The Legacy of Mentoring

Dai "The Professor" Vernon (1894-1992)

Respect and Mentoring: two ideas that sometimes get lost in the performing arts it seems. When I was young there was a local magician, Dave Schmidt, who invested in me.  I was a young kid who loved magic and he was willing to give me his phone number and said "call me anytime you want to talk about magic".  He later introduced me to my first magic club where I was the youngest member. However, my age did not stop me from performing on a regular basis to help me hone my skills.

The current mentor/ student relationship in magic is like that of an exotic tiger -- nearly extinct. In this age of YouTube and multimedia learning, the mentor is a dying breed in every branch of art and entertainment. We always hear about the good ole days where in order to advance in the art of magic you needed someone to show you the way. Someone to pass the proverbial wand, and show you the secrets passed down from master to student for centuries. Nowadays, with the masses of resources available, magic has taken an almost cliché role in the world.

Wilfred "Bill" Pratt

No matter what art form you practice, please remember there is always someone who looks up to you. Don't be afraid to take someone under your wing and help shape them into the performer they want to be. Respect your art, respect the artistic community, and above all respect yourself. If we can all do that, the performing arts will never die.

This blog post is dedicated to the memory of magician Wilfred "Bill" Pratt. A mentor, friend, and colleague of so many. We break a wand in your honor: Fallen but never forgotten.

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Mystifyed Live! Episode 4-- Justin Miller

Season 3: Episode 4

If you are a magician you probably have heard the name Justin Miller before. If you are a 'muggle' you are going to want to find out what you can about him. From his beginnings in Vegas at age 19 to working with some of the biggest names in the magic business, Justin Miller has done it all. From performing to creating some of today's hottest selling magic effects, Justin Miller is a man of many magical skills.

Magician, Creator and Artist, Justin Miller

It was a pleasure to welcome Justin back to Mystifyed Live for a second time. When we last spoke with him his effect Legend had just been released and he stopped by to hang out with us and talk about his up coming collaborations. Here we are just about a year later having just released his new effect Creeper. We also learned how he managed to, without even thinking about it, create and fool someone with his own homemade magic method. It was only later on in life that he began to create some of his more well known effects and it launched him directly into the forefront of the magic world.

When it came time for the audience to ask Justin some questions of their own, and nothing was off limits, we heard everything from magic to mastering life. While a majority of this part of the show steered away from magic Justin offered some of the most profound statements regarding life, love and living that we have heard in a long time. We then asked Miller to describe himself using only three words. Inquisitive, mysterious, and believe it or not, he was not able to come up with a third word. So we ask you, our readers and fans to leave a comment with a word that you would use to best describe Justin. This portion of the show truly gives you a glimpse into just how far beyond magic Justin can go.

We want to thank Justin for coming back and having a great time with us once again. For more information on Justin and any of his previous and upcoming projects follow him on Twitter, check him out on Facebook by heading over to his Guest Page!
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**Note: Due to the nature of topics discussed and some strong language, viewer discretion is advised**

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Mystifyed Live Goes Viral!

Justin The Mystifyer is the host of Mystifyed Live

A whole lot has gone on here at Mystifyed Live since we launched our third season at the beginning of September. Here is a brief recap for those who may have missed it. As our second season came to a close we began broadcasting LIVE from Las Vegas. Fast forward to Season 3 and we took another step forward with the launch of Mystifyed Live on iTunes. Now you can download each episode and take us with you wherever you go! Don't forget to drop a review while you're there and let us know what you think of the show!

Another addition is the revival of this very blog that you are reading right now. We are using this space to promote Mystifyed Live and all the inside information on upcoming projects from us as well as our past guests. Did you miss an episode of Mystifyed Live? No problem. Every Monday at 5pm EST / 2pm PST we post the latest episodes for you to download and check out whenever you want! We even have a recap included with the post so you can catch up on the go.

Want to be part of the hottest up and coming entertainment Podcast to hit the Internet? Where else can you tune in every week to hear compelling interviews with a wide range of artists? Mystified Live brings it all to you, direct from Las Vegas, every week. Don’t miss another episode. Be sure to check out our Facebook, Twitter, iTunes and of course this blog. Share it with your friends, family and co-workers. You never know who you will see on the show next. Let them all know that JustinTheMystifyer.com is the place to be for Mystifyed Live every Sunday night at 8pm EST/ 5pm PST.

Mystifyed Live! Episode 3-- Ivan Amodei

Season 3: Episode 3

Ivan Amodei performs in Beverly Hills, Ca.

If you happen to find yourself in Beverly Hills and looking for an unique intimate magical experience, then you are going to want to check out famed magician, Ivan Amodei. On this episode we welcomed Ivan to our show for what turned out to be a very inspiring and informative interview. From describing his creative process to painting a beautiful mental picture of what his show is like, he gives us an intimate look into his life and performance. After speaking with Ivan, we here at Mystifyed Live have decided that his show is worth making the trip to see it for ourselves.

During the interview Ivan spoke of several new illusions, such as Sixth Sense, which he is adding to his show this October.  We won't give too much away about this illusions because we want to encourage as many people as possible to check out the show. However, we can say this, being that we ourselves are magicians who can recognize brilliant work and the new illusions going into Ivan's show have certainly grabbed our attention.  Ivan describes the ideas around the illusions in the interview; but to fully appreciate his work you simply must see his show Intimate Illusions at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills California.

One of the things that we really enjoyed was when Ivan talked about his book, Magic's Most Amazing Stories. The book is a collection of stories compiled by Amodei through his many connections in the magic business. This incredible book really gives the readers a peak behind the proverbial curtain. Some of the stories are short, others are a few pages making it a great book to grab and read whenever you want. It is a must read if you are a magician but entertaining as well to even the lay person. The book is available for sale on his website www.ivanamodei.com. While you are on his website pick up some tickets and enjoy his show!

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A Call of the Wild, and a Plea of Help

We all know what it is like to care for animals at home, how we form this unique bond and develop a love that cannot really be described. For some, this is all they need. For others this connection goes beyond that of a pet. When we have the opportunity to be around some larger and more endangered wildlife there can be an entirely different experience that is more special. There are people that have an unspoken relationship with horses and then there are even those special individuals who develop a love for large exotic cats. While these two animals are completely different in appearance, there are people out there that treat these animals like they would their own children. Which is why it saddens us to hear that there are still people in this world who can be very cruel to these beautiful creatures.

We recently got word of an unfortunate incident involving two horses and a lion that took place in El Paso County, Colorado.
The lion, 'Zazu,' is a resident of the Serenity Springs Wildlife Center in Calhan, CO. Currently police believe there maybe a connection between the incidents. One of the horse deaths took place just a few houses down from the wildlife center; while the other was nearly 11 miles and a couple weeks apart. Authorities are currently investigating the case as well as following any leads that may come up. (Read the original article HERE)

After continuous vet care and weeks of recovery, Zazu is doing just fine. However, with vet bills escalating and funds running low, the kind folks over at Serenity Springs are asking for our help. This is something that is very close to our hearts and saddens us very much. We want to make people aware of the situation and ask that if you can, please donate to the Wildlife Center to help them.

We are all about giving back, and this is something that would mean a lot to us as well as the folks over at Serenity Springs. If you are able to contribute please click the "Donate" button at the end of this post. For more information on Serenity Springs, please click HERE.
 

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On a more personal note, aside from my responsibilities as the Executive Producer of 'Mystifyed Live' I am also an exotic cat trainer here in Las Vegas. I've had the unique opportunity to work with some of the most incredible animals in the world. Also, as part of my duties, I've had the pleasure of working closely with Nick and Julie, the directors of the center. You won't find a more dedicated, passionate, and loving group of people anywhere else in the animal world. From the bottom of my heart I ask you to share, and spread the word. Serenity Springs and others like it around the world need our help to enable them to continue protecting these incredible species from extinction. If you're unable to donate, please join us in helping share this cause. 

 
Thank You,

Mike Olsen,
Executive Producer, Mystifyed Live

For more information about us, visit www.justinthemystifyer.com

Mystifyed Live! Episode 2 -- Christopher Rose

Season 3: Episode 2

How do you feel about magic? Some of you may have general answers like, "It's awesome." or "It drives me nuts trying to figure out how they do it all!" With our second episode of our third season we welcomed our first in (Vegas) studio guest Christopher J. Rose who took that simple question and turned it on it's head. His calm vibe really set the tone as we started the show talking about a little bit of everything from magic, to science and eventually getting into some pretty deep "magic philosophy". 

If you are a fan of magic or even someone who "used to do that once", take a listen to what Christopher talks about when we get into the discussion of why he performs magic the way he does. It was some of the most profound moments we have experienced here on Mystifyed Live. Christopher has such a way about him that you can really see that he truly loves what he is doing and has such a desire to share his love for the art. His knowledge of magic theory and even just his life philosophy was something that was truly special to hear. It is very hard for us to even explain in words what we experienced on tonight's show. Give a listen, drop a comment and let us know your thoughts.

Check out Christopher on Twitter @MindControlArt 

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Former Guest Update: Jesse Abraham

Mystifyed Live has now been on the internet, coming into your home showcasing some incredible talents for the last two years. We've had musicians, writers, magicians and more join us live every week to talk about who they are, where they come from and what they do. One highlight in particular was recent guest Jesse Abraham. Jesse has a unique musical style making him one of the more interesting up and coming rappers we have seen in a long time. When he was on the show he talked about his early start with writing rhymes, his work with tutoring kids and his process of shooting his awesome music videos. (Which sometimes got him some very interesting looks from onlookers.)

His always evolving style is constantly giving his fans something new to enjoy and also shows just how talented of an artist he is. Speaking of something new, we would like to give our fans and readers a look at his latest music video which was just released last week. The video is for his newest song "I Ain't Sh**, I'm The Sh**". The song hit YouTube one week ago and has blown up with over 3,000 views in just that time. You can check out the video below and leave a comment on the page to let Jesse know what you thought of his latest project. We want to thank Jesse for his time on the show and hope that you guys enjoy his music as much as we did.



For more information on Jesse and his appearance on Mystifyed Live, check out his Guest Page. You can also follow him on Twitter @JesseAbraham

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Be sure to check out Mystifyed Live every Sunday night at 8pmEST/5pmPST on ww.justinthemystifyer.com

Former Guest Update: Ryan Pilling

It's always nice to hear about our past guests and what they have been up to since being on the show. Especially when it comes to them having something new and awesome to share with everyone. As many of you remember we recently told you about another former guest of ours, Jenn Gotzon and her staring role in the new movie 'I Am Gabriel'. We come to you this evening with another update on a former guest.

In what has been one of the most talked about episodes in the short history of this podcast, Magician and Improv Comedian Ryan Pilling joined us for one of our more hysterical episodes. While he was here Ryan talked about his career as an improv comedian / magician and how he was currently working on a new show, which debuted shortly after his appearance. We are happy to report that Ryan now has a brand new book out titled Finding The Funny: A Professional Entertainer's Guide To Improvisation, Ad-Libs And Audience Interaction. (How's that for a mouthful?) The book serves as a how-to for those looking to add a little humor to their act be it comedy, magic, juggling or anything in between. The book covers it all from when to improvise all the way to how to practice and work with your audience. This book is a must have if you are an entertainer.

Ryan is was not only a fantastic guest, but he is also a great person to be around. He and Gwyn, The Magic Assistant, had visited us in Vegas a few months back and it was so great to spend that time with them. Please help support Ryan by picking up a copy of his book.

You can order the book in two places.
Finding The Funny on PlayingBigMagic.com
Finding The Funny on Amazon.com

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Be sure to check out Mystifyed Live every Sunday night at 8pmEST/5pmPST on www.justinthemystifyer.com -- We feature new guests and surprises every week!

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Mystifyed Live! Episode 1 -- Sean O'Shea

Season 3: Episode 1

Sean O'Shea (Ithaca, NY) : Musican, Actor, and Horror Buff

     On this, the first episode of our new season, we were joined by singer/songwriter Sean O'Shea. No stranger to the music scene, Sean wasted no time getting into his roots as a musician and actor. A man of many talents he played some original music and talked some more about his love for horror movies, breakdancing and acting. We even found out a little known secret about a family member making a special appearance in a well known horror classic.

Check Out Sean's Page To Learn More About His Extraordinary Talents.

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