Dare to Live the Life You’ve Always Wanted!

Dear Friends:

Ever since I was a little boy I have loved going on magical adventures. My very first adventures were in the woods behind my house. I would build secret little forts made out of branches and leaves. When I look back, I see these as my first attempts at creating spaces for magic to happen. I remember transforming my bedroom into a “room of magic,” where I would invite my parents and their friends into my magic room to perform my little shows….  Now, it seems I’m still evolving my magic, and still keeping my roots.  You can see how my magic installations have grown over the years, and perhaps it’s time for you to join me on a magical adventure.

When was the last time you had a “REAL” magical adventure! Email me and tell me about it!

Our school is hosting lots of life-enriching magical adventures these days. Take a look at this recent corporate event we hosted called–

MCBRIDE’S MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR!

A totally immersive theatrical magical learning experience! Click the video below.

* Enrich your life with a life-changing magical adventure!
* See the most amazing Las Vegas magic show LIVE!
* Experience the greatest magic training experience in the world…
http://www.magicalwisdom.com/events

Let us help you plan your magical Las Vegas vacation!

Please drop us an email when you plan to come to Las Vegas. Most weeks of the year, we have small group classes, or we can arrange a private class and tour of the Magic & Mystery School.

http://www.magicalwisdom.com/about/las-vegas

If you can’t travel to Las Vegas, you can join one of our online classes right here! 

http://virtual.magicalwisdom.com/tv

Over 400 hours of great magic training videos!

If you go into the archives you will be able to share an evening of wisdom with many of the teachers we have had on our team over the years.

McBride World Tour News

When I’m not teaching here in Vegas, I tour all over the planet with my shows and Master Classes. Here is just a bit of what is coming up soon:

Taiwan March 9, 10, 2019
808 Magic Convention

April 24, 25, 26, 2019

PCAM/PIMC 2019 Magic Convention
April 24-26, 2019
SMX Convention Center, Taguig City, Philippines

This will be the first International Magic Convention in the Philippines, produced and organized by Cecile and Mighty International. It is an ambitious three-day magic convention featuring many International Featured Stars, including Jeff McBride, Cecile & Mighty, Dale Salwak, Master Fukai, Albert Tam–and more.

Mystery School Student of the Month:
Jeff Christensen

Jeff Christensen has been an educator, speaker and performance artist for the past 20 years. Jeff performed thousands of shows at schools, libraries, festivals, trade shows, corporate events and musical theater to help promote imaginative thinking.

Jeff and his family have created the charity fund Celebrate the Child. Over the past ten years, they have produced their annual A Magical Evening show and have raised $100,000 for different local and international children’s charities. Some of the highlights include: building a school in Kenya, funding a fresh water project in Ecuador–and last year they raised enough money to restore a health center in rural India.  You can support the amazing magical work that Jeff and his family are doing by going to their charity website at: www.CelebrateTheChild.me

Recently, Jeff and his family had the opportunity to share their magical work for over 20,000 people at Rogers Arena for WE Day Family. https://youtu.be/B4xkhaMIxSM

WONDERGROUND NEWS! 

February 21, 2019
3 Great Shows – A Fantastical Evening of Fun & Magic
www.vegaswonderground.com
One night only – never to be repeated!

 8:00 PM  –  Comedy, Magic & Variety Show
     Jeff McBride & Abigail – Poetic Mysteries
     Scott Steelfyre – Cutting Edge Magic
     Niels Duinker – Master of Anti-gravity
     RJ Cantu – Light, Magic and Power!

 9:00 PM   –  Close-Up, Bar, And Strolling Magic
     Will Bradshaw – Your Host and MC
     Brian Apollo – Mind Melting Close-Up Magic
     Jeff McBride – Houdini-OUT-Done!
     RJ Cantu – Light, Up Close!
     Scott Steelfyre – At the WONDERBAR

10:00 PM   –   Stage Extravaganza
     Jeff McBride – World Premiere of ”A Night at the 
          Wonderground!”
     Direct from Kazakhstan – Dynamic Illusionist Kristos
          Vananakovitsky
     Will Bradshaw – Dream Date – a Valentine’s Magical
          Romance
     ????Special Mystery Guest?????
     Ariann Black – Magic from the Heart
     Niels Duinker – by far the best Juggler on earth!
     RJ Cantu – Laser Magic

All the Above Plus: 
Photography by Sheryl Garrett. Bar Magic by Brian Apollo, Scott Steelfyre & Maggie, Corey Rubino, New World Rythmatism Belly Dancers, Psychic Sideshow with Thayer DeMay & Richard K.– and many more surprises and special celebrity guests.

For updates and info go to  www.vegaswonderground.com

We will roll out the red carpet for you when you come to Las Vegas!
Be inspired,

Jeff 
jeff@mcbridemagic.com

Passion vs. Comfort

Dear Friends:

Tobias here. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about comfort. I was injured in a car crash a couple of months ago. Not badly, but enough so I had difficulty walking more than a few steps at a time for several weeks. I’ve been spending far more time “taking it easy” than I normally do, and more time dealing with pain than is usual for me. Of, course “dealing with pain,” is nearly synonymous with “trying to get comfortable,” and that got me thinking about what I know to be my own biggest enemy: my comfort zone. I expect that might be true for you, too.

But what does that actually mean? Have you heard the fable of how to boil a frog? The premise is that if you drop a frog into boiling water, it will jump out as soon as it touches the water. But if you put the frog in a pot of water that is at a very comfortable temperature for it, then slowly raise the temperature to boiling, you’ll cook that frog alive!

The challenge, then, is not to be that comfy frog. This sounds easy, but life and culture will conspire against you. Inertia is real, and we all find it more comfortable to sit tight with our current situation than to take the actions that will actually improve our lives. At the extreme, this is a reason why people stay in abusive relationships. It’s why they get fat and can’t lose the weight they’ve put on, even though they say they want to. It’s the reason people stay in jobs way below their capability level.

Better to live with the bad that we know, than to take a chance on what we don’t—even though that “unknown” will almost certainly be better than what we have now. We’re all a bit afraid of the unknown.

What does this mean when it comes to performing magic? For one thing, it means that if you are truly dedicated to improving your magic, you have to make that a priority. That means actually setting aside time without other distractions each day to work on it. If you don’t have a set time, and don’t stick to that time, you’ll find yourself putting it off. “Urgent” situations will “require” you to react to them, and those reactions will suck up all of your time. That’s just the human way.

Unfortunately, we get comfortable dealing with those urgent things, even as we complain about them—that e-mail, or social media post, or something your friend wants you to do with them—and as a result, we find we’re just too busy to do that thing—rehearsing or creating new magic, for example—that we know is really most important.

I’ve certainly found this to be true for all of the books I’ve written. I might have an idea, and even an outline for the book, and I work on bits of it “as time allows,”— sometimes for a year or more — but the book is never going to get done. until I decide I’m going to set aside at least an hour or two every morning to work on the book, and that I’ll do that work before I doanything else. Not allowed during that time are things like e-mail, phone calls or interruptions of any kind…maybe a cup of coffee, but nothing that gets me anywhere near the “reactive” side of my life and business. Those things are my “comfort zone of avoidance.” They are my way of feeling I’m being productive, without having to actually engage with the things that are most important to me in terms of achieving my life purpose.

Oddly, none of those avoidance activities come even close to being as much fun as getting fully engaged with the important projects that move me and my business forward. However, because I’ve done them all many times, they’re all “comfortable.” No risk involved.

And that’s deadly.

It’s up to each one of us really. Do you want a comfortable life, doing all the things you’ve always done, and never really moving forward? Or do you choose a life of adventure and accomplishment? The former is okay, if that’s really who you are. Most people are like that, and it seems to work for them.

However, if you have the kind of vision and passion that makes you want to change to world, that makes you want to leave the kind of mark on the world that only you could leave—well then, it’s time you made your comfort zone your enemy, too.

That’s one of the reasons we created the Magic & Mystery School. We love it when students come and challenge us—when they bring us perspectives on performance we might never have encountered before. We love challenging our students to take their art to the next level. Everyone who comes through the door presents a unique challenge, and we live for that! When we find ourselves doing only what we’ve done before, only the things we’re comfortable with—that feels like failure, even if we’re making good money doing it. That’s part of the reason we’re always trying out new classes.

Some sell out almost immediately (like the “Breakthrough Magic” session we’re doing in August with Joshua Jay and Andi Gladwin, which sold out in just 48 hours)—others take a bit longer, and some never get the interest we thought they would. But every offering stretches us. Each new offering is a new adventure and each brings new challenges and learning. Each one moves us towards our goal of re-imagining and lifting the level of what it means to be a magician.

Whether or not you ever come to one of our classes in Las Vegas, or join us for our online offerings, I hope these Museletters (especially this one!) have challenged you a bit and help with your own growth. Even if you’re one of those ensconced firmly within your own comfort zone—I hope you’re enjoying reading of the adventures of those of us who have chosen the less comfortable path.

On the other hand, if you are ready to step out of your zone of comfort and ready for a personal challenge, please do check out our current offerings. There are some interesting events coming up, from Jeff’s Winter Training in February to Medicine & Magic (you don’t have to be a Doctor!), the 3-Day Master Class (we supply the masters—you don’t have to be one) and Real-World Close-up in March. Each one is guaranteed to push you out of your personal comfort zone. You’ll make new friends, encounter new ideas, and, most of all, find yourself challenged in interesting ways. We’ll also be posting some new classes and events for the coming months.

Whatever your decisions about getting out of your comfort zone for the coming month—I wish you many happy adventures. Remember, the real magic is there, just outside your comfort zone. The sooner you can break through, the sooner you get to experience it!

Best wishes.
Sincerely,

Tobias Beckwith
tobias@yourmagic.com

Did You Open the Gift I Sent You?

Dear Friends:

Did you open the gifts I sent you?

Each month, I’ve been sending you the McBride Muse letter, filled with things that really inspire me and that I hope will inspire you!

I really enjoy sending you these little gifts of inspiration!

PLEASE- Let me know what you enjoy reading and what inspires you. You can always drop me an email at Jeff@mcbridemagic.com

I am home from tour for the next few weeks and would love to hear from you.

The most inspirational magic video clip of the year!

THIS video reflects what our Mystery School is all about, so please…

Click the Video!

Our passion is to create safe space for learning, deep understanding, initiation and positive transformation.

“A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.”

Do you want to be GOOD or do you want to be GREAT?

This is one of the best videos I’ve seen that touch upon this subject.

Click the Video!

So, your next step is to find a mentor or coach. We can make that happen for you!

Click here:
https://www.magicalwisdom.com/shop/p/product/skype-mentoring-package

Take a look to see which one of these you would select!

Wonderground News!
Thurs. Jan 17^th–doors open at 7:30. Get here early for the best seats! 3 great variety shows

8pm       Tim Wise is your MC
     Onyx Tribe with special guests Dyad & Stefania
     Jeff McBride – New Magic Creations.
     Chris Herren – Mime and Magic
     Jay Gilligan – Dynamic Juggling Sensation
     Tim Wise – Shows you the ropes!

9pm       Host – Will Bradshaw
     Jeff McBride – New Magic Delights
     Mondre – The Man with the Magic Hands!
     Chris Herren – Storytelling & mystery
     Thom Bedlam – Classical Conjuring & Comedy

WONDER-BAR magic by
Thom Bedlam – Up close magic, Tim Wise, Scott Steelfyre

10pm      Mainstage Extravaganza
     Onyx Tribe with special guests Dyad & Stefania
     Tim Wise – BIG magic with BIG impact!
     Chris Herren – Mime with Magic
     Jay Gilligan – Master of The Juggling Arts
     Mystery Guest – TBA
     Jeff McBride:  Presents His Feature Cabaret Show!

ALL THE ABOVE PLUS:
Photography by Sheryl Garrett. Bar Magic – Brian Apollo, Scott Steelfyre & Maggie, Corey Rubino, Taylor Lloyd, Belly Dancers, Psychic Sideshow with Morganne – and many more surprises and special celebrity guests

See you at the show or in our online classroom.

Jeff McBride

jeff@mcbridemagic.com

Balsamo and Ricardo

Dear Friends:

If you’ve been a part of our community for any length of time at all, you’re already aware of the very high regard we all have for Bob Neale. Bob was the first one ever to sign up for one of our events…back in 1992! He’s been coming to events and sharing his amazing knowledge and ideas with us ever since.

I know my own thinking about the art of magic and its importance to society at large has been vastly influenced by Bob and his writings (highly recommended). Always interested in stirring things up by taking a contrarian view to what others might be expecting, Bob’s ideas and writings therefore bring about some of the most interesting discussions and thinking about our art. I know you’ll enjoy what we have for you below.

Balsamo and Ricardo
Robert E. Neale

Founded in 2006 as an outgrowth of the early Mystery School experiences, The Magic and Meaning Conference remains dedicated to exploring magic performance as it relates to a wide variety of human concerns, such as anthropology, history, psychology of magic, and the role of magic in modern society. The gathering, held every October as the Magic & Mystery School’s “Homecoming,” contains a rich array of performances, small group discussions, large group communal exercises, and lectures on a great variety of topics.

This year’s conference was held October 24-27 in Las Vegas and featured twenty-one talks. We listened to George Parker on “TheCreationGame®: Transforming Your Life Through Magic”; Marjorie Hass on “The Living Ground of Creativity”; Abigail McBride on “Magic Words and the Power of Nonviolent Language”; and Kenton Knepper on (as he titled it in his stimulating way) “Deeper,” among many others. Far and wide, conference attendees agreed that the presentations were of very high quality, both informative and provocative.

Undoubtedly, each person had favorite talks and it was difficult to select just one as the most appealing. I certainly found it difficult. However, after one talk I rushed over to the Founder of our school (Jeff McBride) and emoted, “That is one of the most magical talks I have ever witnessed!” I did not know very much about the how or why of it, but just had to proclaim it.

The lecture was by Ricardo Rosenkranz and titled, “The Secret Life of Props.” The content was about his experience in creating a routine for his 2016 and 2018 magic shows in Chicago, The Rosenkranz Mysteries—a routine involving a prop human skull. This is a familiar object to magicians, and an easy stimulus for a magical effect. Even so, I was awestruck by the magic Ricardo created in his talk about the routine (which he had performed earlier during the conference). As you might imagine, his prop was on stage with him for the lecture.

The performance routine magically creates life by animating, humanizing, and stimulating interaction between the prop, performer, and audience. The lecture did the same. While talking about the creation of the routine for Balsamo, Ricardo and Balsamo behaved as they did in the routine itself, demonstrating the goal in the process. So the lecture itself was a very fine performance of magic.

As magicians, we often use tricks to illustrate our comments on the process of creating magic. But Balsamo and Ricardo have led me to think about this more deeply: the skull prop, but also the standard ventriloquist doll, and some other animation routines (such as the Spirit Dancing Hank) are out to create life. Perhaps that goal is the secret of many, or even all our tricks. And, perhaps we are so accustomed to the manipulation of the props, that we forget what we’re aiming for.

Please click on the photo to see a brief clip of Ricardo and Balsmo in action.

I still have so little to say about Ricardo’s lecture because I do not understand enough about creating life. My only obvious experience is with a fist puppet routine, “A Simple Test,” (in Magic Matters, pages 19-25) in which my attempts were strange and somewhat disturbing. And that is about all I know. But for more on what can be called “the secret life of props,” I recommend two works by Kenneth Gross. Puppet: An Essay on Uncanny Life is his thorough exploration of our creation of living puppets, and can be understood as a discussion of magic. On Dolls is his collection of thoughts on the subject by a variety of authors such as Baudelaire, Rilke, Freud, and Kafka. Both books have suggestions for further reading.

Better yet, as we begin this new year of 2019, we might pay more respect to our own creating of life. Perhaps we performers, and our audiences, too, are seeking life, just as our props do. Are we props that need be brought to life? As Kurt Vonnegut observed in Mother Night, “We are what we pretend to be,” and then added, “so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.” Consider carefully “The Secret Lives of Ourselves as Props.”