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Paul Harris - Post Dinner, my perspective
I had an idea that maybe all the guys that were there could post their own threads about the experience, but if it creates too much clutter or thread traffic, i'd understand if they were just compressed. I'm not gonna go into a direct description of the night's events because Caine covered it pretty well.
First i would just like to say...
I don't think i'll ever have a better night in my magic career ever in my life ever...ever...just..ever. Tim Trono, Brad Christian, Paul Harris, thanking you guys would almost be disingenuous. Giving us an experience like this...it just leaves me speechless, i don't even know what to say, it's something i'll be telling my grandkid's grandkids (since i was in the presence of paul harris, i now have the ability to live forever, it's pretty cool, no big deal).
To be able to talk to Tim Trono, Brad Christian, and Paul Harris in that setting is a once in a milion kinda thing. What surprised me most, and left the biggest impression, was their incredibly candid nature. Even though we all acted like silly school children in the presence of the great Paul Harris, they were genuinely interested in our insight and our opinion. Tim, Brad, and Paul (i'm just gonna call them 'the big three' when referring to them collectively) are very deep thinkers about magic as an art form and it's unique nature that separates it and makes it difficult to be included among the likes of music, sculpture, etc. I think a lot about magic, it's different effects on people, public response, what it is as an art, but i just thought being a political theory major was getting to my head. To hear the ideas of ppl who've been doing this for years and years give their opinions makes me feel so refreshed and very motivated.
Paul didn't so much as give us the answers to all of our questions and frustrations about magic, but the most refreshing and motivating thing was that he very eloquently, and very earnestly, posed a question about magic. In all of his experience he could still pose a question about some of the problems of magic and its perception amongst society and its perception amongst magicians. Many of the same questions were asked about things like jazz and impressionist painting at their outset; is it art? is it low brow, high brow, is jazz just entertainment without any form or syncretic value, can the same credit of technicality be given to impressionists, etc. I guess the moral of the story is, the fact that people that have been around magic as long as Paul Harris and the big three have still find it necessary to pose a question to us that they have yet to find an answer to, is further proof of the lineage and value of Magic as an art form that Paul was talking about. Magic needs to be discussed; the technicality, the performance, what it means to you and me, and we can cite quotes and ideas from famous magicians of the past and the ones that are still around. We can use their classic tricks and performances to make arguments and talk about this intelligently, and the fact that it is discussed in this way gets me very excited about the important aspect of my life that is magic.
Dinner at Brad's was very much the deep and mature discussion of magic that i always love to hear. Ice cream afterwards, however...that was when it was ok for us to be awe struck fan boys.
The entire night Paul pretty much only ever held a deck to do one thing, Simple Switch (due to james' relentless inquiry, which i'm really glad he did). As ridiculous as this move looks on video, to see it in real life performed by Paul Harris is just...it couldn't have been possible. I could tell Paul and Tim were just throwing us a bone at every silly question that we (or I) asked them about the one trick they always do with a deck, the one trick they always do period, etc. but i'm glad they did.
I personally don't know of a single magician near me for miles in both San Diego where i go to school and Irvine where i live, so it was nice to sit down with a bunch of guys (and the masters of the big three) and just talk magic. To say something like "i was thinking about doing a snap deal and then going into that move from the dvd" and have everyone know what you're talking about is an awesome feeling.
I'll probably post more on this but that's all i got for now, Tim Trono, Brad Christian, and of course Paul Harris, you guys are amazing and awesome and inspiring and everything else good that's ever been said about you. Thanks for providing many moments of astonishment for a few jaded magicians.
PS Thank's Mike for the ride their and the long journey back, haha (we got lost) and Zack and James and all you guys whose names i can't remember it was awesome meeting you, if i'm ever in oklahoma or NY i'll hit you up! haha
-Josh
Last edited by GinNjuIcE : 01-26-2009 at 03:50 AM.
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