Title: School Elective Course On....magic
ChiaWK - March 16, 2009 04:51 AM (GMT)
I know of a particular JC which is intending to conduct compulsory elective courses for its students. It includes windsurfing, cooking, muay thai, etc.
Of which one is a Street Magic workshop.
| QUOTE |
Students will be taught how to perform ‘Street Magic’ after learning basic magic sleight of hand techniques, methodology and psychology.
The objectives of the workshop sessions are as follows:
• To effectively teach the students the fundamentals of Street Magic • Educate the students on three forms of magic and the principles behind the magic • Teach them presentational and showmanship skills for performance
At the end of the workshop, students will have learnt how to execute Street Magic effects using various magic principles and how to present the acts to an audience. Besides technical magic skills, the workshop will also build the participant’s confidence and self-esteem.
The proposed syllabus will cover 4 main topics. The topics will serve as a solid introduction to ‘Street Magic’ and will also teach them how to present confidently in front of an audience.
Lesson 1 – Card Magic
Participants will be taught the fundamentals of card magic using a deck of cards. They will learn simple sleight of hand, card effects as well as how to present the effects.
Lesson 2 – Mental Magic
Participants will learn simple mental magic effects such as basic mind reading and making magic predictions. These acts are designed to stimulate their minds and utilize memory and psychology techniques.
Lesson 3 – Magic with Common Items Participants will learn Street Magic acts that use coins and money notes as the central props. These are common everyday items that the participants can use to perform ‘Street Magic’ anywhere!
Lesson 4 – Showmanship, Presentation and Show Production
This finale lesson will be a summary of all the Street Magic taught in the first 3 lessons. More importantly, participants will be taught how to speak, communicate and present the Street Magic acts effectively and clearly to an audience. |
What do you make of this? Personally I believe this is a form of improper exposure.
Magic is a selective art, because it is defined by secrets and the sheer amount of hard work practitioners put in.
1) I notice that none of the course objectives raised above include the need to teach students to keep magic what it has always been - a secret.
2) By making this a 2-day course, participants will not be able to learn magic the right way. It just tends to their desire for a "quick fix" - they want to know how you just did that trick.. and they want to know NOW!
3) People who sign up for the course do not truly have passion towards learning the art, period. As I said above, this is a compulsory exercise by the school and they may have elected to join this street magic workshop just because it is 'interesting'.
4) There is no mention of who the teacher is going to be. I will not object so vehemently if the teacher is a true master of the arts, but the cynical side of me is wary that the vendor may chiefly be looking for financial gains.
So what do you all think?
luneymooney - March 16, 2009 05:36 AM (GMT)
Let me guess. That certain JC has got a lion in their emblem?
I have heard about something similar before. The teacher exposed several effects to at least two classes of students of whom more than half had no serious interest in learning magic. When approached by one of the student who was into magic about exposure, he shrugged it off.
The only consolation, if it's any consolation, is that the effects taught should not be anything more than what you can get in books in the library.
ChiaWK - March 16, 2009 06:52 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE |
| The only consolation, if it's any consolation, is that the effects taught should not be anything more than what you can get in books in the library |
If someone would bother to go to the library, look for and read through magic books, then he is definitely a more serious student of the art. After all, magic books are notoriously hard to understand...
Samuel - March 16, 2009 06:54 AM (GMT)
It is no doubt that such exposure is a potential problem to people who are serious in magic. I am not very into this idea as well. Its pretty disappointing.
But then again, it is a school thing there is nothing much we can really do to it. Unless somebody wants to write in to this particular school and feedback about this.
Judging from the lessons,
| QUOTE |
Lesson 1 – Card Magic
Participants will be taught the fundamentals of card magic using a deck of cards. They will learn simple sleight of hand, card effects as well as how to present the effects.
|
Hopefully that they will be teaching mainly self-working tricks. As for the sleights imparted to them, lets hope that they are some really simple and basic sleight. But then again it sound pretty impossible, even the simplest sleight is too much of an exposure. Personally, simple self-working trick is the most I can accept if any magic must be imparted to layman.
| QUOTE |
Lesson 2 – Mental Magic
Participants will learn simple mental magic effects such as basic mind reading and making magic predictions. These acts are designed to stimulate their minds and utilize memory and psychology techniques.
Lesson 3 – Magic with Common Items Participants will learn Street Magic acts that use coins and money notes as the central props. These are common everyday items that the participants can use to perform ‘Street Magic’ anywhere!
|
Lets hope that these are really simple stuff. Like using a keycard at most.
As for common items, hopefully they teach real simple stuff. If they refer common items magic to stuff like CMH, then its a bit too much I feel.
| QUOTE |
Lesson 4 – Showmanship, Presentation and Show Production
This finale lesson will be a summary of all the Street Magic taught in the first 3 lessons. More importantly, participants will be taught how to speak, communicate and present the Street Magic acts effectively and clearly to an audience.
|
As for presentation wise. I guess the magic guru can only teach these people 'how to present' to only a certain degree. If one would want to learn to present in more professional way, more training would be required. This crash course would not be be to take them too far. Unless that chap is talented.
Overall I think that when such cases of 'elective program' cannot be avoid, the teacher for the course should spare a thought for serious magic learner, only impart tricks selectively and restrictively.
muscleaxl - March 16, 2009 08:31 AM (GMT)
This is quite similar to another topic we've discussed before... on the exposure of magic.
Again, a few points I want to make:
1. There is NOTHING we can do.
Since we are powerless to stop them, no point lamenting over it in a forum where they are not even likely to read.
I agree with Kenneth (IIamlalamer) in a previous post that we should just quit worrying and start practising. There would be more than enough people in the world for you to amaze... if your magic is good enough.
2. Most people DON'T care.
Some people who expose magic don't even think of themselves as magicians, only people who happened to know or figure out a trick, so you think they really care about the magician's code or "exposure kills magic"?
No point trying to convert them. Like somebody once told me, "You can't teach a pig to sing... you would get yourself full of mud and frustrate the pig ."
3. Most laypeople WON"T bother.
Most of us have this fear that ALL laypeople would jump at the chance to uncover all the secrets so that they can expose YOU!! It is just like you feel every guy in the world is after your girlfriend...
We all worried that those students would become "educated and bitter hecklers", and worse... you happen to be the magician that is performing to their gfs!! But seriously, for those who often performed, how many of such guys do you ever see?
C'mon, just focus on what you do best. Life goes on and the earth still revolves.
llamalamer - March 17, 2009 06:08 PM (GMT)
Off topic here.. but...
Kenneth (IIamlalamer)??
its LLAMALAMER!!! goodness... :P
Kenneth
muscleaxl - March 17, 2009 06:47 PM (GMT)
