Why I joined The Doppler Effect
(and other confessions of a magical surrealist)
As you will read or have already read from the other three members of our creative think-tank, the early encounters between each of us, separately, somewhat foreshadowed the inevitable evolution of our collective group working together. In emotional and romantic relationships, the prosaic idiom is, “love at first sight.” In our group of four very different and yet very similar minds, there was a certain instant respect for each other’s accomplishments, philosophy and work ethic in the common passion that we all shared: magic.
Anyone who knows me knows that I have very little use or time for remembering details and dates of history, especially personal history. So for one to learn which of us met who and when and where, it would be best to defer to the words of my colleagues. As for me, I am quite happy to explain The Doppler Effect’s present and future value.
All of my life, I have been very independent— sometimes stubbornly so. To this day, I don’t consult much with magicians, and don’t read many magic books or publications (nearly as much as I “should,” anyway.) It is not because I do not like or respect magicians (usually), but because I have always liked to kind of do my own thing, then poke my head out once in a while to see where I stand in relation to the rest of the world.
Recently, I have come to realize the value in genuine, thought-out and respectful input from good, creative people. It is never easy to take advice from someone else, especially when it is regarding some project to which you feel especially attached. For that reason, it can be very useful to have a select group of friends and colleagues whose general opinions you trust and respect. For me, that group is The Doppler Effect.
This is a group that studies the nature of deception in all aspects of life. It is a group that is planning a show—surreal in nature—that deals with human perception and its many quirky levels. So it is no exaggeration to say that anything goes when it comes to topics for discussion and debate. As surely as David can speak of a floating, talking head of Einstein, or as Arthur can suggest using a plant in the audience… (no, a real-live plant), or as Rick can have a giant green olive walk across the stage, I can comfortably say that I would like to walk out in a cowboy costume with high heels and slit my stomach open to use intestines for a slightly unusual rope routine. Not only are these ideas of free-thinking accepted, they are wholly encouraged.
To me, The Doppler Effect is a cohesive non-ego-based consulting group. At the moment, we work together for each individual’s goals. We advise each other and present new challenges to each other’s acts in the hopes of perpetually improving them. As time progresses and we grow in our understanding of the group’s larger objectives, we may shift our focus to publications, lectures and shows. For now, the group exists as a welcome, regularly scheduled conference call at ungodly hours—a fraternal assemblage that shares and supports our ideas in the likely hopes of becoming better performers every day.
