and why cold calling colleges is so fun and easy!

The post Getting Booked with Branding, Taglines and Straight Up Tenacity with Wes Barker appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In episode 28 we had the wonderful Lou Serrano chat with us about exactly how to book gigs. As he says, there isn't one way to get gigs, but there are 50 ways. Lou basically walks us through 5 or 6 of them in this episode.

The post Exactly What it Takes to Get Endless Bookings with Lou Serrano appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

If you are into creative methods for magic, than I recommend listening to this episode. Mathieu Bich turns the standard notions of creativity on their head by chatting about the process h goes through to create magic, More importantly he chat's about the purpose of his magic creation: himself.

The post Creativity Through Self Expression Instead of Endless Resources with Mathieu Bich appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In this episode we sit down with the amazing Youtube star Daniel Fernandez. When I say amazing youtube star, I'm both referring to his 720,000+ subscribers, and his amazing videos that have me smiling, and watching to the end.

The post Why Magic is Flirtatious, and How to Treat it That Way with Daniel Fernandez appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In this episode we sit down with the one and only Chris Wiehl to chat about being original and creative with magic effects. If you aren't familiar with Chris' magic, check out any of the following tricks he's created.

The post How to be Creative and Original with Methods with Chris Wiehl appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In this Episode we got to sit down with the one and only Shawn Farquhar to talk about how to fool Penn and Teller, or win a contest like FISM, twice!

The post How to Fool Penn & Teller and Win FISM… Twice with Shawn Farquhar appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In this episode we packed up our bags and travelled to Toronto (hehe) to our good friend Bobby Motta's house. If you know anything about Bobby, you know that he is one of Toronto's Top Mentalist and is a very very bright guy.

The post Why Mentalism is More Relatable for Audiences Than Magic with Bobby Motta appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In this Episode we sit down with our good friend Scott Hammel to talk about stunts. Scotty is a motivational speaker who uses magic and stunts as a tool to help deliver his message. We wanted to chat with him about a lot of the "Why and How's" of stunt work, to better understand the niche that he's found himself in.

The post Why Risk Your Life on a Stunt and How To Try It At Home with Scott Hammell appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

It was a very insightful conversation about art, and how it applies to the world of cardisrty and the world of magic, and how they are evolving right now and in the future.

The post Art of Magic, Art of Play and The Importance of Style and Design with Dave Buck and Elliott Terral appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In this Episode Mark talks about his approach to magic, and comedy from the perspective from an actor, and an expert in theatre.

The post How to Add Comedy to Your Magic Without Hack Lines with Mark Corriea appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In this episode of Discourse in Magic we got to sit down with our good friend Rosemary Reid to chat about women in magic. Rosemary has a very reasonable approach to why there aren't that many women in magic.

The post Women in Magic with Rosemary Reid appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In this episode we sit down with Oscar Munoz to chat about the International Brotherhood of Magicians, theatre in magic, and how to accept criticism when working together.

The post The Future of IBM and the Importance of Theatre in Magic with Oscar Munoz appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

After meeting Simon Black at a Motor City magic convention in Michigan and watching and learning his mechanics I was knocked off my socks. But since then, he has really dove into the world of magic theory and specifically Spanish theory in his magic.

The post A Journey From Technique to Theory Through Friends and Mentors with Simon Black appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In this Episode we sat down with Aaron Fisher and Adam Grace from Conjurer Community to talk all about the student teacher relationship in magic and the blurry lines between them.

The post How to be a Great Teacher, Mentor and Student of Magic with Aaron Fisher and Adam Grace appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

We hung out with our great friend Lee Asher got a chance to see his collection, and speak about the innovation in playing cards happening right now. Innovation in design, feel, build, look, weight, and other specifics that are getting heard by the factories.

The post Playing Card Innovation and Economy in the Era of Crowdfunding with Lee Asher appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

We thought it would be great to interview some key players in our magic communities in Toronto and Canada that helped to bring Discourse in Magic together.

The post Magic Shops, Camps and Friends appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In this episode we got to speak with a local Toronto magician and friend about his story through magic. He moved from the restaurant world to the birthday party world, followed by comedy magic and now an illusion show.

The post Performing Tips for the Working Magician, From Restaurants to Big Illusions with Chris Westfall appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In episode 7, we finally get an opportunity to sit down with Ben to chat about the finer details of ethics in magic. This is a topic that we know is not usually spoken about, but as we touched on it in the last episode, we think it's important.

The post Ethics and Morals for the Modern Magician with Ben Train appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In this episode we had a blast chatting with Patrick Kun about his experiences with David Copperfield and Calen Morelli and his stance on magic online. We spoke in great detail about something that he has put his heart into (pun intended) his valentines day series! They're awesome videos, that I recommend you checking out.

The post Designing magic for the screen and the stage with Patrick Kun appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In this episode Chris Mayhew explains how he uses improv in his magic and comedy to make it awesome!

The post Improv and being open to change with Chris Mayhew appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In this spisode Eric Leclerc gives us a an inside scoop on how he builds his character

The post Personality, character and connecting with your audience with Eric Leclerc appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

In our second episode and first interview Steven Brundage tells us all about how he got where he is through busking and then ultimately going viral

The post Going viral, the Reddit secret, and Rubik’s cubes with Steven Brundage appeared first on Discourse in Magic.

Jonah and Tyler explain who they are and what discourse in magic is all about.

The post Introduction Episode appeared first on Discourse in Magic.