Wisdom of the Ages

Wisdom of the Ages
(and the Sages!)

Dear Friends:

Let’s talk about wisdom.

You will be OLDER in 2019 BUT–will you be wiser?

The word “wizard” means “the wise one.”  I’ve had the pleasure to study with some of the best wizards in the world. Wisdom comes with experience, knowledge and most importantly, (and unavoidably) age!

Magicians are young… wizards are old!

In the past 35 years I have worked with many talented teen magicians. I’ve had the pleasure of giving classes to many current and past America’s Got Talent winners. But I also work with many people who develop a passion for magic late in their lives. 72-year-old Magician David Bowers has never been to our magic school, but his story captures the spirit of taking the BIG LEAP. I so loved reading David’s story… You will too.

It took David Bowers until he was 72 years old to realize his dream! He did it ..will YOU?

In a recent article by Julie Halpert in the Wall Street Journal, Julie talks to 72-year-old magician David Bowers about his passion for conjuring and his new life as a full time magician. (The following is excerpted heavily from Ms. Halpert’s article.)

A Star is Born at 72 Years Old!

Julie writes that all his life, David Bowers wondered what it would be like to be a magician. Growing up, he read about magic, attended magic shows and regularly watched The Magic Land of Alakazam, a nationally syndicated TV series starring magician Mark Wilson.

But for 39 years, David was a salesman for Columbia Rubber Corp., based in Beltsville, Md., selling conveyor belts to quarries and heavy industrial operations. He enjoyed the job and was good at it. “All of my customers became friends,” says Mr. Bowers, who lives with his wife in Chambersburg, Pa.

You can do it, too. Just get a mentor!

For his 50th birthday party, his wife, Judy, hired a magician to perform. The magician, tipped off by Mrs. Bowers, spoke to Mr. Bowers about what it was like to be a magician—and offered to be his mentor. Mr. Bowers enthusiastically agreed. He trained for a year, then started performing part time, mostly at birthday parties, while keeping his job at Columbia Rubber. He happily continued to do both for the next 12 years.

“People in life wait to do things, and then something happens and they don’t get to do it,”

Do it now! It is never too late.

In 2008, Mr. Bowers says he realized something.

“People in life wait to do things, and then something happens and they don’t get to do it,” he says. He retired from the rubber company that year, at age 62, and set out on a new career as a professional magician. Now David performs for people of all ages, from preschoolers to the elderly. Last year, he had 110 shows. His largest show was when he performed before a crowd of 2,000 at a 2014 event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

The gift of a push

Mr. Bowers credits his wife with giving him the push he needed. She now is part of the act, “The Magic of David Wayne and Judy,” and assists him in every show. Magic has taken the couple all over the world, including Italy and England. Mr. Bowers was elected national president of the Society of American Magicians.

 “I’m a strong believer in Peter Pan.
You should never grow up.”

Some skills from his old job have been helpful, he says, like his ability to speak comfortably in front of large groups, something he honed through sales presentations.

It ain’t about the money!

David makes about half as much in his career now as he did when he was a salesman, he says, but he doesn’t do it for the money. In most ways, magic has kept him young. Memorizing tricks, learning new routines, being among children and entertaining people has helped with the aging process, Mr. Bowers says.

“I’m a strong believer in Peter Pan,” he says. “You should never grow up.”

Read Julie Haplert’s excellent full article on David Bowers here: https://tinyurl.com/y9qawlbe

How long will it take until you live your dream?

I tell all my students, young and old, that it might take much longer than you think… Some people must wait for 50 or more years before following their dream! The important thing is to take steps each day to move ahead on your path, and to silence the negative voices that are around us and within us!

What are your favorite excuses for not taking the big leap this year?

We all have negative voices in our head; voices of fear, doubt, and indecision. Here is a technique you can use to BLAST those voices OUT of your head! Just choose a few of your favorite excuses from the list below. Then read how to blast through your negative thoughts in the following tips.

* I don’t have the money to follow my dream. (See the scholarships available to you here):
http://www.magicalwisdom.com/scholarships
* It is too late–I’m too old. (Read the article above again!)
* It might be too soon. I’m too young.  (Read the tips below.)
* I’m stuck in my routine and I can’t get out.
* I’m not good enough. I don’t have the time to practice.
* I’m a phony. People will see I’m faking it.
* I have too many commitments to my family and friends.
* I do not want to travel so much–I want stay home with my family.

Now what?

Ok…now that we have that out of our system, let’s take some steps towards our dream.

3 things you can do to prepare yourself for the BIG LEAP.

Start with “little steps.” Each day work on your skills and knowledge by reading and practicing. I have found that morning is the BEST time to do practice, when you are fresh. Get up an hour earlier to make a special “magic time,” just for you. Work on your show, your business, and your presentations.

THE 3 STEPS TO MASTERY

I recently wrote a performance piece in my show that explores, what I feel, are essential habits for performing magicians. I tell a story about working with my mentor Eugene Burger.  Eugene taught me some of the most valuable lessons in my life. Lessons that are simple yet profound.

Practice: Work your outer world.

Every day, not just on the weekends. The key to effective practice is to find uninterrupted times each day to focus on your skills. Early in the morning works best for me.

Patience: Work your inner world.

Your skills and technique will grow slowly over time. Be ready to hit “plateaus” where you do not think you are growing. There will be long periods in your skill building where you do not see improvement. But keep at it. It takes years to become a master. Be patient with yourself. Persistence is a key to mastery.

Imagination: All created works of art are visualized before they manifest.

Keep visualizing your success. See yourself building your skills and knowledge to a point of mastery.

Would you like to spend 1, 2 or 3 days with a real wizard?
If the answer is yes! Look here: http://www.magicalwisdom.com/events

STUDENT OF THE MONTH: Victor Benoun

Victor is a successful L.A. businessman and author, who is looking to make magic his second career. Listen to Victor’s story on how our mentoring is helping him “make the leap!”

Take years off your learning curve and sign up for Mentoring now. Just call Abigail at 702-450-0021 and she will help you schedule a Skype session with Jeff… or take a look here:
https://www.magicalwisdom.com/shop/p/product/skype-mentoring-package

Wonderground News 

As always, we have a fabulous, all new line-up for Wonderground.

8pm
Steve Owens
Dyno Staats
Jungle Josh
Nickole Muse

9pm
Jungle Josh
Jeff Lockett
Lucy Darling

10pm
Steve Owens
Dyno Staats
Juliette Electrique
Jenn O. Cide
And an all-star special set including Dan Sperry, Bizzaro, and The Shocker

All of the Above PLUS:

Photography by Sheryl Garrett. Bar Magic with Kent Axell, Brian Apollo, Scott Steelfyre & Maggie, Corey Rubino, Taylor Lloyd, New World Rythmatism Belly Dancers, Psychic Sideshow with Morganne– and many more surprises and special celebrity guests.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday from the high seas!

Jeff McBride
jeff@mcbridemagic.com

The Gift of Giving

Dear Friends:
This month our Museletter comes to us from our dear friend, who is so much more than the “administrative assistant” that her title with us would convey. So much of magic is created not by the bigger than life personalities out in front of an audience, but by the wizards behind the curtains, or up in the control booth in a theater. It’s the same  with the McBride Magic & Mystery School. Much of what you all experience as the magic of this community is actually set in motion by various members of our team working out of sight and without enough credit.

Katherine Rettke is responsible for all of those 10-day-out and 30-day-out letters you receive before you arrive for classes at the House of Mystery. She is our registrar for the Magic & Meaning Conference, and she takes on countless other small details that help us provide you with the best experience we can give. It’s a real pleasure to have her write this article for us now, as the most “giving” of our holiday seasons begins.

From Katherine Rettke:

“…I realized a gift could be anything – It didn’t have to have a bow on it, it didn’t have to be money or material things, it didn’t even have to be announced with words.”
– George Parker, Gift Magic (Edited by Larry Hass)

I love this time of year, the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. This is the time when I find myself thinking of all the gifts and blessings I have received, as well as all of the ways I can give to others. So many holidays on the calendar involve the giving of gifts. I would like to share with you some of my favorite holiday memories, and how these memories relate to my love of magic.

When I was 14 years old, I moved to a new neighborhood where I didn’t know anyone. For many reasons, those years were not always happy years. I am so thankful that I was welcomed with open arms into a neighbor family shortly after this move. In this family, Santa delivered and decorated a Christmas tree, and wrapped all of the presents after the younger kids had gone to bed on Christmas Eve.

The first year I spent the night at their house on Christmas Eve, none of the teens or adults got any sleep. Instead, we stayed busy and enjoyed each other’s company as quietly as we possibly could, with one ear turned in the direction of the rooms where the little kids were sleeping. The lost sleep was worth it.  As long as I live, I will never forget what it was like that first Christmas with my “second family” to see the expressions on the faces of little kids on Christmas morning when they woke up to a house completely and magically transformed. Just being part of creating such a magical experience gave me one of my all-time favorite holiday memories.

Over the years, the kids in this family grew up and the family grew. Little kids who once slept through the night on Christmas Eve joined the big kids and adults to experience an entirely different tradition. Over the years, traditions evolved. Santa decided somewhere along the way that it wasn’t much fun anymore to stay awake all night, so Santa allowed this family to decorate their own tree earlier in the evening. No matter how much the family traditions changed, that feeling of wonder and magic on Christmas morning never went away.

It has been fun over the years to watch these kids grow up and go from wide-eyed wonder on Christmas morning to creating that same feeling of wonder for their own children.  It wasn’t the actual gifts under the tree that I remember when I think of the gifts of the season, it was the gift of the magical experience.

I had a late start in magic, when I took an adult education class on performing magic at about age 30. I remember at the time thinking that learning magician secrets felt a bit like learning about Christmas magic. There is no way to ever go back to the same feeling of awe and wonder once magician techniques are learned. However, creating that feeling for someone else is even more fun.

I remember back when I first successfully performed a magical effect. There was a look of delight on the face of the person I performed for. I felt like I had just given that person a little gift. The feeling I got from that moment felt so good, that it created in me what has become a life-long love of magic. It has been a long time since I have actually performed magic, but helping behind the scenes gives plenty of opportunity for me to know that I am helping to create a magical experience for someone else.

Those in our community give so many gifts to others through their magic – the gift of time, of expertise, the gift of a magical experience. I invite you to take time to reflect during this holiday season. What are the holidays and traditions you have celebrated in your own life, and what are the feelings of wonder and awe these holidays have inspired in you?   I encourage you to ask yourself how these memories might have had an impact on your own love of magic.