Making Your Magic Optimal

Making Your Magic Optimal
By Larry Hass, the Dean

Over the past year, I have been exploring an idea that I’m now ready to share. Here it is: I believe that every piece of magic has its optimal venue.
 
What I mean by this is that every routine we do has one best performing context—the setting that’s optimal for my success at astonishing people when I perform it there. Some of the factors involved in assessing “best” are such things as audience size, audience position, visibility, angles, plays up or down, needing to stand or sit, and size of the props, among other things.

To help you consider this, let’s look at one example: Brother John Hamman’s “Final Twist” (The Secrets of Brother John Hamman, pages 41-44). This is Brother John’s popular Twisting the Aces type routine wherein the blue-backed Ace, Two, Three, and Four of Spades magically turn upside down one at a time, then are shown as the Ace, Two, Three, and Four of Hearts, only to be revealed as all having red backs!

“Final Twist” creates a strong visual and magical experience, but if we examine this carefully, it seems pretty clear that it’s best performing venue—its optimal one—is walk-around. That’s because with walk-around I can naturally and quickly put those gaffed cards away as I move on to the next routine or the next group.

This is not to say I can’t perform “Final Twist”—or other gaffed card tricks—while sitting after dinner at a table, but in my view that’s less optimal— “sub-optimal” we would correctly say. Because after I put those gaffed cards away, the people around me have every opportunity in the world to ask me to look at those cards. While I could, of course, switch in ungaffed cards, that doesn’t make “Final Twist” better while seated at a table, or even equally as good. In fact, it’s less good, because now I have to manage more traffic in my pockets, and we are starting to play the dreary game of “bust the magician.”

No, if I am being really honest with myself, my gaffed card packet effects are better in a walk-around setting. Sure, they can be “managed” in a seated setting or a formal close-up show, but those aren’t optimal venues for such routines. And of course there are many more venues where “Final Twist” would be “pessimal” (to use the correct Latin term). That is to say, just plain bad, such as in a platform or stage show, where no one could see the cards.

So again, here’s the big idea: every piece of magic has an optimal venue, a number of sub-optimal ones, and many bad ones.

Now, if you will entertain my Theory of Optimal Venue, I think you might discover an exciting and powerful tool for creating better magic performances and shows – ones with more astonishment, fewer compromises, and less audience suspicion or dissatisfaction. That is, ones that more consistently have stronger impact from beginning to end. Here’s how:

Only ever perform your magic routines in their optimal venue.

Imagine this with me. Imagine you go through every routine in your working repertoire and determine its optimal venue and its sub-optimal ones. Now picture yourself only ever performing your routines in their sweetest spot: the situation and context where you have the best chance for success, for allaying their suspicions, for not exposing moves or gaffs, for the most people to actually see the props and the payoff. Wouldn’t actually doing these two things make every single performance better?

But I understand: you might want to quibble that there’s more than one optimal venue for a given piece. No problem—the basic point and exercise doesn’t change. Although, please beware of self-deception or laziness in this regard; with my own repertoire, one venue always rose to the top.

I also understand that sometimes we find ourselves forced to perform something in a sub-optimal venue. That’s not a crime, and sometimes “we gotta.” Like you, I have been there, done that. But that didn’t make the show optimal. On the contrary, by definition, the show had sub-optimal elements in it—which means it wasn’t the very best show we might have done.

For my part, this idea inspires and empowers me. For now I have a new, razor-sharp tool for assessing my repertoire and building better magic shows: to only ever perform my pieces in their optimal venue rather than shoe-horning them in, where they will be less than optimal. This tool also has the power to clarify which of your working venues are laden with sub-optimal routines, and this can liberate and inspire you to find and create better ones!

If you join me in this, aren’t we then engaged in making our magic performances optimal? Who wouldn’t want that for their magic?

Note: Larry has a new bi-monthly newsletter that aims to inspire your magic. Please sign up at www.TheoryandArtofMagic.com.

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