“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” 
– Peter F. Drucker
Dear Friends:
This year is the twentieth anniversary of Mystery School. We didn’t know it at the time, but we started a movement that would inspire magicians around the world to take a deeper look at their art.
Video Clip of the Month
I found this very amusing and insightful video on how a movement gets started. In less than three minutes, you will understand the basics.
First Follower: Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy
Last week, the Burning Man festival had about 50,000+ art enthusiasts attending. Burning Man is a movement that started out as the vision of one man. He had a fun idea, and people followed. I followed. Here’s what I did at Burning Man:
Jeff McBride – Magic At The Edge
Be Part of a Movement
A few months ago, we had a fun idea, and people are following.
McBride’s Mystery School Monday
MONDAY AT 7 PM PACIFIC TIME
LIVE magic, reviews, celebrity interviews & news reports from around the world with
Jeff McBride and the Mystery School faculty
www.McBrideMagic.tv
Okay, I know what you’re saying…. “I keep missing the show!†Well, here’s the answer:
Anytime you want to, you can come see a rebroadcast of the show…. Just go to www.McBrideMagic.tv and click the link that says “video library.â€
Here is a fun project I am involved with, with Gay Blackstone:
http://mastersofillusionlive.com/
Our favorite corporate alchemist, George Parker, will be hosting part of my European tour this fall. Click here to learn more!
MysterySchool News
Information on upcoming classes is available here:
http://www.MagicalWisdom.com
I will also be hosting Skype sessions for students that would like personal attention but can’t make it to Las Vegas.
Click here to learn more.
This Thursday, WONDERGROUND rises from the Underground. Last month was standing room only; this month, you can watch for free at 9pm PST at http://www.streetofcards.com
See you Monday, and Thursday, and on the road, and here in Las Vegas!
Your man on a mission to create a movement,
Jeff
Late breaking news:
Abbi has been selected as an exemplar of “women in magic,” and her video appears in a new itricks post! Click here and scroll down to find it!
“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.â€
— Author Unknown
Dear Friends:
Today our guest writer is our former student and now team member, Jordan Wright. Jordan is a talented artist, both as magical performer and filmmaker, and today he shares he thoughts on how we measure success:
How do you judge yourself and your success? Do you look at your career and see completion or do you see room for growth? Many magicians might choose to measure their success by how many shows they have done. Others might choose to measure only by the amount of money they make. The tendency is to dwell on the work we have in the moment or have had in the past. But there are those times when we feel like we are working just as hard yet we are getting very little “workâ€. It is easy to get to feeling down and to feel like we are not a success. We might receive a bad review, and suddenly our self-doubt creeps in. In the end, it all comes down to our attitude in how we judge our success. If we judge how great our work is by what we have done, or the feedback we receive, then we are only looking at the end result rather than the passion we had doing it.
One of my favorite types of art is conceptual art. In its origins, conceptual art challenged the belief that the purpose of art was to create material objects. Conceptual art is never focused on the result, or the product that is produced. Instead, the focus is placed on the process, the creation of new concepts and ideas. Relating this to magic, think of magicians who are always striving to develop new techniques and skills to accomplish an effect. A lay audience might never see much of what they come up with, yet they are always generating new ideas. Perhaps we can learn from this “concept†to measure success by our passion to attempt something new. After all, we have to be willing to create something beyond what has been done in the past in order for our art to evolve. Our work is not just about the end result, it is about the creative process. The end result will look good if the process felt good.
Thanks, Jordan!
I have just returned from Las Vegas, where we had a very successful Extended Master Class. It’s always fun sharing the week with Jeff & Abbi, Larry Hass, Eugene Burger, and Bryce Kuhlman. Leo Diaz saved the day at this class for two of our students who flew in from Venezuela, bringing a lot of talent but not much English. Leo stepped in as full time translator and made it all work out for everyone. Thanks, Leo!
I have just a bit of news on upcoming events. We would love to have your help spreading the word about these, if they are going to be near you.
First is a “McBride Magic Experience,†presented by Dan Pollack and his “Best Ever Magic†company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We will be on a schedule that is a bit unusual for this kind of event – the first time trying it out: Jeff will perform Magic Behind the Mask at 1pm, followed by his lecture at 3pm on Saturday, September 10th. The next day, his workshop will go from 1-5pm, followed by a magical birthday party Dan and his crew are throwing for Jeff…since that is his birthday! Learn more by going to:
http://www.bestevermagic.com/JeffMcBrideinMilwaukee.htm
The second event I want to let all our European friends know about is Jeff’s fall tour, which starts out in Amsterdam. George Parker will be presenting and joining Jeff for several events there. You can learn more at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i3BWmToXTg.
This will be followed by a week of teaching in Macon, France with Juan Tamariz, and festival performances in France and Copenhagen, followed by workshops & lectures in Copenhagen and, finally, a stop in Budapest, Hungary, where our friend David Merlini is presenting Jeff’s “McBride Magic Experience,†with show, lecture and workshop. We don’t yet have links for all the tour events, but check in on Jeff’s calendar to make sure you catch him when he is near you!
Finally, I understand we still have two open slots left for this year’s Magic & Meaning Conference, and one or two left for our Master Class in Mentalism. Jeff will be off in Europe during the Mentalism Class this year, but we have Eugene Burger, Master Mentalist Ross Johnson, and a special visit by the amazing Paul Vigil…so it promises to be a most amazing event.
Until next time, then, this is:
Tobias Beckwith
tobias@yourmagic.com
All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts….
— William Shakespeare
Website updates from Bryce
Greetings friends,
Jeff here, with Abbi, celebrating our ten-year anniversary overlooking the Pacific Ocean in a secluded beach house near Santa Barbara. Abbi and I have been reflecting on our lives together, and the different roles we play in life. Abbi is a wonderful musician, dancer, singer, songwriter, massage therapist, gardener, cook and more…. lucky me! Abbi has been part of our Magic and Mystery School since its inception and she does a great deal of off-stage as well as on-stage performance magic.
Abbi noticed that often, students of magic come to our School, looking for a new role to play in their lives. Many people are looking to expand their experiences in the world. They are students, business men, retirees, career women. Some are young, ambitious teens, others are retiring from a career and looking for new purpose and meaning in their lives. Our question to you, dear reader, is: How many roles do you play in your life? What roles do you enjoy, and what new roles would you like to play? At a recent class, Larry Hass provoked me into making a list of the roles that I play on-stage and in life. Perhaps the following list will be interesting to some of you:
Over the years, many people have expressed interest in our Magic School, but they specifically do not want to play the role of a performer. These students of the art are magic “enthusiasts.” They are collectors, writers, historians, supporters, and lovers of all things magical. If you are one of these, you are most welcome to attend one of our upcoming events; perhaps Magic and Meaning is exactly what you’ve been looking for.
http://www.magicalwisdom.com/events/view/430
I invite you to join me at some of our upcoming events.
Recently, Mac King, Amazing Jonathan, Criss Angel, Siegfried and many other magic stars have made the WONDERGROUND their club of choice here in Las Vegas. This month, the MAGIC LIVE convention will be in Las Vegas, and we will have many magical celebrities visiting and jumping up on the stage for surprise guest performances. Seating begins at 7pm; please arrive early. For complete details about this month’s line-up go to: http://www.vegaswonderground.com
You can also watch WONDERGROUND from the comfort of your own home, live on August 18th, at 9pm pacific time, or on demand, anytime, at streetofcards.tv… Enjoy!
McBride’s Mystery School Monday airs live every Monday night at 7pm Pacific time. Each week, the faculty and friends of the Magic and Mystery School bring you the very best celebrity interviews, product reviews, insider information and inspiring magic video clips. We are the world’s first global, interactive, live-time weekly magic broadcast. It’s free; it is fun and it will inspire your magic and your creativity. You can also watch back episodes on demand at www.mcbridemagic.tv.
As you can see, my friends, we love sharing our magic with you and are continually exploring new ways to do that. I would also love to hear from YOU, and what you would like to learn as you expand your horizons and explore the world of magic and art. You can drop me an email, Jeff@mcbridemagic.com. It would be my pleasure to help you find more magic and meaning in life.
Magically yours,
Jeff
From Tobias:
Just a couple of brief things from me today:
We’ve just upgraded the site at www.yourmagic.com, with additional shows, videos and more. I hope you’ll visit and let me know what you like, as well as send any ideas for ways I can improve that site.
Our friend Tom Merseroll and his daughter Melina are appearing in a new film project, “Desperate Acts of Magic.†While they are well into shooting, the project needs additional financial support. You can view a trailer and learn more at: www.desperateactsofmagic.com.
I understand we have one slot still available at this month’s Extended Master Class, as well as one or two slots still available for Magic & Meaning. If you’ve been on the fence about attending – now’s your chance! http://www.magicalwisdom.com.
Dear Friends:
This is Tobias, back home in California after a week in Las Vegas with Jeff, Abbi, Eugene, Bryce and Larry, teaching one of our Extended Master Classes. We had 14 students – the maximum we can really handle in the space and time available, and they were all fantastic. Coming from Spain, England, Canada, Hungary, France, Scotland and the US, students ranged in age from 15 to 60 years old – and in experience from one who was completely new to magic up to professionals who have been performing for many years. Each of them displayed a passion and commitment to their magic that I found inspirational. What a pleasure to spend a week with so many magicians so passionate about their art!
Every time we do one of these extended classes, I am simultaneously sorry we can’t do more of them – and happy that we can’t, as they are exhausting. The staff, in spite of being at a 1 to 3 ratio of staff to students, is kept fully engaged, not only during the hours when students are present – usually roughly 11am – 5:30pm – but for several hours on each side of that. We are discussing individual students’ needs, planning special break-out sessions to make sure everyone who has come and expressed a particular interest actually gets the things they say they’ve come for. If certain students appear to be having difficulty, we brainstorm ways we can assign one or more of the faculty to stick with those students and make sure they are attended to.
During this particular class, we were fortunate to see one show I had not seen before. I have known Paul Vigil for a number of years, and seen him perform short bits for other magicians. I have memories of Paul dropping by Jeff’s house, and totally mystifying Jeff, Eugene and myself with some card effect or another. Then he would explain the effect’s devious workings – often a mathematical principal or subtlety that I found even more mystifying than the effect itself. Until last week, however, I had no idea what a masterful performer Paul really is. His show at the Mirage is a series of mostly mental effects, one or two of which I may have seen before, but all of which were powerful and amazing. The thing that impressed me even more than the magic, however, was Paul’s complete commitment to and connectedness with his audience. I love seeing a performer who is so in control of his material that he has time to really enjoy the give and take with his audience – and Paul provided a prime example of just how this should be done.
The next day, we had a similar experience at the Mac King show. I haven’t gone with the classes to see Mac’s show for several years (I HAVE seen it many times…just not lately), and it was a joy. Like Paul, Mac has mastered all of his material – every line, every expression, every pause – so that he seems always to be completely relaxed and in the moment, responding honestly to everything that happens with every audience member. There were some families with small babies in the performance we saw, and it was a lesson in audience handling to see the way Mac gently (but clearly) suggested it would be a good idea for them to take the babies out when they cried, disturbing the other audience members.
On the evening of the day following Mac’s show, we all attended The Wonderground together. Again…it has been almost a year since I was able to attend The Wonderground live, and the experience has grown considerably. Last year there was plenty of chaotic energy and some good performances. This year the energy was much more contained and channeled, and the shows flowed as though they had been performed 100 times. Performances were better than ever. Since The Wonderground shows are put together by Jeff and Jordan more or less the week of the show, without the acts coming together in advance for rehearsals, this is a small miracle. I discovered the modus aparandi behind this particular miracle in the person of Lauren Bairas, who has joined the troupe as stage manager. Lauren does an admirable job of making everything work like clockwork both backstage and onstage. I was only able to stay through the first stage show of the night and the close-up show, this week featuring my friend Paul Draper, who wowed the audience with a lively combination of story-telling, classic and mental mysteries.
Finally, we had managed to arrange for a special performance by Jeff McBride himself in the theater at Anthem, one of Las Vegas’ premiere planned communities. Jeff performed many of his best known works – masks, coins, water bowls, cards – and also presented several of our “Mystery School Magic†crew, including wonderful bits by Larry Hass, Leo Diaz, Tim Wise…and, of course, Eugene Burger.
Many people go a lifetime never seeing as many top quality magic shows as we managed in just one week! If all this sounds like a full week, keep in mind that in between all the performances (and visits with the performers), we were seeing and working on students’ works in progress, conducting special break-out sessions, delivering lectures on various aspects of the art and business of magic – and taking hardly any time for sleep at all.
By the end of my time in Vegas, I found myself exhausted – but inspired and energized at the same time. I hope (and believe – you can tell by the bright eyes), our students were, as well. It was a real joy spending so much time with all the staff of the Magic and Mystery School (we all stay at Jeff’s during these extended classes). I hope this brief description can convey at least a small part of the amazing experience these classes are – not only for the students, but for those of us involved in putting them on.
I also hope we’ll be seeing some of you at upcoming classes. I understand we have one slot left for the August class, a few for the Street Magic class, and 5 or 6 left for this year’s Magic & Meaning Conference. If you come in for the August class, plan to arrive in Las Vegas a day early, since The Wonderground in August is on the night prior to the beginning of the class, and you will most definitely not want to miss that!
Also: We’ve been working hard to refine the “McBride Magic Experience,†Jeff’s touring show/lecture and workshop. Please let your local magic groups know that this is available, specially designed to make it easy and without risk for local magic groups to bring Jeff to their towns. Visit www.mcbridemagic.com/experience.php to see the latest!
Wishing you a magical summer.
Sincerely,
Tobias Beckwith
A student once approached the Master inquiring, “They say you are a genius. Is that true?” “You might say so,” the Master replied. “And what makes you a genius,” inquired the student. “The ability to recognize” replied the Master. “Recognize what?” asked the student. “To recognize the butterfly in a caterpillar; the eagle in an egg; the saint in a selfish human being,” replied the Master.
Dear Friends:
S.Q.E.A.M.S.!
One of the great joys of teaching magic is learning from my students! This week’s tip comes in from my friend Carl “Energizer†Olson. He shares a useful educational tool with you to keep your energy level up.
“In my talks I use the acronym S.Q.E.A.M.S. My point is that all great speeches, presentations or lessons use this in order to have maximum impact. This acronym stands for the following:
When we communicate using SQUEAMS, we reach all the different intelligences and learning styles. I get inspiration from quotations, and here’s one that I would like to share with you that really helps me to address some of the current problems I am confronted with:
“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish”
— John Quincy Adamsâ€
Learn more about Carl here:
http://www.energizerolson.com/
BAD NEWS, GOOD NEWS
The bad news is you waited too long and all of our summer Master Classes are sold out. The good news is that there are a few spaces left for our MAGIC AND MEANING CONFERENCE and our Fall classes. The complete schedule of upcoming events is online at http://www.magicalwisdom.com
MYSTERY SCHOOL MONDAY- Believe it, or not!
It astonishes me how many new friends we are meeting all over the world through our FREE web TV show. Believe it or not, we have over 20 episodes waiting for you, filled with magical wisdom. I love working with all of our faculty and friends on this show.Thanks to DJ Leo Diaz, Tim Wise, Tobias Beckwith, George Parker, Bryce Kuhlman, Eugene Burger, Larry Hass, Georges Robert, and all of our special guests.
McBride’s Mystery School Monday
MONDAY AT 7 PM PACIFIC TIME (or watch archived episodes 24/7)
LIVE magic, reviews, celebrity interviews & news reports from around the world with
Jeff McBride and the Mystery School faculty www.mcbridemagic.tv
WONDERGROUND RISES FROM THE UNDERGROUND!
On the 3rd Thursday of each month, the Las Vegas art and magic community comes together for a super celebration. Every show is standing room only, so arrive extra early if you want a seat. We have a new show, with a new line-up every month. Take a look at what we’ve got in store for you this month (Thursday, July 21):
http://www.vegaswonderground.com
BRAVO!
My new teaching DVD project was a big hit at the recent International Brotherhood of Magicians convention in Texas. It will be available in August but you can take a sneak peek at the video trailer now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSguwTECM94
See you in Las Vegas or on the road!
Jeff McBride