Author Archives: Andrew Pinard
Being present…
Expanding on my last post… Letting go is the first step to expanding your performance skill set. What you are ultimately shooting for is the ability to “be present”. What the heck does that mean? That means truly listening and … Continue reading
Letting Go…
I performed last evening for a group of supporters (“Friends”) of a local library last evening. The show was open to the public in a small town of 1,200 people. While two-thirds of the audience were from the town, the … Continue reading
Grace under Pressure
“Everything in the labor of Art amounts to one thing: the difficult should become customary, the customary easy and the easy—beautiful.”—Constantin Stanislavski Here is an excellent representation of that ideal… And another televised performance:
Buying Magic
When I performed strolling in restaurants, I would occasionally borrow a dollar, transform it into a hundred, transform it back and return the one to the volunteer. Why did I do this? Because if I didn’t, it seriously cut into … Continue reading
Truth and Responsibility
All too often we deceive ourselves more than our audiences. We think that if we go through the steps involved to make the trick work that our audience will be as entranced as we. It is easy to lose sight … Continue reading
Character
Some are quick to discount a routine as ineffective if it doesn’t get a strong response in the first few attempts. The lack of a response is often not attributed to lack of practice or focused presentation, but a failing … Continue reading
Written in Stone
The longer you perform material, the more it becomes you, and the more you can focus on the details of performing and your relationship (and communication) with your audiences. If you are a conscientious performer, over the lifetime of a … Continue reading
Spectators versus Participants
All too frequently magicians use audiences as furniture. Magic cannot happen without a participating audience member. Music can exist in the vacuum of a practice room or locked in a piece of plastic, art can hang in a closet, but … Continue reading
The Distillery
When working on a new piece, I research and work through every version I can find. I play with the moves and handling for about six months, and then I will walk away from the research phase for a period … Continue reading
Technically Technique
Believe it or not technique does not matter! That does not mean you can get away with having poor technique, rather that you should spend your time performing magic with the techniques that you are the most sure of, the … Continue reading