“Talent hits a target no one else can hit; genius hits a target no one else can see.â€
—Arthur Schopenhauer
Dear Friends:
No one saw it coming! I certainly didn’t… but a strange, magical phenomenon happens when you share time with brilliant minds. The “group mind†is smarter than any single person in the group. That is how magic works, I think. That is the very reason we created Mystery School over 21 years ago. We gathered talented people together to co-create the future of magical education.
We certainly did not see this in the future, but here it is! (read on my friends, read on!)
Mystery School makes history! Read the whole social media story in Beyond the Square Magazine about us, and Penn &Teller too!
http://online.flipbuilder.com/hmtw/hmjl/#p=26
Many years ago, I read lots of magic books. I was 8 years old, and my first stage name was “McBride the Magnificent.” My grandma thought it was “a bit too much,†but my mom and dad printed up little business cards for me. Hey, the name gave me something to shoot for! I would have to give that name up in a few years, though. It was a name that I had to let go of. (Keep reading!)
Today, I still read lots of magic books. I also read Michael Dolan’s blog each week, and he inspires me.  I read this next piece by Michael, just in time for a crucial meeting this week about “letting go of preconceptions!”
Michael writes:
We box with the demon of doubt daily, while at the same time [we] wrestle with our art, fighting to get it just right before we launch, release, publish, ship or produce. The inner dialog is relentless and the process is exhausting.
No one else on earth could possibly understand what you go through to manifest just one inch of acceptable, original work.
However, this is it, this is what it’s like to be an artist, an entrepreneur, and every single day of your life is “Showtime!†And every single day of your life you have a choice; Stick to the same o’l script, or write a new screenplay. Rehash mediocrity, or manifest magnificence.
Bring to the show: Â A finger, pointing in the direction you want to go.
Leave behind: A well thought out plan.
Bring to the show: Your best work—the work you’re afraid to present.
Leave behind: The work that makes you feel safe.
Bring to the show: Gratitude, transparency, genuine humility, and an eagerness to suck up that which you don’t already know.
Leave behind: Your righteous opinions on how things ought to be.
Bring To The show: Your truth.
Leave behind: Everyone else’s.
“Showtime†is different for all of us, and it doesn’t matter if you’re the CEO of a growing corporation, the keyboard player of a rock band, or a songwriter with one aging hit to your credit. Every day when the lights go on and the curtain goes up, it’s your choice to “bring it on or not.
For more of Michael Dolan visit http://www.mike-dolan.com/
I like the phrase Michael uses “Manifest magnificence!â€
“The difficulty lies not in grasping new ideas, but rather escaping old onesâ€
— John Maynard Keynes
Some ideas are hard to let go of for me.
When I was a kid magician, I lived near the Catskill Mountain resort hotels in upstate New York. I used to think that “If I could only do my little magic show in the big Catskill resort hotels, ah! then I would have made it to the big timeâ€â€¦Now, all the Catskill resorts are either torn down, or rotting away.  They no longer exist! I had to let that idea go, and my “McBride the Magnificent†title with it!
Years ago, I had to let go of the idea of being “The Mime Magician.†Hey, talking as much as I do now, I had to let that idea go! I had to let go of the idea having a typical “old fashioned Las Vegas magic show†for something that I feel is much, much better! (Wait for it, here it comes!)
Big changes ahead in Las Vegas
The last few months we have been re-visioning our monthly magic party. Letting go of old ideas and getting together with our Wonderground-crew to dream up some BIG new ideas!
We plan to broadcast a new Wonderground TV project in the coming months. We will also be searching the planet to bring NEW and original acts and ideas to our stages!
See the new “magic mash-up†video created by Scott Steelfyre and Jordan Wright to see this month’s line up!
The Wonderground Players create a new show every month  — and let go of the old ideas!
Our crew at The Wonderground is conspiring to create new ways for the world to interact with us. Watch for us on YouTube or join us live at the show Thursday March 21st at 8pm.
“A man can learn only two ways, one by reading,
& the other by association with smarter people.â€
— Will Rogers
This month I’ll still be reading magic books, and I will be in the company of some of the smartest people I know.
Eugene Burger, Tobias Beckwith, Dr. Larry Hass, Bryce Kuhlman, Abbi and the faculty of Mystery School are hosting 2 weeks of classes here at our Vegas school. Although Magic for Speakers and Presenters is sold out, there is still time to register for the March Master Class, and for our summer school events.
Another great article has appeared on the touring show The Illusionists. I made the cover again this month! Take a look at “the touring life†from our point of view:
http://www.vanishmagazine.com/
If you missed the tour, you can see the incredible clip here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Vl26paBRIE
Late March takes me to Thailand with Jordan Wright. We will be doing shows and reporting back on Monday Night Mystery School.
8pm PST every Monday night! Â Watch it at http://www.mcbridemagic.tv
For my full tour schedule for 2013 go to:
http://www.mcbridemagic.com/pages/calendar.php
See you on the road or here at a class at the Mystery School!
Yours in the art,
Jeff
We continue to add to the fare at the online “virtual†Magic & Mystery School, and now Jeff has just released his own version of a classic card table routine, “Kings of Poker.†It’s a fantastic presentation, and easy to do.  Now available as a download (or you can just see the great trailer that Jordan created for it) here:
http://virtual.magicalwisdom.com/lessons/view/57
Also, we’re considering an East Coast Tour for The McBride Magic Experience in May.  Let me know if you want to sponsor, or know someone you think would!  It’s great fun, and sponsors wind up getting their own private master class in producing and mounting a show.
Tobias Beckwith
tobias@yourmagic.com