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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