My kids have been watching YouTube clips of close-up magicians, particularly from America’s Got Talent and Penn and Teller’s Fool us.
So YouTube suggested yesterday I watch clip of magic revealed – a freeze-frame walk through of a close-up magician.
Does it bring you less joy knowing how the magic was performed? For me, it brings more joy to know how it’s performed and still not see the move when I watch the clip.
There’s sometimes a fear in young musicians that developing theoretical knowledge will somehow ruin the emotional impact of hearing great music. Recognizing a harmonic progression, the thinking goes, will take the listener out of the revelry of pure listening.
But it’s the same with music as it is with magic. Knowing how the art is put together doesn’t ruin your enjoyment of it, but instead gives you another way to enjoy it.