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. Growing up with a magician as a father meant that magic was always a part of her life. She, alongside her sister, would perform in and help with the behind the scenes of her father’s sho...

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.  My Summer Lair is a podcast that explores the fringes of pop culture in Toronto by bringing on local artists to discuss their craft. Make sure you listen until the end of the episode to hear Jonah perform a trick that you can foll...

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. Growing up, Kiko discovered magic alongside his brother and his brother’s friend. Having grown up in the Northern part of Spain, Kiko’s magic became more inspired...

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.  At nine years old, Nate happened to stumble upon magic after being inspired by Lord of the Rings; he, like Gandalf, wanted to cast spells and seem unstoppable, s...

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. Ran’D’s journey in magic began as a graduate student attending Penn State for he...

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. Ryan’s first magic me...

It’s another bite sized episode this week! This time, Jonah suggests an interesting way to discover your character. After the warm reception of the last Magician Appetizer, Jonah decided to release another one to further test the format. Next week the podcast will return to its regular format with the occasional serving of a Magician Appetizer.     

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 discussed on the podcast. To start this new format off, Jonah explores the idea of putting on the shoes of your audience member. Over the past few months, Jonah has been listening to older episodes. In line with th...

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 traveled 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. Gordon fondly remembers how his interest in magic was sparked. His uncle, who lived i...

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. Michel was a ten year old boy in Argentina when he started doing magic. With...

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 Security for SCA for the past 24 years, spending his time working out how individuals may cheat the system. Norman’s interest in magic started around the age of eight. Whi...

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 . Matt remembers a wind-up box at his grandmother’s house sparking his initial love for magic. While not a magic trick, it still gave...

With Toronto’s annual magic convention, The Browser’s Bash , right around the corner, Jonah sits down for episode 157 to give you ten tips on maximizing your magic convention experience. Ten Things to Remember for Magic Conventions 1. Relationships Over Advice Whether the convention is one day or three, you will probably have the opportunity to interact with multiple magicians during y...

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. Brent’s interest in magic started later in life. As a single father at the age of twenty, Brent would often find hi...

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.  Kainoa has always been a performer, often finding himself playing the eccentric villain characters in his...

Alan Alfredo Marchese joins Jonah for episode 154 to discuss choosing effects, creating emotion, and the Spanish School of Magic. Originally from Argentina, Alan now lives in Spain where he has earned a reputation for taking effects and turning them into powerful moments for his audience. In 1972, growing up in Buenos Aires, a 12-year-old Alan saw his friend performing Professor’s Nightmare which...

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. You may remember Brian from his Disc...

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. When Dan was a boy, his father gave him a magic kit, sparking his interest 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. Manuel comes from a family of artists. His uncle, Alan Marchese, started him on the path of magic when he was five years old. Under his mentor,...

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. Thank you to Jacque Swan for cutting together the video. A Trick in Review For the past few years, Jo...

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. Approaching the Shows Each month, the two perform approximately 22 public shows under the Toronto Magic Company branch. These shows break down to their show at Dave & Buster’s, Newest Trick in the Book , and Art of Magic . Each...

The “Millionaire’s Magician” Steve Cohen joins Jonah on Episode 148 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. Ever since he was six...

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. Jay’s interest in magic started when his grandmother gave him a magic set for his eleventh...

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 Goldmind. The first magician Haim saw was Uri Geller. Wanting to be like Uri, young Haim spent his time trying to bend spoons with his mind and hypnotizing people in the streets.  Over time, he...

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. When Banachek started, he wasn’t aware that there was...