A book is a gift you can open again and again.
— Garrison Keillor
Dear Friends,
We are delighted to start off our December Museletter with a few words from the Dean – Eugene Burger:
Receiving and Giving
It is the holiday season: the time for giving and receiving.
In the title of this piece, I have purposely reversed these words because so much more is written about giving — and how important giving is. Perhaps it will be a good idea to spend a few moments thinking together about receiving. Receiving gifts.
We are told, for example, that giving is better (more “blessed†according to Acts 20:35) than receiving. I have no doubt that all of this is important and true. I think that giving may, indeed, exhibit a higher virtue.
But to say that giving is more blessed than receiving is not to say that receiving has no value at all. And that is just the point. It may be that receiving involves a real, though lesser, blessedness. But it is blessedness nonetheless.
Do you ever consider that giving is much easier for us, psychologically, than receiving? To give a gift is to stand in a position of power; to receive one is to stand without power. Giving makes us feel strong; receiving can make us feel weak.
Over the years I have met so many otherwise wonderful and intelligent people who, when presented with a gift, become embarrassed and say truly stupid things, such as, “Oh, you shouldn’t have done this!â€
Really?
I believe that one of the most important life-lessons all of us might learn is how to receive gifts in our lives, how to receive them truly, to receive them with sincerity and grace and an honest acknowledgement of how grateful we feel that the gift has been given.
And, let us not forget, if we ourselves are to experience the higher blessedness of giving, we need to have receivers to receive! Without the receivers of our gifts, we couldn’t be givers and experience the higher blessedness that giving brings.
So, perhaps this holiday season, we will summon the courage to be the best receivers of gifts that we can be. Happy holidays!
Thanks, Eugene! I always especially enjoy reading Eugene’s thoughts, because he always makes me think a bit deeper myself. Today, he has me thinking about gifts I’ve received, and how well I’ve received them. Have I always been gracious and appreciative? I hope so, but I somehow doubt it. Sometimes we receive things that delight us and honor us, and we are truly delighted to receive them. Other times, they make us wonder, “what were they thinking?â€
Jeff recently received one of the first kind. He recently traveled to London for the International Festival of Magic — and at the end of the festival was awarded the David Berglas International Magic Award. The award is quite a big deal — Jeff is only the fifth to have been chosen for it, after David Copperfield, Uri Geller, Derren Brown, Juan Tamariz and The MacMillan family, one of Britain’s legendary magic families.
It’s not hard to gracious when you receive a surprise gift like that. Thank you, David Berglas!
So: How to make sure you receive the gifts you would most like during this holiday season. It’s really quite simple: just ask. But ask clearly. Not just for “a book about magic,†or “a magic trick.†No, you want to ask for The Show Doctor by Jeff McBride. It is available online at http://www.theoryandartofmagic.com/ or http://shop.yourmagic.com. Or maybe what you want is George Parker’s INDEX-terity, also available from both places. We all have family and friends scattered across the globe these days, and sometimes they become frustrated trying to find you the things they know you want — so be sure and tell them how they can do that…and you’ll be far more likely to receive those gifts that will make it easy to feel the gratitude, and to respond in a way that will make your friends feel great about what they’ve given you.
Perhaps you’re like my father — hard to buy for. There’s nothing that fits into a box that he really wants at this point in his life. So a few years back the family banded together and bought him a cruise aboard a tall ship. The gift of an experience he would probably never have thought to buy for himself…and one he’ll always remember. A trip to the Magic and Mystery School can be just such an experience for many of us. So don’t be afraid to ask / suggest to your family that, “Maybe what you would like to do this year, is all pool your funds to send me to study in person with two of the world’s greatest magic teachers in Las Vegas,†and send them to http://www.magicalwisdom.com, where they can find out more.
Okay…I know I’m starting to sound like a used-car salesman or carnival barker here, so I’ll stop. And hope to see you in Las Vegas one day soon!
Oh — just one last plug. I’ll be doing a Locked Room lecture next week — Tuesday Dec. 12. I’ll be talking about the mystery of developing a deeper purpose for your magic, and how that can serve you many times over as it will help you create unique and powerful magic — magic that is truly all yours.
Best wishes for a happy holiday season.
Sincerely,
Tobias Beckwith
tobias@yourmagic.com
“It is not so much our friends’ help that helps us as the confident knowledge that they will help us.” — Epicurus
Dear Friends:
In today’s Muse, we celebrate our friends and collaborators – and we have LOTS of news to share while we do it!
We are happy to report that Jeff is off to the U.K. this week, for his only visit there this year! While there, he will first be appearing, and lecturing and conducting a workshop at Noel Britton’s “International Festival of Magic.â€Â Established by the late Ron MacMillan over 40 years ago, it is still affectionately known as “Ron’s day”. The convention is now run by Ron’s family and close friends. Not to be missed – and you can learn more here: http://www.internationalmagic.com/pages/convention.html
McBride Magic Experience – UK
Just a few days later, our good friend Jay Fortune is hosting Jeff for a series of events in Bristol, at the “Smoke & Mirrors Café.â€Â Jeff’s full evening “McBride Magic Live!†show will be featured on two nights, plus a new lecture and a workshop. These are Jeff’s only appearances in the UK this year, so don’t miss this rare chance to see and learn from the master: http://www.smokeandmirrorsbar.co.uk/
Locked Room Events
Even when Jeff is away, The McBride Magic & Mystery School continues to offer fantastic events for you. We have three Locked Room events coming in the next few weeks. The Locked Room is our online teaching space where you can sample lectures and workshops conducted by our faculty from the Magic & Mystery School – all from the comfort of your own desk!
November 27 @ 7pm PST: Booking Shows and Hidden Venues
Larry Hass offers his insights in a new lecture on how to increase your bookings by finding new and different markets for your magic you may not have considered.
December 4 @ 7pm PST:Â The Best of McBride
Jeff McBride wants to help you be a better magician. Join us for a very special happening at which Jeff will teach several of his FAVORITE magic effects. Many never before explained!
December 12 @ 7pm PST:Â Beyond Beyond Deception
Tobias Beckwith has been working on Volume Two of his book Beyond Deception. In this lecture he shares some of what he has discovered. Subjects include how to deepen your statement of purpose, and how this can help strengthen your marketing and create unique new pieces using material you already own.
Do Your Really Want to Read Minds?
Master Class for Mentalists starts in just a few days, and will feature the masterful QUESTION AND ANSWER ACT OF ROSS JOHNSON.
For the 1st time in history, Ross will share the real work on one of the greatest mysteries of all time. Ross is not only a GREAT mentalist but also one of our best friends in magic… he will give you the very best of his professional experience in this special 3 day class. And the best news: We still have 2 spaces left.
Jeff McBride’s Wonderground
The magic comes early this month: Thursday, November 15, hosted this month by Abbi McBride!
The Wonderground is the biggest magic party in Las Vegas — and YOU are invited! Read about this month’s line up here – we have many new acts!
“I get by with a little help from my friends.” — John Lennon
John Lennon had it right. We all depend on our friends to get along. They are the real magic that can save lives!
A few years back, my entire show was stolen in Boston. My friend and magician David Oliver saved my show! He helped me rebuild my show in just 2 days to meet my show commitments. David is a wonderful magician and an amazing person. Now, David has a serious health challenge from exposure to doves! Yes, he developed a rare lung disease and needs to have both lungs replaced! Here is the positive news… Magicians from all over are helping David raise funds for his condition.  Read about the David Oliver fundraiser and how you can help him get by.
“When a friend is in trouble, don’t annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it.” — Edgar Watson Howe
That’s all the news for now. We hope you’ll be giving thanks for your friends over the coming holiday… just a we give thanks for all of you!
Sincerely,
Jeff McBride, Tobias Beckwith and all the crew at The Magic & Mystery School
tobias@yourmagic.com
For inquiries about Classes & Skype Sessions with Jeff McBride,
Call Abbi McBride: (702) 450-0021 (spinner@mcbridemagic.com)
For information & booking Jeff McBride:
Contact Tobias Beckwith (tobias@yourmagic.com) or (702) 697-7002
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” —John Fitzgerald Kennedy
In this Museletter:
Hello magical friends,
Here we are, fast approaching my favorite time of year, when, for one day, we turn our awareness to the magic of gratitude and thankfulness. When I was growing up, there was a practice around my family’s Thanksgiving dinner table, that during the meal, each person would have a chance to talk about what they were thankful for. Sometimes, the lists were rather mundane: a nice dinner, having the whole family together, a break from school. Sometimes, the lists were more special, a good outcome after surgery, acceptance into the hoped-for school, a well-deserved promotion. I can remember a particularly funny moment when my sister expressed how thankful she was for the new bike she was going to get during the upcoming holidays….
“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” —Epictetus
Thanksgiving, the time of harvest and abundance is a time to see how much we have, to know that we have enough to make it through the dark times ahead, and to share with family and friends, and with those whose harvests were less bountiful than ours. Gratitude, and an awareness of how much we have makes us feel full, and when we feel full, we want to give back, either by lending a hand at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter, maybe offering a free show, or by making a donation to a favorite charity (me, personally, I like Farm Sanctuary: http://www.farmsanctuary.org). There is something very inspiring about helping others; it’s a surefire way for me to improve my mood and lift my spirits as well.
“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” —Thornton Wilder
I really do think there is something magical about gratitude and thankfulness. Gratitude is the key that opens the door for abundance and grace to enter. By focusing on what is good, on the gifts we already have, we magnify and amplify them. Robert Emmons, professor of Psychology at the University of California at Davis, has been engaged in the scientific study of gratitude for over a decade, and his work consistently shows that people who consciously acquire an “attitude of gratitude” experience multiple advantages. Check it out here: http://gratitudepower.net/science.htm
“Who does not thank for little will not thank for much.” —Estonian Proverb
One of my favorite tools is the gratitude list, where I start with A and go through to Z, coming up with something to be grateful about for each letter of the alphabet… and of course, my gratitude on the letter J is always for Jeff. We wish you a bountiful harvest and a magical thanksgiving.
Abigail & Jeff
P.S. Some of our new friends were asking about my music. You can find my CDs here:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/asmcbride
and more of my writings are available here:
http://www.spinnersweb.net
The Commando Show and Survival Tips
Learn how to arrange your show to become a “commando show,” the show that you can do ANYWHERE at ANYTIME! In this lecture from Magic in the Rockies, Jeff shares his real world methods for packing small, with a portable show that plays big. Not only will you learn great magic effects, but also the psychology and philosophy behind them. Make your magic more powerful and practical. Jeff also offers us sage advice and survival tips to keep you alive on the front lines of magic.
From Tobias
And along with all of the other good things to be grateful for around this time of year, we have our good health and good friends. Some of you may have been aware that our good friend and Mystery School faculty member, George Parker, was recently in quite a bad car accident. We’re all very pleased to hear that he is healing well… and almost ready to start practicing his sleight-of-hand once again!
Speaking of faculty — we are blessed to have such a great group of talented friends on the faculty… both on a full-time basis, and as special guests. Every year Ross Johnson makes time in his schedule to share with our Master Class for Mentalism — and this year I hear he has agreed to share the real work behind his amazing Question & Answer act. This is stuff that has never appeared in print or on video — the killer closer of his act which he has been refining — and keeping as his own secret weapon — for years. We still have a couple of slots left in the mentalism class. I’d advise that you sign up quickly, though, as the class is likely to be sold out within the next few days. We’re exceedingly grateful that Ross is willing to work with us each year.
We are also blessed with another wonderful guest teacher this year. Ricardo Rosenkranz, M. D., from the faculty of the medical school at Northwestern University, is helping to create a whole new approach for our Magic & Medicine event. Larry Hass & Eugene Burger have been working closely with Ricardo, and through his work we have managed to obtain CME credit for the class for the first time. We know you’ll love both Ricardo and the new material.
Before I end this, I just wanted to express our special thanks to our former student and sometime staff member, Jay Fortune. Jeff will be attending the International Festival of Magic in London during the middle of this month…and Jay has kindly agreed to arrange a full-on “McBride Magic Experience” the following weekend in Bristol. Visit Jeff’s calendar and click the links to learn more about those events.
We hope you will each find that your world’s are as filled to the brim with things that inspire your gratitude. Have a magical month!
Tobias Beckwith
tobias@yourmagic.com
In this Museletter:
- Two secrets to achieving your dreams
- Kevin James: An Inspiration
- McBrideMagic.tv and Wonderground Updates
- Eugene Burger’s Chicago Tapes now online
- Johnny Thompson’s hot new music video
Greetings my friends,
Focus is a big part of reaching your goals. Today I will share a few secrets to achieving your dreams.
Are you the best in the world at what do?
I read a book called From Good to Great by Jim Collins. You should read it too. The book changed the direction of my life …for reasons I will tell you at the end of this letter…. Right now I want to introduce you to a most inspiring friend!
Could this be the world’s greatest magician?
Google thinks so! So does YouTube!
Kevin James has just about as many “hits†as the very best of them!
Millions and millions of people witnessed Kevin’s original magic on America’s Got Talent. I am honored that I get to tour the world in the same show with Kevin. He is a modern master of magical art and one of the stars of The Illusionists.
Kevin’s uncompromising commitment to creating 100% original magic is a lesson to all of us. He is continually researching and refining his inventions to go beyond the rest… to be the BEST.
We did a one-hour episode with Kevin as a special guest on Mystery School Monday not long ago:
Here’s a snippet of my recent interview with Kevin:
Jeff: How did America’s Got Talent change your life?
Kevin: America’s Got Talent gave me lots of grey hair but if I had a show to promote, I would do it again. They like to put you in very stressful situations as it makes for good TV. It is also a very vulnerable position to put yourself into. I was very lucky that things turned out the way they did. My Operation effect went viral on YouTube and I am still getting work from it. I actually was asked to perform at the White House from the America’s Got Talent videos on YouTube.
Jeff: What has been the biggest TV audience to see your show?
Kevin: I was asked to perform on a TV show in Indonesia, which also came from YouTube. As I am getting ready to walk onstage the producer told me that it is a live show and if anything goes wrong just get through it. We cannot stop and reshoot it. There were 1,000 people in the studio to give a nice energy to the taping. I went on and everything went well. As I was packing up I asked him how many people just saw this live transmission. He said that there are only 3 channels in Indonesia, this is prime time, this is the most popular show, he estimate that 200 million people just saw my act. The next day at the airport we really got recognized, so I think his calculations were right.
Jeff: What is the best part about touring the world with your show?
Kevin: I really feel blessed that I can share my magic and ideas with people all over the globe. Getting to travel and make people happy is the best job in the world. I am grateful and have no regrets.
Read the rest of the interview in the Secret Art Journal>>
Over 100 hours of FREE magic lessons await you! We go live every Monday at 7PM Pacific time… Join the world’s greatest magic teachers for the world’s only FREE interactive magic learning experience.
Wonderground News
Each month we host the biggest and best magic party in Las Vegas. And you are invited!
See the greatest line up EVER at this week’s event.
The Mystery School teachers and students will all attend and many will perform.
Go to VegasWonderground.com for all the information. Doors open at 7pm for dinner seating. An entire evening of close-up, stage and parlor magic (and belly dancers!) for $10.
Before I go, let me tell you what I discovered from reading From Good to Great. Jim asks the reader this question… “What in the world can you do better than anyone in the world?â€Â I thought about this and realized that our team could really create the very best magic school in the world. Take a look at what we are offering this year and next: http://magicalwisdom.com/events
We are in the process of making our school better and better every day! You will see for yourself when we roll out the red carpet for you here in Vegas or online at McBrideMagic.tv.
So, my friends, until we meet online or at our school… remember that you CAN be the best at one thing!
Jeff
Bryce’s Corner on the Web
I have two bits of exciting news…
The Chicago Tapes
First, we have finally released Eugene Burger’s Chicago Tapes as online Lessons. The DVDs are now completely sold out (OK, I think we may have one set left). While the DVDs were only available as a set, I’ve broken them into individual Lessons, but if you want the Chicago Visions book, you’ll still need to buy the entire set. Here are the links:
Johnny Thompson’s Music Video
I was driving somewhere with Johnny a year or two ago and he asked if I wanted to listen to his new muscal recording. Now, I know Johnny played in the Harmonicats earlier in his carrer and wrote musical scores for quite a few famous magicians, but I didn’t realize he was still involved in the music business. Needless to say, I was completely flipped out by how cool it was. Actually, it was kinda hard to get out of my head!
At that time Johnny wasn’t quite sure where it was all going to go.  Well, I found out a few days ago when he called and said they had made it into a music video. It’s already getting around and he’s really hoping it will go viral.  I suspect it will.
Check it out here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgLZZAa_JuA
In case you don’t know about Johnny already, he’s one of the greatest magicians of our time and has been an influence on almost every magician working in Las Vegas, and around the world, today.  You can learn more about The Great Tomsoni and Co. at their website:
Dear Friends:
We have just passed the Fall Equinox, and we enter the magical month of October. As summer ends and the days begin to grow shorter, we gather in the harvest of our activities over the past few months, have a look at where we are in our lives, and consider what sort of changes we might wish to make for the future. Our guest author this month is George Parker. George is one of our faculty members and advisors at the Magic & Mystery School. When he is not working with us, he is a “Corporate Alchemist,†performing his magic across Europe in order to help companies transform themselves. Today he shares a bit of his wisdom about magic and transformation with us here:
As a magician, I have had numerous conversations about what is real and what isn’t real in my shows. To me, there is no hard black line that separates fact from fiction. Our brain doesn’t even distinguish tangible reality from fantasy. I will not tire you with the scientific background of this claim. Instead, I’ll illustrate it with a simple example. What happens to you when you THINK you lost your wallet? Adrenaline and cortisol (a stress hormone) are produced: very REAL substances. In turn, they will induce new, mostly panicky, thoughts. Of course, ninety-nine out of a hundred times, you have just misplaced your wallet; it’s not REALLY gone. The whole experience was produced by yourself.
From a magical point of view, the insight that our thoughts produce tangible reality and the other way around, is very useful. We can help restore the broken connection between imagination and tangible reality. We can help people to envision a future they want and make that image very real in their minds — only to stimulate them to connect that image to current reality. We can even invite them to time-travel and re-write their biography, only to end up with a better person today. My wife, Marja, and I recently did this exercise. She wanted to be a little bit more of an extravert. To do that, she traveled back in time (in her mind), and made up some new events that were much more supportive of the extravert personality trait she wanted to develop. She started to feel better immediately. For me, the most exciting part was her question: and who were YOU in my new timeline? This isn’t about denying or ignoring important events. It’s about what you do with them once you’ve processed them.
What do you love and hate about your past? How would you edit your processed past in order to end up with something you need today?
Aaaaahh, isn’t magic in its essence the wonderful art of transformation?!
I recently added two new Virtual Lessons from Jeff:
I’m currently working on another lecture from Jeff and a large collection of material from Eugene. You’ll be the first to know when it’s ready.
As I write this, Jeff McBride is on a plane flying back from Panama, where he has just wound up his month-long tour with The Illusionists in South America. He’ll be home just long enough to unpack and repack his bags before heading off to a very special weekend in Louisville, Kentucky. Our friend Ray Smerlin, of Smerlin Entertainment, has arranged a full on “McBride Magic Experience,†for Saturday and Sunday, preceded by two performances by Jeff on the stages at the city’s “First Friday celebration.Tickets for the show and lecture on Saturday and for Jeff’s workshop Sunday afternoon are going fast…so be sure and get yours now if you are in the Louisville area:
http://smerlinentertainment.com/Press/JeffMcBride1005.htm
October is a VERY full month here at the McBride Magic & Mystery School — and most of the events scheduled are nearly filled…but we do have one or two slots left for each one. So check out the schedule and make your reservations now for these and future classes and events:
http://www.magicalwisdom.com/
As always, please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions about any of our events… or about booking Jeff McBride for talks, performances or our “McBride Magic Experience.â€
Best wishes for a wonderful month of magic!
Sincerely,
Tobias Beckwith
tobias@yourmagic.com