Marco, a software developer who's blog and work that I admire, writes about an interview with an orchestral musician in Countless Hours of Work Just to Be Invisible.. He calls out the observation that professional musicians spend countless of hours mastering the art of disappearing while playing. It's all about getting the music right, and getting the hell out of the way of the way of the song. Marco goes on to observe that the same thought applies to great design and software.
Doesn't this also apply to magic? Many magicians insert themselves into the performance in ways that dierespect the mystery, and as a whole, our culture values those who "improve" upon the classics by discovering new ways to further distract the audience. If we sought to demonstrate our respect by making the show about the performance, rather than the performer, would we get more respect in return?
