Through our Tony Eng Youth Fund, Magicana sponsored two young people to attend the John Carney Lecture in Toronto on Feb 15, 2014.
The pair are actively part of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Toronto – an organization near and dear to Magicana as past partners in our My Magic Hands program. Through a happy coincidence, Big Brother, Mike Johns, happened to hear about the lecture and thought it would be the perfect outing with his Little, Wes.
Wes is a budding 12-year old magician with a huge interest in magic and his Big, Mike – equally interested in magic – thought it would be the perfect outing for the two of them. But, limited funds proposed a challenge. Resourcefully, Mike reached out to Magicana and through our Tony Eng Youth Fund, we were able to make their attendance possible. After all that’s what the fund is all about – to motivate and inspire young people who are passionate about magic.
Both Big and Little were thrilled. New to the magic world, Wes did not know what to expect – all he knew was that it would be “something amazing, something big”. We asked the pair to share some insights before and after the lecture. In a very charming interview format, Mike and Wes imparted some interesting insights.
Mike took heaps of notes to share with Wes and here are a few gems from his impressive and detailed list:
- Never be satisfied with things as they are. Don’t stop with learning the instructions and memorizing the sequences. The first idea you have to accomplish an effect is never enough, you have to keep thinking.
- All misdirection is tension, then relaxation. When you relax, the audience relaxes. When you tell a joke, the audience relaxes. When you look at someone, the audience relaxes. Then, you do the move, when everyone relaxes.
- And finally…don’t give up too soon…because as long as you are willing to put in honest effort, you will improve.
As a surprise to Wes, John Carney – aware of the bursary – gifted Wes with the perfect book for a budding magicians, Mr. Mysto’s & John Carney’s Wizard Academy. What a way to end a magical outing! The pair left the lecture with renewed spirits and newfound knowledge, and here at Magicana, we are proud to have helped in making this happen. Our special thanks to Mr. John Carney for both his lecture and his generosity.
