The Speed of Magic

Dear Friends:

Our guest columnist this month is our good friend and instructor at the school, CJ May—or as you may know him better, “Cyril the Sorcerer.” CJ uses his magic to advocate for the environment, and particularly recycling.

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.”
– Ferris Bueller

Ferris Bueller’s famous quote is good wisdom for magicians as well as teenagers in Hollywood films. Magicians, however, have an exceptional advantage during most performances. We can set the speed of our magic, and thereby set the speed of life…at least for a while.

Our days generally move along at an unsteady pace set by work, family, friends, and global pandemics. Even a single day may move fast, and then slow. It may be punctuated by jumps, starts, twists and pops. It might contain vast stretches of mind-numbing slowness—which turn out to have been 2 minutes long, but which felt like twice eternity. 

Our performances, however, are very largely under our own control. For the most part, we get to decide how fast our shows move at any point. Openers, welcome, audience participation pieces, deep personal dives, and finales, can all move fast or slow. Within each. we are the ones who can adjust the throttle, tap the brakes, or intentionally hit the warp drive button.

WHEN and HOW to move fast or slow, or adjust show speed from one to the other, is the hard part. Really hard. Some basic wisdom on this comes from our teachers and guests:

• Abigail generously admired a few Ninja Ring flourishes I was showing at Wonderground a few years back. She commented, “That was amazing! Now slow it down.” Although I had been enjoying imitating the rapid moves I had seen another student perform a few years before, the importance of her suggestion in making powerful magic holds true. Too often we go fast to the point where no magic moment can stay in the mind of a viewer. In line with Abbi’s comments, I find that the strongest Ninja Ring routines impress in large part because they are intimate and slow.

• Max Maven apparently offered a similar observation when he put forth that most magicians could improve their magic simply by slowing down. 
• Jeff has shared some general advice he received earlier in his career along the lines of, “play the music fast enough and loud enough, and the show will be over before people realize it sucks.”  Although this may seem a vote against high speed, it does recognize that for certain performers and routines, high speed is an asset in making a show great, and that it does not mean all fast shows “suck.”  But, it does suggest that we might be tempted to resort to speed as a crutch if we are not careful.
• Tobias advised in Beyond Deception that one should experiment with the speed of one’s magic by rehearsing a routine to a metronome, and then again after resetting the metronome for other speeds. His advice to try a routine set to music using alternative music also shifts your gears. This will help by forcing you to speed up or slow the routine as a whole, as well as to establish the rhythms and various tempos.

In the end, however, the best speedometer will likely be our own. But, to get an accurate reading, we are  likely to require several things:

Practice and rehearse extensively. Doing so will get you so comfortable with your magic, that you won’t be accelerating out of nerves. This is a big challenge for me, especially with new material. Watching video of yourself can alert you to magic moments that were lost due to accelerating past them. Video may also help you see moments where you did drag your feet, and audience attention might flounder.

Perform extensively. As we hear again and again from our teachers, and the oft quoted Lance Burton, the best magicians are those that perform the most shows. Learning when to speed up, slow down, continue a rigorous pace, or a placid moment, will come from us seeing audience reactions to our shows.

I wish you luck in finding your speed, avoiding speed traps, and creating fast and slow wonders in shows that weave together in delightful harmony.  Life moves pretty fast these days. Let us make sure that the Speed of Magic in our shows is just right.
 
Cyril John “CJ” May is an instructor and continuing student at Jeff McBride’s Magic & Mystery School.  He performs for professionals and other adults as www.betterworldmagic.com and for children and families as www.cyrilthesorcerer.com. In his fulltime work as Refuse/Recycling Coordinator for the City of Waterbury, CT, he regularly performs enviromagic in-person and online. Reach CJ at cyril.may@aya.yale.edu. He is happy to help you with your enviromagic.

What is Real Magic?

Where do you find real magic?
 
One of the questions I get asked most often is: “Is there such a thing as REAL MAGIC?” That is a BIG question! To answer this important question, I decided to write a new show… and you are invited!
 
For over 40 years, I have traveled the globe on a personal quest to discover Real Magic! I’ve been working on this for my entire life—and now you have the opportunity to experience my journey first hand!

MAGICQUEST
MagicQuest is an online show that is a combination tour and show, in which I will share encounters with the magical and the miraculous. It is a fully interactive online experience coming to you live from The McBride Magic & Mystery School in Las Vegas. You will enter a world where the shaman and the showman meet! I will take you on an extraordinary journey around the world of magic, and highlight my adventures from New York City to Las Vegas, from Tokyo to Burning Man… and beyond.
 
The VIP Tour & After Party
Step behind the secret bookcase and enter a world of wonders. Join me after the show in my Library of Secrets for a personal Q&A session, where we can share some personal time behind the scenes. Let me show you my collection from a lifetime of world adventures, all in my Cabinet of Curiosities, and hear stories that have never been told before! Special VIP magic only for those on the tour.
 
ONLY 13 VIP tickets will be sold each performance!
Your VIP ticket includes The McBride Magic Treasure Box, a virtual vault containing rare archival videos, photos and mysteries, unlocked only with your personal key!
 
Email Abigail for information and get on the waiting list: abbimcb@gmail.com

Magic & Healing
Some say that real magic is healing.
 
I consider magic to be a healing art. For me, magic is very therapeutic. It is my refuge in these challenging times. For many friends and students, magic has brought empowerment, and a way to ease the stress of life. I have learned that many doctors and therapists use magic in their practices to build their relationship skills.
 
From ancient times, there has been a mysterious connection between the shaman and the showman. There is a good deal of evidence that at one time, the tribal elder was also the storyteller, historian, healer, and magician. This deep connection between doctors, therapists, healers, and magicians is not merely a historical fact.
 
There are compelling reasons to think of these pursuits as closely related. For indeed, when a magician weaves a spell of wonder, and leaves us in a state of astonishment… there can be a temporary healing of mind, body, and spirit.

The Shaman & Showman Conference:
Join us on Saturday and Sunday, February 20 & 21, 2021, as we explore these fascinating connections between the shaman and  showman.

In March 2020, Larry Hass, Ph.D., and Ricardo Rosenkranz, M.D. and I offered the first Shaman & Showman Conference, but it was timed for Europeans. The seminar filled quickly, and it was a smash success. This year’s conference will again be held online, and will feature new content–some of which will be provided by previous participants. If you are a healer or health practitioner, or a magician interested in these themes, you will be enriched by your participation in The Shaman & Showman Conference. For over thirty years, McBride’s Magic & Mystery School has been offering educational experiences that explore the rich connection between magic and medicine.

TOPICS WILL INCLUDE:

• Presentation: How to present your magic for maximum impact.
• Magic as a visual metaphor: How to turn any effect into meaningful magic.
• Character development: How to share and connect your story with your audience.
• Scripting: How carefully crafted “good words” transform your “tricks” into powerful magic.
• Plus exclusive magic routines and techniques for you to add to your current shows.

The conference is limited to 40 participants, and all registrants will receive access to an extensive video vault. The conference is open to all levels of interest. No one needs to be a magic performer to attend. Indeed, we know that many attendees will not be performers, and that they will be there to deepen their knowledge.

Join us and explore how the healing power of the magic, and the magical power of the healer connect.
https://shop.magicalwisdom.com/event/shaman-showman-2-day-online-seminar.

Are the Secrets of Real Magic Hidden in Tarot Cards?
Tarot cards have captured the imagination of people from all walks of life. Some say the secrets of real magic are hidden in their mystical symbols. Historians disagree on the origins of the tarot; however, many of us agree that modern audiences are captivated by the rich beauty of these timeless treasures.

Abigail’s Secret… A Gift of Magic & Memory
Abigail and I have been reading cards for over 30 years. She has a wonderful way of memorizing the cards, and she will now give you a tool help you with your memory!

Here is a gift from Abigail to help you remember the meanings of the Tarot Cards. Abigail wrote a simple rhyme that will help lock the order of the cards, and their meanings, into your memory:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DsCT-YkiFe0M1RD5XHc5GwVu_2S0w7Tg/view?usp=drivesdk

Tarot Card Mastery Experience
If you love tarot cards, we will have a special class later this month to explore their meanings, and how we can use them in our magic performances. You can join me, and my special guests Brad Henderson and Clinton Combs, for a one-day adventure on Feb 27th, for the Tarot Card Mastery Experience.

More Great News!
Abigail and I are in great health. Abigail’s mom and dad are moving to Vegas, and have a new home right down the street from us! More good news is that the vaccine is working its magic, and we all hope to have our shots soon. We plan to be holding daily classes, both online and here at The Mystery School as soon as everyone feels safe to travel again.
 
Be inspired by the real magic you find in your life!
 
Jeff & Abigail and all your friends at Mystery School

Artistic Insights on Eugene Burger

From the Dean, Larry Hass:

This month’s Museletter is a beautiful offering from the School’s dear friend, Michael Caplan. As you will read, Michael had a profound friendship with Eugene, and was his photographer, videographer, and partner in several important projects. So many essential images of Eugene, so much of what we know about him, came to us because of Michael’s creative talents. Enjoy learning about their extraordinary collaboration!

From Michael Caplan:

I took my first photograph of Eugene in Chicago in 1978. He was performing Hauntings, his tribute to 19^th Century Spiritualism, and his first performance of magic as an adult. I was in college and Eugene was twenty years older than me, but from the start, I knew I had met an artistic and spiritual mentor. As Eugene’s career as a magician and teacher of magic grew, I was able to be a witness to his path toward becoming one of the world’s most acclaimed close-up magicians and philosophers of the history and performance of magic. 

Over the years, I collaborated with Eugene to create the photos that appeared on the covers and on the pages of most of his books. I also had the privilege of photographing many of Eugene’s performances, and capturing his personal time with a remarkable group of magicians, from the late Tony Andruzzi to Max Maven.

As I transitioned to film and video production, Eugene became a natural subject for my work, and we produced three remarkable teaching videos, Eugene Goes Bizarre, Real Secrets of Close-up Magic, and Gourmet Close-up Magic.

My artistic path in film and video was inspired by Eugene’s work in magic. His focus on creativity above technique, storytelling, and engaging the audience, all guided me in the work I directed and produced. Also, as a teacher of film, I was sparked by Eugene’s clarity and the shape of his lessons.

My initial work in the 1990s was focused on producing multiple award-winning feature films, but in the early 2000s, I shifted my focus to documentaries. 

My first documentary was about my father’s experience and escape from Nazi Germany. My second work, A Magical Vision, not surprisingly, was about Eugene and his community of non-traditional magicians. I spent five years traveling around the country, shooting the final Mystery School retreat in 2003, and the first Theory and Art of Magic events at Muhlenberg College. A Magical Vision has won multiple awards and was screened around the world, from Chicago to India. 

Since then, I have produced several other films, all of which have been seen around the world, and I have taught film production for the last 21 years at Columbia College Chicago. I am also pleased to say that I shot some of Eugene’s last performances, which were with Larry Hass at Austin College in 2016. 

I am presenting a video of Eugene from 1988, drawn from the very first footage I shot of him. We were at Graceland Cemetery in Chicago, which is a grand cemetery, and was one of Eugene’s favorite places to go. Some of Chicago’s most famous luminaries are buried there, and our being there inspired Eugene to recite a poem from Chicago’s premiere poet, Carl Sandburg. It is a very Zen poem about death and acceptance. It seems very appropriate for a tribute to Eugene. 

I probably would not have become a professional filmmaker and college professor, if I had not known Eugene. I was not a magician, and I never wanted to learn how Eugene did his tricks—though I couldn’t avoid learning some of them. But, Eugene’s teachings and his approach to magic was not just about magic performance—it was about the magic of storytelling, the magic of creativity, and the magic of community. Most importantly, it was about self-knowledge,  learning about who you are, what matters to you, and what you want to share with the world. If you can learn about yourself, then you can be an artist and a teacher.

One of my favorite Yiddish words is mensch. It literally means a person—a human being. But what it really means is to be a person with integrity, morality and love, and that is what I learned from watching Eugene perform over forty years. It was to be a mensch.

For more information: www.montrosepictures.com

A Magical Vision: The World of Eugene Burger is available from: www.TheoryandArtofMagic.com

Stop Wasting Your Time – Get Your Act Together!

OK…you have lots of magic tricks, but not a real world-class show. What is your next step?

This could be the most important class you take in 2021.
 
This coming Saturday and Sunday is the time to get your act together. Now you can take the magic that you already own, and perform and learn professional techniques you can use to transform your individual effects into a fully formed magic experience! 

Get Your Act Together!
The 7 Stages of Show Flow!
An all-new Class with Jeff McBride

 
For the first time ever online, you can learn the real professional secrets to effective show building. 
 
Jeff McBride has been building shows for all types of venues from close-up to the largest theaters in the world. He’s worked with top professionals to design their shows, and to transform their business.
 
For all levels and experience. All classes will be recorded so you can watch on demand!

Whether your passion is close-up, parlor, or stage, the seven steps are essential ingredients to creating and building an effective show. You already have a repertoire of tricks, but now you can learn Jeff’s “real magic formula” that is tried, true, and tested among professionals in close-up venues, and on stages around the world.
 
Real Secrets – Real Teachings! The information in this class is not available on any DVD, video, or book!
 
In this unique class, jeff will share his 50 years of performing experience with you.

• Learn how to grab the attention of the room. 
• Learn how to tell your personal story in a powerful way.
• Learn the real secrets of audience interaction and getting full participation.
• Learn how to transition in between effects. This is where most performers fail.
• Learn professional secrets on how to get the audience on their feet!
• Learn new magic effects and routines to add to your repertoire.
• Experience two wonderful days filled with wisdom, fellowship, and good cheer.

Register Now!
 
https://shop.magicalwisdom.com/event/the-seven-stages-of-show-flow-online-on-zoom

Student of the Month – Willie Yee
Meet the Master of Vulcan Magic!

Willie Yee, M.D. came to magic late in life, at the age of 72, several years after he had retired from a career as a psychiatrist. He was involved in a Star Trek fan film project where he met Terry Morgan, a student of Walter Gibson. Terry took him under his wing, and soon declared that Dr. Yee was the fastest learning student he ever had. Dr. Yee decided to combine his passion for magic with his love of Star Trek and science fiction, and developed the character of S’kai, Vulcan’s Greatest Magician.
 
From the beginning however, his major motivation was to learn magic that he could use in his work as a Red Cross volunteer. He thought that magic would be a way to introduce himself to disaster survivors. “I soon found that magic was not an introduction to mental health interventions, but in fact was the intervention. Giving shelter residents a magical memory, not only lifts them out of a miserable situation, but generates a memory that can compete with the trauma of a disaster,” says Dr. Yee. He has since developed a program to teach Red Cross shelter volunteers magic so they can interact and perform with shelter residents. 
 
After several years of working with Terry Morgan, Terry said that it was time to move to the next level, and encouraged him to take a Master Class at the McBride Magic and Mystery School. “It was a life-changing experience. It changed not only how I did magic, but also the place that magic had in my life.” 
 
In 2020, he was able to adapt his shows to internet performance with the help of courses and another Master Class at the Mystery School. As a result, he was able to do more performances that year than he could have, had he only been doing in-person shows.  Dr Yee wishes you all to live long and prosper.
 
For more info on Willie’s magic: http://www.willieyee.info/Magic.html  
  
Honoring the Passing of Masters

Our magic community lost two great friends this month.
 
Siegfried was a frequent guest teacher here at Mystery School.
 
I had the honor of being Siegfried’s close-up magic teacher, and visited him often in his palatial home with partner Roy. The magic duo changed the face of magic with their epic style and show with wild animals. He was a great supporter of our magic school and shared his wisdom with many of our students. He will be greatly missed. His magic was truly inspiring!

David Roth is a legend in the world of magic. I had the pleasure of sharing many magical days with him at Tannen’s magic shop back in the 70’s & 80’s. David was quick to share his wisdom teachings with all the aspiring magicians who gathered around him.  I so loved his magical coin creations. David’s life and legacy will live on with his many contributions to our magic community …Bon voyage dear friend.
 
One more thought…

THIS WEEK — TRY SOMETHING NEW!
 
May the new year bring you good health and opportunities to explore new worlds of magic. 
 
Yours in the art of mystery 
 
Jeff 

Magic Words

Dear Friends:

Our guest columnist this month is team member Daryl Rogers. He is an Instructor at the Magic & Mystery School, acts as Assistant Media Manager for the school’s online classes and broadcasts, and is Producer of the Magic & Mystery School’s ‘Wisdom Wednesday’ programs.

Magic Words
by Daryl Rogers

“Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic, capable of both inflicting injury and remedying it.” – Albus Dumbledore

Words Create Reality

As magicians, we use words to create a reality for our audience. We carefully craft and edit our scripts to say exactly what we want to say, in the manner we wish to say it, with no extraneous verbiage. The words we use may tell something about ourselves, relate a story, describe our actions, or may be used in other ways to entertain, as we present a magic routine. These words, if organized and presented correctly, weave a spell for our audience, and create an entertaining and engaging memory of experiencing magic.

The words we use to communicate with others, not only relay our perception of our reality to them, but also recreate a reality for ourselves. For example, vocalizing a state of emotion tends to bring that emotion into being. If someone asks you how you are feeling, and you say “great!” that can influence the way that you actually feel. Words have the power to create realities, not only in magic shows, but in our lives as well.

THE Magic Word

When speaking of magic words, the first one that comes to mind for most people is “abracadabra.” The exact origin of the word is unknown. It makes its first appearance in print in the second century in the work Liber Medicinalis by Serenus Sammonicus. Sammonicus describes the word as meaning “let the thing be destroyed.” Those suffering medical afflictions would use it as a charm, and the ever-decreasing text would likewise cause the condition to disappear as well. 

Several popular folklore explanations are associated with the word – phrases in Hebrew that mean “I will create as I speak,” or in Aramaic, “I create like the word.” These meanings, though perhaps less historically accurate, are more in keeping with the meaning of the word as used by modern conjurors, if, in fact, the modern conjurer uses any “magic word” at all. We see an ever-declining use of traditional magic presentations in favor of modern, post-modern, and “organic” performances that deliberately avoid most, if not all, pretensions to classic magic style.

Magic needs a causality, and that is the essence of what the magic word invokes. What is your causality? The waving of a Sharpie? The muttering of a double entendre? A witty bon mot? You need to ask yourself if those choices are any more effective to your audience than the traditional, known, and acknowledged “true” magic word of abracadabra. If you take some time to explain the meaning of the word to your audience, perhaps that will help create a memory of your magic, long after the show is over.

Create YOUR Reality

For the past several years, I have been following Dean Larry Hass’s suggestion to complete a New Year’s assignment. It is similar to a list of New Year’s resolutions, but it is more than that. Let me share my version of it with you, so you can benefit from its potential.

You begin with a review of how well you did last year, and list all the significant accomplishments you have achieved. Next, set three personal and three business goals for the new year. Keep in mind that choosing specific words while mapping out your goals is of utmost importance. Print the list and put it where you can see it. Study your list daily, and if you like, read it out loud. Focus your attention on the words you have chosen, and take action steps to help bring your goals into reality.

As you begin the year, it is a good time to bring awareness to your vocabulary, and to the words that you use. If words can create reality, then what words will you use for your audience to create the reality you want them to see? What words will you use to create the kind of year you want to have? Words truly are magical. Revel in their power. Choose them and use them wisely. Let them help you create the future you wish for yourself and your audience.

Abracadabra!