Dear Friends in Magic,
Every path in magic is unique, yet we all share the joy of discovery. Sometimes the most meaningful steps we take are the ones that lead us in unexpected directions. In this Museletter, guest columnist Evelyn Ehlers shares her story about the magic of wandering, and what can happen when we dare to step off the familiar road.
The Magic of Wandering
“Of magic doors there is this…
you may not see them even as you are passing through.”
– Linzi Day
In my classes with Jeff he encourages me to explore different paths in magic, to move out of my comfort zone, and be open to new experiences. All of which helps my magic evolve. Taking his advice I tried an experiment. What would happen if for one year I made choices in magic that were the opposite of my current path? Would my magic grow? Would my path in magic change? Would I change? Here’s my story and the results of what happened when I decided to step off my path and wander.
Playing With Fire
I loved performing baseball magic, classic magic, and card magic, but I still felt something was missing. Then a friend told me about the Weekend of Wisdom – three days of “a deep study of magic with evenings of deep mystery.” This was not the type of class I would typically attend, so it was the perfect place to begin.
There was plenty of magic teaching, but we also learned about alchemy, honoring the elements, and participating in fire magic. I held a ball of fire in my hands. No gimmicks, I was truly holding fire! I had learned magic, watched magic, and performed magic, but during that weekend I actually felt magic. Moments so pure and real that the way I approach my own magic was forever changed. Just one step off my path and I found what had been missing. I discovered the mystical side of magic, and, just as important, the mystical side of myself.
Curiouser and Curiouser
Down the rabbit hole I went. I had planned to attend the Master Class and work on my close-up magic, but instead chose to step way out of my comfort zone and detour into the Vegas desert for Mayfire, an alchemical fire circle hosted by Jeff and Abigail. This was a great opportunity for me to further explore the mystical side of magic and to experience magic from a very different
perspective. I found wonderful inspiration in the dancing, singing, drumming, chanting, and storytelling around the Fire. I came away enlightened and overflowing with new ideas for my magic.
Next up, instead of attending the Card Mastery class, I ventured into Tarot Magic. Only I didn’t use the Rider Waite deck, I learned with Baseball Tarot cards. My new path brought me full circle back to where it all started – with baseball magic. One day you’ll see me with sponge balls, the next day with a pendulum. The mainstream and the mystical. One keeps me grounded, the other lets me explore. I can’t imagine one without the other. My magic needs them both.
Revelations
Back to my initial questions. By making opposite choices did my magic evolve, did my path in magic change, did I change? The answer is yes!
In just one year, I found my way to the Fire, which has become a main source of inspiration for my magic – a profound and life enriching experience that helped me understand what real magic is and how it feels. I developed an interest in Ritual and Ceremonial magic – a genre with a world of new possibilities, opportunities and audiences. I became a Baseball Tarot reader, worked my first psychic and healing arts fair, joined a drum circle, and found a new community of like-minded friends. There is now more mystery in my mainstream magic, and the mystical has become more familiar.
My overall magic has improved. It’s more genuine, and my confidence in performing has grown. With this newfound confidence, I’m making my way from behind the close-up table to parlor and stage. I learned that a non-linear approach to magic keeps me engaged, challenged, and increases my overall depth of knowledge. With each new experience comes the exuberance of feeling like a beginner again, with endless potential for my magic to grow.
Magic Doors
There are magic doors everywhere waiting for you to step through. Detours on your path lead to unexpected places, where inspiration for your magic awaits. How do you find these doors? Start with Mystery School. Is there a class you find interesting but is different from the current magic you perform and/or study? Give it a try. There is no safer space to try something new.
Bridge the gap. If you come across a subject you would like to explore but it’s far out of your comfort zone, add a dose of familiarity–the way I used baseball as a vessel to learn Tarot.
Wander back in time. Is there a topic you wanted to pursue but set aside? Revisit your notes and ideas from the past, and awaken untapped passions.
Give yourself permission. When writing your goals, leave a blank space for something not currently in the realm of your imagination. Leave room for a magical experience that will only happen if you step off your path. I never would have thought to write “perform magic at a fire circle” on my goal list.
Storytellers
I hope my story inspires you to step out of the box and wander into areas of magic that you have yet to explore. You may find, as I did, an entirely new path to follow, leading to a treasure trove of wonder that will ignite your imagination, inspire your creativity, and elevate your magic. When you encounter a magic door on your journey, take a chance and step through. Trust in yourself and the universe, and most importantly, collect your stories and share them with us. It’s through our magic and our stories that our paths, no matter how different, are connected.
Dear Friends:
In this month’s Museletter, guest contributor David Morey explores the power of cross-disciplinary learning. Just as Einstein turned to music, Steve Jobs to calligraphy, and da Vinci to anatomy, we too can find inspiration for our magic in unexpected places. Drawing lessons from Bruce Springsteen and other great performers, David shows how insights from outside our art can help us grow as magicians.
“O great creator of being, grant us one more hour to perform our art and perfect our lives.” – Jim Morrison
Cross-disciplining our learning is a powerful tool. Consider that when the great Albert Einstein was stuck on a physics problem, he picked up his violin to play Mozart. Or note Steve Jobs often returned to his experiences in calligraphy and Japanese culture. Or remember the greatest cross-discipliner of all, Leonardo DaVinci, who spent 14 years studying medical anatomy and the dissection of lips to produce history’s most memorable smile.
Eugene Burger, John McLaughlin, and my book, Creating Business Magic, argues just this: there are powerful crossover lessons business leaders can learn from magicians, from how magicians think, and from how to think differently.
And today, we magicians and non-magicians can all cross-discipline valuable lessons from other fields. Watching two recent and amazing documentaries, “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band” and “Billy Joel: And So It Goes,” I was struck by how much we can all learn from across the waters of our own profession and into the hearts, minds, and secrets of another. A great place to begin is Rock and Roll, and perhaps history’s greatest live performer, Bruce Springsteen.
Picture this: Springsteen the Magician, delivering in his mid-70s three-hour shows before over 70,000 people. And ask yourself: What can I learn and apply to my own magic, performance, and career? Below are five cross-disciplinary answers.
Constantly Get More Flight Time/Show Time
This is Malcom Gladwell’s proverbial 10,000 hours of experience that takes you to mastery, as the years in Hamburg took the Beatles to greatness. To paraphrase Lance Burton, “The best magician performs the most shows.” And so, young performers must just go perform the most shows, and more seasoned magicians should just go do more volunteer shows or other shows to test and retest new material and get better and better.
This “Flight Time” allows you to land a plane under any conditions, and to recover from any moment or mistake. For example, I once watched Springsteen in concert point to his own 80-something-year-old mother in the New Jersey audience, who he’d previously introduced, to beckon her onstage to go “Dancing in the Dark.” Instead, an overly excited teenage girl could not believe her luck, believing that Springsteen must be pointing at her.
Instinctively, she jumped on stage to dance with the Boss. But then, drawing on his 10,000 hours of live performance, and instead of ruining this teenage girl’s life, he danced for a bit, and then literally picked her up in his arms and “gifted” her back into the accepting audience. Then – and only then – Springsteen pointed to his own mom – his next dance, as if it was all planned. And the crowd erupted!
Feed Your Own Artist
If you’re reading this, you are an artist. But, like Springsteen, you need to build an entire team to feed this role. Just like Springsteen needs Thom Zimny or manager John Landaum, you need a director, because as the old Broadway saying goes: “Talent needs direction.” You need a money person. You probably need some kind of manager, and you need a “cross-seller,” think social media publicist. In fact, whether you’re starting out in magic or you’re a seasoned pro, you need a 360-degree support team. Even if they begin as “volunteers” or whether, along the way, you need to fill gaps and hire new energies, find talent, nurture it, and build your own E Street Band.
Rock Your Set List
We magicians can learn from books about the great magician’s set lists and from the writings of Jeff McBride, Larry Hass, Denny Haney, and others. But we can also learn from Springsteen. Study his decades of set lists, the killer opening, boom, boom, boom! “Oh my God, where are we tonight?” The rests, the texture changes, the in-the-moment interactions, the gripping story, the funny adlib, the calling of a kid on stage to help sing “Waitin’ on a Sunny Day,” and the quiet songs that allow you to perhaps end with a moving call-back, as Springsteen now does with a chilling performance of “I’ll See You In My Dreams” (that I watched completely hush 40,000 people at Wrigley Field). So, study Jeff McBride’s “The Seven Stages of Show Flow,” but study, too, the Boss’s set lists.
Remember Every Detail Matters
I’m a believer in “Everything Communicates.” Even the smallest details must be managed and herded and aimed in the same direction as your intended persona and brand. So work the tiniest details. Watch Springsteen in the documentary walk the entire arena for four hours with his engineer to check the sound from virtually every seat. Video and watch your own public performances, and pay attention to every single detail to leverage, or fix, and/or make it better.
Follow Your Conviction
This one is simple, even if it’s very, very hard. Follow your inner passion. Like Springsteen, lean into what brought you to be a magician in the first place, or to this moment of performance and magic. Let your passion show your true self. Show your audiences who you are, and they will love you and your magic more and more.
David Morey is Chairman and CEO of DMG Global, a best-selling author, and has advised twenty-three winning global presidential campaigns, five Nobel Peace Prize winners, and a who’s who of Fortune 500 CEOs and companies. As a magician, he’s performed at the Inaugural Ball for the 44th President of the United States, and on stages around the world.
In 1987, Guy Laliberté and I met in Atlantic City. The young creator and director of Le Cirque du Soleil had heard about my show at the Sands Hotel. I was working with a group called Triple Vision – three very talented New York City performance artists: Alice Farley, Ted Shapiro and Skye Leith. Triple Vision was a combination of black light theater and stilt dancing with exotic costumes. We merged our talents together to create a unique type of performance that was unlike any in the world, perhaps comparable only to the Cirque du Soleil with its exotic flair, and music-driven variety arts celebration.
Our team got along really well, and we flew up to Montreal to see the first edition of the Cirque du Soleil. Guy and I quickly became friends and co-visionaries, and we began working to combine our talents to create a show that would play in the United States during the Cirque du Soleil’s winter season. The thought was to get the very best Le Cirque performers to join forces with us and to tour theaters during the winter season all over the USA. The show was fantastic! Everyone was excited; however, no theaters would roll the dice on an unknown little French Canadian circus…their loss!
The show was called ECLIPSE and combined magic, circus, and variety arts into a storybook fantasy magic spectacular. If the show went forward, it would be a monumental achievement. But it did not. My heart was broken and the opportunity vanished.
A few years later, Guy Laliberté took his vision to Santa Monica as part of the Olympic arts festival and became a sensation with the press and critics. His vision exploded and he and his team of talented designers, artists and circus performers took the world by storm, with the most spectacular and innovative circus shows in history.
Everyone wanted to see the Cirque du Soleil, and shows of the highest quality were produced to tour the world. An interesting fact is that there is only one unit of any show: there is only one “Alegria,” and there is only one new experience. There is only one. Each show is unique, so in order to see all of the shows, you must travel the world or wait patiently for them to come on tour to your city.
Paradise Lost, Paradise Found
In March of this year I got a letter from Guy Laliberté inviting me to his private island called Nukatepippi over a thousand miles away, near Tahiti. I immediately said yes and waited eagerly for months, thinking of what fabulous adventures lay ahead.
Guy has built an environmentally sustainable island paradise and invites his friends to join him for a few weeks a year. I am very fortunate to be one of those friends who was invited to share some of the beauty and magic of this incredible installation in paradise. There are about a dozen beautifully appointed cottages nestled in the Palm Forest, with views of pristine ocean paradise. Guy’s private estate is at one end of the beach.
What impresses me most is the balance of nature with a very powerful focus on environmental protection, and natural cultivation of this incredibly rare jewel in the middle of the ocean. Guy and his team of environmentalists and builders have been creating this magical space for over ten years, and just a little while ago it was opened to visitors at his invitation. The natural beauty is stunning!
Guy’s facilitation team guides nature walks and tours to inspire us to take care of our planet Earth – and each other. There are incredible activities each day, from every kind of imaginable ocean sports to yoga, archery, and even beekeeping. There are cutting-edge ecologically innovative programs that focus on conservation and self sustainability, with tours of the farm, the hydroponic gardens, the bird sanctuary, and many of the other eco-friendly ventures that Guy has innovated.
Yes, there are health spas and wellness centers with massage, but also game rooms, poker rooms, libraries, and places where people can study and exercise and deepen their relationship with health and nature. This rejuvenating experience is only open to his friends, individuals, or groups that are willing to pay the price tag of $1 million a week for this incredible experience.
I am feeling very blessed, and each night I shared my magic by the campfire with the guests, friends, employees, and workers here on the island. Magic is a rare treat, and rarely seen by these folks, and it is a pleasure and a joy to bring amazement and wonder in the ways I can.
As I am writing this, I am sitting in a cabana on the beach, overlooking pristine turquoise waters, surrounded by a coral atoll with a beautiful island in the middle of the lagoon. The accompanying photos can only capture a tiny bit of the splendor of this island’s natural beauty. Even though my dream of doing a show with Guy did not come true at that time, it has definitely been realized in this moment of perfect paradise.
Things I Learned from Guy Laliberté
Follow your passion and good things will come. Overcome fear with action.
If you have more good hours than bad hours in a day, then you have won the day. If you have more good days than bad days, then you have won the week. If you have more good weeks than bad weeks, then you have won the month. And if you have more good months than bad months, then you win the year. And finally, if you have lots of winning years, you win life. You are a winner!
Leave the planet in better condition then when you arrived by contributing to environmental and social missions that improve the quality of life for all living beings.
Storytelling and Magic
That’s just a small part of the wisdom that I have learned here on this tiny island in the South Pacific. I’ll have more stories to share with you soon. There are a few ways you can check into my storytelling and magic. Each Monday night, our Mystery School Monday team brings you the best magicians and inspirational messages from around the world. Please join us at 7 PM Pacific time on www.mcbridemagic.tv.
Blessings to all, and safe travels.
Your friend, storyteller, and world traveler,
Jeff
Dear Friends:
“MENTOR-ISM”
“Mentorism” is a word I’ve been thinking about lately. It means predicting the future by nurturing and inspiring the future leaders of magic. You never know who the next great star of magic is! Just look at one of my favorite photos of Mat Franco and me at the Mystery School, 18 years apart! He came to the school with a Dream and now he’s headlining his own show in Las Vegas!
Passing the Wand to the Future of Magic
This year at the I.B.M. convention, we also marked a turning point at the Teen Magic Seminar. After 25 years of guiding young magicians, our Mystery School passed the wand of leadership to Gabriella Lester. Gabriella began as a student of our school, and has since appeared on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, and other television shows. She is a true rising star, and now, the new Director of the Teen Seminar.
A few years ago, we honored her with the Eugene Burger Legacy Award, and this week, we handed her the ceremonial wand as the new director of the teen seminar. That’s how the tradition continues – not in silence, but in celebration.
These moments remind me that magic is not just for the young, but for the young at heart. One of my youngest students, Rachel Ling Gordon, brought the house down with a standing ovation at I.B.M. One of my oldest students, Buddy August, began performing at 74 – and now, he’s winning competitions! Both are living proof that it’s never too late to begin, and never too early to inspire.
We saw extraordinary talent this year: Max Voronin won first place by blending contortion, magic and acrobatics into a breathtaking act. The People’s Choice award went to Anja Steyn from South Africa for her beautiful retelling of the cups and balls, and to Dokyun, a young manipulator from South Korea whose skills are already world-class. Anja, Dokyun and now Max are in the Teen Seminar, returning year after year to grow into the artists they are becoming. This is the future of magic!
Many seasoned performers visited the Seminar to share insights, stories, and encouragement. This is why we gather–not just to learn tricks, but to believe in each other’s dreams.
You Are Never Too Old to Live Your Dream
I’ve spoken recently with many magicians in their 50s, 60s, and even 70s – now retired, finally ready to return to a dream they set aside long ago. If that’s you, reach out! I’m holding a special online class just for you on Rebooting Your Magic Career. Email me at jeffmcbride93@gmail.com. Let’s begin.
Finally, I’ve been reflecting on what it means to pass on not just knowledge, but community. Earlier this year, I passed the torch of our beloved Las Vegas WONDERGROUND to my friend and student Will Bradshaw.
He’ll be producing one of the most exciting magic celebrations of the summer: the WONDERGROUND Party, right after MAGIC LIVE, this August in Las Vegas. If you believe in the spirit of magic, creativity, or community, come join us.
Because the real secrets of magic aren’t written in books or DVDs, they’re whispered, one to one. They’re passed on – not just by teaching tricks – but the ART of MENTOR-ISM!
I predict a great summer ahead for YOU!
With magic in the moment,
Jeff & Abigail McBride
Dear Friends in Magic,
Every once in a while, I meet magicians who don’t just perform magic – they embody it. Alex Si and Olivier Rijckaert (Louis Loriot) are two such visionaries. Whether on stage or in corporate settings, they blend deep psychology, bold creativity, and philosophical insight into their work. Their passion lifts our art higher, and I’m honored to call them both students and colleagues.
Their journey, shared here, is a shining example of how Mystery School teachings awaken something profound within us. Through years of study and friendship, Alex and Olivier have become not just better magicians, but true guides for others who seek meaning through magic.
This could very well be the last Master Class in Europe, and it’s shaping up to be something truly extraordinary. If you feel the spark, follow it. This may be your once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn with us – heart to heart, mind to mind, and magician to magician.
With wonder,
Jeff McBride, Founder
McBride Magic & Mystery School
Alex Si
About 15 years ago, for my thirtieth birthday, my wife offered me something very special – my first trip to Las Vegas! It was a solo trip, but not one to the casinos. If you’re reading these lines, you know where I was headed. However, little did I know that this would end with sorrow.
My first trip to Vegas was to attend the Magic & Meaning Conference. I went there to meet the masters Eugene Burger, Larry Hass and Jeff McBride. Besides meeting those stars of our art, I discovered something precious. I understood it only when I came back to Belgium – through sorrow and deep sadness.
Back home, an ocean away, I realized that I had found a tribe. People who wanted to go beyond the tricks. People who wanted to create meaningful and beautiful magic. People who were aiming higher for our art. And you, have you discovered your tribe? People who “click” with you and help you grow?
To me, it was obvious: magic clubs and conventions were not enough. I had to come back to Vegas. And I did, for five years in a row! It took that number of years for a small inner voice to grow louder. An inner voice I didn’t realize existed before I could hear it shout, “I want to help local magicians see that magic could be so much more than tricks!” With Larry’s trust and support, I hosted him for a wonderful day filled with a lecture, a workshop, and a full evening show in Brussels.
It was such a fantastic experience, and I received an unexpected gift – one that had a major impact on my life. But let’s first move to my friend Olivier (aka Louis Loriot, the crazy Professor) before continuing my story.
Olivier
When I first became interested in magic, I quickly realized it was, by nature, a rather solitary pursuit. Sure, you can join a magic club, but opportunities to truly learn in a classical teacher-student format are rare. That changed completely the day I discovered the Master Class with Larry Hass, organized in Belgium by Alex.
I signed up, and what followed was a wonderful day – eye-opening, inspiring, and truly transformative. It was during that event that I first understood that magic is not just tricks and techniques, but professionalism, philosophy, and presence.
Since then, I’ve had the privilege of attending five Mentalism Masterclasses in Las Vegas – not only learning from Jeff, but also from other legendary figures in the field, such as Ross Johnson. These sessions equipped me with both the skills and the confidence to begin envisioning my own stage show and to launch several other creative projects.
Today, my first full-length show is up and running, and I owe a great deal to Larry and Jeff for their guidance and inspiration. Following their example, I also founded a magic school for children and teenagers – an initiative aimed at passing the torch to the next generation of magicians.
The Master Class was also the beginning of a great friendship with Alex, one that has lasted for over ten years now, and has been a fruitful friendship, too! We’ve created many magical projects together: The Secret Partners, The Enchanted Journeys Cabaret, Master Classes, and more.
Thanks to their unique masterclass concept, Larry and Jeff didn’t just help us become better magicians, they gave us the foundation for a deep community, lasting friendships, and professional collaborations that have truly elevated both our skill and our dedication to the art of magic.
Alex Si’s Surprise Gift
Yes, you probably understand it by now. The surprise gift I received after producing Larry in Belgium was friendships. The event attracted the local magicians who seldom visit magic clubs, but shared my vision for artful magic. The magicians who inspired me every time I saw them perform, became friends who helped me aim higher and dream bigger.
I know many of you, as readers of this Museletter, already know how transformative the experience of attending a class with Jeff and Larry is, for beginners and experts alike. Why? Because there is always one more element to work on. That’s why Olivier and I are organizing one more Master Class in Belgium with both Jeff and Larry.
Or maybe I’m just greedy, and in need of one additional fix of inspiration. I’m already looking forward to meeting new friends. Will one of them be you?
