The Edward S. Majian InterviewInside MagicMagic News Updated Daily for the Professional Magician

Edward S. Majian – Majik’s Man

The Edward S. Majian Interview

One of the great pleasures of having insidemagic.com is the way it allows us to meet exciting people in the world of magic.

Ed is just such a person. We first reported on him a few months ago after we read of his success with his approach to magic called ?majik? and his well-received work with the rock band Magnarok. He?s received great press and it is well-deserved. He is a young man with a very old soul and a great love for the art of magic.

We were honored to include his essay ?What is Majik?? in the first edition of our new website.

A very young Ed.

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: How did you get started in magic? Where did you grow up? What influenced you?

ED: I grew up and still reside in Weehawken, New Jersey. Weehawken is a small town close to New York City. In fact, it?s the first town you?d enter coming from NYC via the Lincoln Tunnel.

When I was nine years old, my grandparents opened up a small jewelry store where I met, magician, Al Faria. I learned a great deal about life from him. We?re still close friends and meet up from time to time. I didn?t have a very carefree childhood so with magic, I really created an escape for myself and as I found later, for people around me.

I was influenced by a lot of things growing up: Positive and negative. That?s why I wouldn?t change anything that ever happened to me. It all contributed to who I?ve become.

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: Was there a time when you felt magic turned from a pastime or hobby into a passion or obsession?

ED: As far as I can really remember I was obsessed with creating the impossible. There was something about it, which empowered me. ? It really gave me hope. When it comes to me as a magician, nothing is impossible!

I don?t think that?s changed since the first time I made a little, red sponge ball disappear. Except maybe in the sense that now it?s a conscious mission to erase impossible rather than a hook to keep me interested like it was when I was nine.

Ed and his grandmother

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: What kind of encouragement did you receive from your family and friends that kept you interested in magic?

ED: My family always supported me,…

Edward S. Majian – Majik’s Man

The Edward S. Majian Interview

One of the great pleasures of having insidemagic.com is the way it allows us to meet exciting people in the world of magic.

We were honored to include his essay ?What is Majik?? in the first edition of our new website.

A very young Ed.

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: How did you get started in magic? Where did you grow up? What influenced you?

ED: I grew up and still reside in Weehawken, New Jersey. Weehawken is a small town close to New York City. In fact, it?s the first town you?d enter coming from NYC via the Lincoln Tunnel.

I was influenced by a lot of things growing up: Positive and negative. That?s why I wouldn?t change anything that ever happened to me. It all contributed to who I?ve become.

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: Was there a time when you felt magic turned from a pastime or hobby into a passion or obsession?

Ed and his grandmother

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: What kind of encouragement did you receive from your family and friends that kept you interested in magic?

ED: My family always supported me, especially my grandmother who I really view as my hero. She?s essentially my mother and continuously supports everything I do.

I?m also blessed with friends who I can really talk to and that?s more encouragement than they can even begin to imagine.

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: Where / when did you first perform professionally?

ED: I started performing professionally at age twelve. At the time, I?d perform at local police department gatherings, Bar Mitzvahs, and church events to name a few. I distinctly remember one of the events and it still makes me laugh today.

I was thirteen years old and it was a stage performance. The man who introduced me said: ?We called up David Copperfield but he was busy today, so he sent one of his smaller friends.? What an introduction. (Laughs)

Ed and Magnarok enjoying New Orleans

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: How did you and Magnarok link up? Did you ever play in a band? Can you tell our readers about Magnarok and your work with the group?

ED: I?ve always been into the music scene and I?m friendly with a number of musicians. Unfortunately, music is one thing I never picked up so I can?t play any instruments nor have I ever really tried?yet.

I usually do a little bit of majik whenever I?m at a concert and a while ago it struck me as a good idea to perform with a band sometime, seriously. A couple of months ago, I was talking to Serge, Magnarok?s vocalist, about my idea.

I felt that concertgoers would really enjoy majik in an environment they were comfortable with. A few weeks later, Serge informed me that he wanted to go on tour. In the two weeks between my finding out about the tour and the actual day we were set to leave, the idea kept bouncing back and forth.

Two days before we left, I got a phone call from Serge, spent the next day packing clothes and a brief case, basically, full of playing cards, books and magazines. The rest is history. It was a complete success. ?

There were people who really dug the majik and people who really dug the music? They all collided somewhere in the middle. It gave me a chance to expose a whole different crowd of people to majik and the people I met on the road were really amazing.

Ed is at the top.

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: What is your favorite type of magic to watch? What magicians do you enjoy watching?

ED: I honestly find magic in a lot of things other than actual magic shows. For example, I think theatre has a great magical quality about it.

Nature itself is also very magical. Just recently, I was sitting on the edge of a rock in the park and it was quite late out. I was under a tree and a spider was hanging off one of the braches. Except, because of the darkness, I couldn?t see the web so, to me, that spider was floating.

That was magic! There was no presentation, no stage, nothing? It was very pure. As far as magicians go, I enjoy watching anything unique and refreshing. I really appreciate what D.C. does on stage. He pulls people into what he?s creating and that?s what it?s all about.

Majik/Persona/Presentation

Ed in Romania from “Majik Romania 2001”

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: You have worked on an approach to performance called ?Majik.? What is Majik and how does it differ from the traditional or even the non-traditional magic we?re used to seeing? What influence does poetry have on your approach to magic?

ED: Yes, I refer to what I do as Majik. It?s not really an approach to performance as much as a melting pot for everything I do and feel – who I am and why I do what I do.

I think magic has become a very popular term and it?s not always used in the correct context. It?s a very general term. What I do and the points I try to make are not so general. One major difference is the explanation and thought process Majik offers.

As you mentioned, I also write and that?s definitely part of it. My poetry / essays really get in depth as far as what I do, why I do it, etc? They express a lot of the other thoughts I ponder as well as offer reason to the reality of Majik.

“Picks, Majik and Sticks 2002” – Ed and his fans.

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: How did you develop the “Majik” persona? How would you describe that character to someone who hasn’t met you? Have you changed the persona since you first used developed it?

ED: Basically, I try to create a world where people can really escape with me from this ?real? world we live in, sometimes full of problems and negativity. My aim is to recreate the wonder we?ve all felt and forgotten as children.

Do you remember a day that you looked at your hand and thought: ?Okay, this works and I don?t know why but it does?? When we were hungry, we relied on our hands to bring the spoon to our mouth but we were quite oblivious to veins and bones, which enabled that.

I believe when someone truly experiences majik, they?re not worried about bills to pay, their girlfriend dumping them or even how / why I?m able to do the things I do?

They?ve come to realize that not everything is explicable and I?m not trying to trick them or pull the wool over their eyes but merely share a sensation, a moment. Those moments are when I?m most alive.

Edward S. Majian – Outstanding Majik Man

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: What would you advise a young magician about developing a character for their act? What would you tell a young magician about developing a new philosophy, like ?Majik?? Should they develop their skills as a magician first?

ED: We all contain a unique persona or character. We?re all individuals. It?s a matter of listening to ourselves rather than being too influenced by everything around us.

The persona is there, it just needs to be discovered. As far as developing skills as a magician, that?s definitely a good idea. However, I think that too, is a natural progression as long as we have a passion and want to become better at what we do.

Just like anything else, it?s hard to be forced into being a magician so that?s why I think it?s more of a natural development. As for creating something like Majik, I don?t think it?s necessary. Majik is a term I use to identify what I do and the thought process behind it. ? It?s a lot more than Ed being a magician.

Majik is my piece to the puzzle of life; everyone has their own.

From “Picks, Majik and Sticks 2002” in Pensacola, FL

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: With the frequency of your performances, do you have a need to rehearse any more? If so, what types of things do you rehearse? What can or should a younger magician learn from rehearsal?

ED: Absolutely, I still rehearse and I?m constantly working on new ideas. I think rehearsal is good for two reasons. First of all, we really get a feel for what we?re doing and who we are. Secondly, everything we do becomes very smooth and that?s the only way to make anything flawless.

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: How do you handle hecklers or uncooperative people?

ED: This is a very interesting question. Thankfully, I don?t really come across too many ?hecklers?. ? Whenever I do though, I really try to take one thing into consideration: ?Why?? Maybe they can?t relate to what I?m doing or don?t like the way I?m coming off.

It could also be the result of a past magic experience or stereotype. Whatever the case may be, I try to offer a sense of what I?m about and what my intentions are. Once people understand my intention, a common line has been established and there?s no reason to be defensive or uncooperative.

They identify with me, become part of the moment and that?s what Majik is all about.

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: Have you ever had to cover for something that failed? How did you do that?

ED: Actually, yes. That?s happened a couple of times but I don?t really see it as major problem. If you?re in the moment and know what you?re doing well, you can just react and turn the moment into something different.

For example, let?s say the goal is to make someone?s dollar bill levitate but, for whatever reason, it?s just not going to happen? I?d probably just make the bill vanish instead. There are so many other possibilities but I?ve still created a moment.

Philosophy/Interests

More fans from Romania

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: What do you want to convey to your audience? What do you want your audience to think about you, your Majik, and magic in general?

ED: I want people to understand Majik and see a true difference. That?s where my poetry and thinking comes in. Mainly, I want to be able to share something and come to a common ground. In doing so, hopefully offer a different way of thinking and reason which really makes some sort of sense.

Magic, over the years has gained a reputation for making people defensive and none excepting. I feel that?s because there?s no valid thought process behind it that people are introduced to and, in many cases, It?s a situation where the magician can do something that we can?t, period.

Reflecting on one of my poems, Losstopia, Majik is my piece to this large puzzle of life. My aim is to share it in a way people can relate and maybe even use in their own lives. After all, one of the major points I try to make is: ?If I can do this and you thought it was impossible, shouldn?t you be able to do anything you want to??

“Picks, Majik and Sticks 2002” – Getting it done.

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: How do you handle nervousness in either you or the people watching?

ED: I try to always be in the moment. For example, if you?re part of the moment, you?re able to hear someone say something funny that you can react to and make that moment unique and memorable. We all react differently to everything and that needs to taken into consideration.

By being part of the moment we?re all creating together, everyone tends to be less nervous.

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: Your routines are very unique. What do you think of younger magicians (and even some older ones) that apparently will copy the entire acts of magicians like, Copperfield, or Lance Burton?

ED: Maybe they?re in the wrong profession? I?m sure they?d do well working at a print shop making copies! (Laughs.) I believe we?re all different and we?re different for a reason. We all contain something that no one else does in the same, exact way.

As a result, we can add things to what we do which really make us stand out. Whether we care to admit or use this to our advantage is a personal choice. The fact is, people who copy could be better than they are. They just choose not to be.

With Romanian Majik Fans

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: How can a younger magician learn to perform professionally without borrowing timing, effects or lines from the stars of magic? How should a younger magician develop a routine to avoid stealing another magician’s act? How can a younger magician find the character that will best suit him?

ED: I think we tend to emulate what we see and like or maybe even just go a certain way because of circumstances. For example, I started out doing stage magic. Once I got older, I started to realize what I was doing and what it meant to me.

For me, this resulted in going the close-up direction, because I found it easier to interact with people. The point is, when I was younger I didn?t try to copy anyone but magic, in my mind, was a magician on stage so that?s what I did.

Much like hypnosis, the hypnotist gives someone a suggestion, but that person will only act out that suggestion as they visualize it. If you?re new or young you will do things and eventually some sort of a transition will or should set in. That transition is who you are and why you are doing it.

This changes everything. For the most part, I think it?s natural if you have a passion for what you do and this can be anything from being a magician to being a cab driver to being a doctor or actor. There are so many pieces to the puzzle!

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: What are the types of mistakes that younger magicians should avoid?

ED: I think the worst mistake we can make is testing out whether or not we?re able to do something by actually doing it live. Before we ever perform anything, we need to be sure we understand what we?re doing, what makes it work and what we?re going to say. We need to be able to believe in what we?re doing because if we can?t how can we expect anyone else to?

Ed in Godspell at levitation of Christ – Ed was Judas

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: If you weren’t performing magic, what would you like to do as a profession?

ED: That?s a really tough question to answer. I?m going to college next year and it?s very early in my life. I do have other interests such as psychology, theatre, business and philosophy.

However, there?s Majik in everything I do; it?s a part of who I am. I?ve had different kinds of jobs before, one of which was being a vet technician. I?m currently also part of a new theatre company, which I think will become very prolific.

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: Who inspires (ed) you in magic? Who are (were) your influences in magic and in performing?

ED: People who do what they believe in inspire me. Like I said earlier, every one of us contain a unique piece to this large puzzle we refer to as life. It?s our job to develop and share so that we can all evolve as one.

Obviously people who really understand, appreciate and believe in me inspire me a great deal and so do people who don?t. They show me that my work is far from over.

With Gino Guitarist of Interscope Records’ DragPipe

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: Why do you enjoy performing and developing magic? What does it give you that you couldn’t receive from other types of performing?

ED: It gives me a way to express who I am and the way I think. I don?t really perform just for the sake of performing? I do it because I really have something to say. The moments I try to create are really peeks into the inside of my head.

INSIDEMAGIC.COM: What do you think of David Blaine and the move for young magicians to follow in his approach of ?street magic?? What do you understand ?Street Magic? to be? Do you do ?street magic? and how is ?majik? different from ?street magic??

ED: I definitely appreciate and respect what David Blaine has done. However, how many David Blaines does this world need? — In my opinion, just one. Therefore, I think magicians who imitate David really need to find their own ingredient. Street Magic has been going on for a long time.

It?s not exactly what the David Blaine specials made it out to be. I think his specials used the phrase in a very literal sense. I understand ?street magic? to be magical street performers performing on the street, for money. It?s a profession on its own. What David Blaine did is use ?Street Magic? in the sense that the specials are about him doing magic while roaming the streets.

Majik differs from ?Street Magic? in the same way as it does from Magic, which was discussed earlier. It can take place anywhere. I don?t need to be on the street or a stage. I might be, but the only place I?m worried about Majik taking place is in people?s minds.

Check out Ed’s very cool site at: http://www.njmajik.com/.

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