Dear friends in magic,
This month we offer a Museletter from Magic & Mystery School Instructor Daryl Rogers.
In June of 1897, newspapers across America carried alarming reports from London that Mark Twain was gravely ill, destitute, and near death. The stories painted a bleak picture of the beloved author, claiming that his health had failed, his brilliant mind had faded, and that the world had perhaps seen the last of his genius.
When a reporter finally reached Twain in London, he was somewhere between amused and annoyed. The stories, he explained, were greatly exaggerated. Twain was very much alive.
I can’t help but think of that story whenever the conversation turns to the future of magic clubs. Spend enough time around magicians and you’ll eventually hear someone declare that the magic clubs are dying. Membership is shrinking. Meetings are smaller. The average age keeps climbing. Young people don’t seem interested anymore. It’s an easy conclusion to reach, and on the surface, the evidence appears convincing.
But I wonder if we’re asking the wrong questions. Perhaps these familiar concerns are symptoms rather than causes. Before we write the obituary for organizations like the I.B.M. and the S.A.M., it might be worth taking a closer look at what we’re actually seeing. The future of magic clubs may not be nearly as bleak as we imagine – but understanding why requires us to separate perception from reality.
Perception: Magic Clubs Were Once Bigger
Many members look back fondly on the “good old days” when club meetings filled banquet rooms, conventions drew hundreds of attendees, and every city seemed to have an active Ring or Assembly. Compared to those memories, today’s attendance can feel discouraging. It’s tempting to assume that fewer members automatically means a weaker organization.
The reality is more complicated. Organizations like the I.B.M. and the S.A.M. were founded during an era when fraternal organizations flourished. Their structure reflected groups such as the Masons, Elks, and Rotary Clubs, where membership was made up primarily of established professionals and successful businesspeople. Joining a club was part of civic and professional life.
Society has changed dramatically since then. People have more demands on their time, more entertainment options, and more ways to connect than ever before. Measuring today’s clubs against the social norms of a century ago isn’t necessarily a fair comparison. The question isn’t whether clubs are as large as they once were; it’s whether they continue to provide value to the people who belong to them.
Perception: Our Members Are Getting Older
Walk into many club meetings and you’ll notice plenty of gray hair. It’s easy to conclude that the next generation simply isn’t replacing those who came before. If the average age continues to rise, some fear the clubs will simply fade away.
But perhaps that’s exactly what we should expect. Many magicians discover the art as children, then set it aside while careers, marriages, mortgages, and raising families take center stage. Magic becomes a treasured memory rather than an active pursuit. Years later, when life begins to slow down and disposable income and free time return, so do many of those same people. They dust off the props they packed away decades earlier and rediscover the wonder that first captivated them. Older members are not necessarily evidence of decline, they are often evidence of magic’s remarkable ability to call people home!
Perception: Young People Aren’t Interested in Magic
Perhaps the greatest concern is that younger generations simply don’t care about magic. If they aren’t showing up at club meetings, the assumption is that they must have moved on to other interests.
I don’t believe that’s true. In fact, I think there are as many young people fascinated by magic today as there have ever been. They watch performances online, learn from YouTube, buy effects from online dealers, attend conventions, and connect with magicians through social media. Their interest hasn’t disappeared, it has simply migrated. The challenge isn’t convincing young people to love magic. They already do. The challenge is helping traditional organizations become relevant to the ways this generation discovers, learns, and shares the art.
Looking Ahead
None of this means our clubs can afford to become complacent. Every organization should continually ask how it can better serve its members and welcome new ones. Change is inevitable, and successful clubs will be those willing to evolve while remaining true to their purpose.
But I remain optimistic. Magic has survived wars, depressions, changing technologies, and dramatic shifts in culture. It has adapted from vaudeville to television, from books to streaming video, from lecture halls to Zoom. Through it all, one thing has remained constant: people are still drawn to mystery, friendship, and the joy of sharing the impossible.
Perhaps the future of our clubs doesn’t depend on turning back the clock. Perhaps it depends on recognizing that the love of magic is still very much alive, it simply looks different than it did before. If we embrace that reality while continuing to welcome, mentor, and inspire one another, I believe the best chapters in the story of the I.B.M. and the S.A.M. are still waiting to be written.
Daryl Rogers
Green Bay, Wisconsin
September 2026
Greetings friends!
We’re writing to you from the historic Mission Inn in Riverside, California, where we are spending our 25th honeymoon in the palatial presidential suite. It’s more like something out of Game of Thrones, complete with Gothic arches and castle turrets–really a fairy tale castle. Take a look at the video Abigail made.
Secrets of a Magical Marriage
Begin by marrying your best friend.
Then, spend time cultivating your connection through communication, creativity and compassion. When we got married, way back in 2001, we knew that more than half of all marriages end in divorce, and we also knew we didn’t want that to happen to us. So, we decided to be proactive, seeking tools, information, and resources, about how to grow the happiest, healthiest marriage possible.
Some of what works for us includes:
We always ask couples who have been together longer than we have what “their secret” is for maintaining a healthy, happy marriage. The answers range from the hilarious “I just do what she tells me”, to the helpful “Keep your sense of humor,” “Accept them as they are and allow them to become who they become,” to my grandmother Muriel’s “Just keep loving him and loving him and loving him and loving him.”
How to Love a Magician is the name of a talk Abigail did for the Magic & Meaning Conference, which is coming up again in just a few weeks, online with the Magic & Mystery School.
Here, Abigail shares some of her secrets for success in relationships.
We look forward to seeing you either live in Las Vegas, or online in the classroom, soon!
If you’re not already a member, you can join us here for less than a dollar a week! Please support our magical mission.
Yours in love,
Abigail & Jeff
And now, a word from our Director of Communications, Chris Hester
Dear Friends in Magic,
In this month’s Museletter, Mystery School member Lisa Krol explores an essential element of magical performance that is often overlooked. While magicians dedicate countless hours to mastering technique and perfecting presentation, there is another instrument at our disposal that deserves just as much attention.
Lisa invites us to consider how we use this powerful tool and the role it plays in creating memorable moments of magic.
The Voice
Do you dream of the one effect that will create jaw dropping reactions? Do you have drawers full of purchased effects that did not deliver? I am guilty on both counts, and I bet you are too. I promise I am not selling anything! Instead, I want to bring your attention to something that will improve your performances and it will not cost you a dime or take up drawer space!
I recently produced a recorded video show. Not a magic show that was recorded, but a magic show designed and written as a video. No easy task when magic relies on the participation of spectators either directly or in the implied randomness that anyone could be asked to assist. It is no accident that televised magic shows use a live audience, and social media posts are either short one trick ponies or filmed in the street with random passersby.
For various reasons, these were not options for me, so I put the viewing audience at the table directly across from me and spoke to them as if they were sitting there for 35 minutes. I quickly discovered how much harder it was to be engaging without the audience in the room. No feedback, no heads nodding, no eyes widening. All those cues we use when we perform to a live person were missing, and I had to make up for it. As a result, I poured heart and soul into the delivery – in other words my voice.
That’s it – the voice.
So simple but such an impact!
I realized that I needed to become a much more engaging storyteller to capture and hold the viewer’s attention and I would need to replicate the synergy of a group who lead each other in gasps and applause. To address these factors, I built in dramatic pauses. Not just pauses but a measured length of silence.
“Count to 3 here” or “5 count here.”
I worked on tone. While most of the show was quite dark and serious, there needed to be some tension relief. Noting which lines should be said with a smile or wink lightened the delivery. Scripting a pause immediately afterwards allowed for laughter even if I could not hear it. Volume was carefully noted. Dropping my volume on those moments where live spectators tend to lean in brought the viewers forward in their seats.
Speed was another factor. Where a live spectator might get excited or jump to conclusions in the action, I increased the speed of my own speech to mirror what should be happening in their heads.
The results were impressive. The video show was engaging. People leaned in. Viewers even clapped sitting in their living rooms. I know this because they told me! An odd comment coming from someone I know well was, “You didn’t sound like you at all. It was like watching someone else entirely.” Given, I was performing as a medium speaking to ghosts, I took it as high praise with my friend separating her relationship with me to become immersed in the show.
Since the video, I’ve given a lot more attention to my voice and what I’m doing with it. The pauses and volume adjustments are not accidental, they are planned with purpose, and the delivery has improved dramatically.
That’s it! One simple idea and it uses what you already have. Think about your favorite effect. Even if you don’t script your performances, you probably say roughly the same thing every time. Where you want people to lean in, drop your voice and make them strain just a little to hear. Slow down on the parts that are key, especially if there is process involved. And where the magical moment is happening, speed up and get a bit louder.
Record yourself and try it a few different ways, then decide what works best for your vision and style. Think of your voice as a supporting character to the action and use it well!
WE ARE CELEBRATING OUR 25TH HONEYMOON
Abigail and I are getting ready to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. We’ve been together much longer than that, but we both feel like it’s been just a few years. We are still so in love, and we get to share our love, magic, and our incredible stories with you, my friends!
We’re doing something special by planning a secret getaway to an exotic destination yet to be revealed. We will give you a full report when we get back from our 25th honeymoon. Over the years, we’ve been to some strange and wonderful places, but nothing prepared me for the following destination.
THE STRANGEST PLACE I’VE EVER SEEN
One of the places that I’ve wanted to explore for years and years is in Spring Green, Wisconsin, just up the road from the Frank Lloyd Wright house called Taliesin, and it is one of the most bizarre places I’ve ever experienced.
HOUSE ON THE ROCK
Exotic, strange and bizarre it is.The main attraction was HOUSE ON THE ROCK. Part of it houses a 200-foot-tall killer whale being attacked by a giant squid. Really!
House on the Rock is one of the most incredible collections of artifacts anywhere in the world. It was beyond imagination.
It’s a house.
On a rock.
But it is so much more!
I had been planning to go to this museum ever since I read about it in Neil Gaiman’s book AMERICAN GODS… This is where the Gods meet. So, why not check it out?
No words can describe it, but perhaps the video below can do the job.
LEVEL UP! A REAL ONLINE MASTER CLASS
Q: What is the best way to really learn magic?
A: Personal instruction from a master.
30 years ago, Eugene Burger and I created the first ever magic Master Class. This was a phenomenal success, and magicians around the world attended our in-person classes here in Las Vegas. Now, for the very first time, we are offering this personal performance coaching online.
LEVEL UP! The REAL Online Master Class is a direct extension of the Las Vegas experience. It carries the same spirit, the same rigor, and the same personal attention that has defined the School since its beginning. The focus remains where it has always been, on you and your magic. This is not a lecture or a workshop.
The term “master class” has often been used incorrectly. Most people that are using this term are only offering online lectures. A real master class is an interactive experience, and is focused on the students work in progress, where the master teachers give them feedback, encouragement and expert direction, technique, presentation, and character development skills.
Each student is unique, and the master teacher focuses on YOUR individual talents to bring out the very best in your performances. All those who are observing get the benefit to watch this incredible process.
Every participant gets the opportunity to share their magic in a fun and relaxed safe space. Performers present material they are actively developing. Jeff works with you on each piece in real time, offering precise, experience-driven guidance on structure, meaning, staging, and impact. This is personal coaching shaped by a lifetime on stage and decades of teaching at the highest level.
Limited to 9 Seats!
https://shop.magicalwisdom.com/event/level-up-a-real-masterclass-experience-online-through-zoom
LAS VEGAS MAGIC NEWS
WONDERGROUND will hold a special August 6th edition the day after MAGIC LIVE.
This will be the magic party of the year. For more info: https://wondergroundlv.com
MYSTERY SCHOOL NEWS
Most of our classes are sold out, so we’ve been adding some classes online. We’re also updating our Mystery School curriculum by adding videos on the fundamentals of close-up and stage magic. If you’re not already a member of our school, please support our mission.
Take a look at the video at this link.
https://shop.magicalwisdom.com/m/magic-mystery-school
Abigail and I look forward to seeing you here in Las Vegas or online at one of our classes. Remember each Monday night we get together for Mystery School Monday and you are invited to join us on Zoom at 7 PM pacific time.
