Hola! Jeff here in Bogota, Colombia!
I have been touring and doing my shows in South America in theaters and on the streets! One of the joys of travel is meeting other interesting magicians and getting them to be guests on our web-TV show.
The recent topic: Street magic around the world
See this new episode, featuring some street magic direct from Bogota.
“Art is magic delivered from the lie of being truth.â€
— Theodor Adorno
What is artistry? What makes an artist?
A few thoughts by Henry Miller:
But there is a class of hardy men, old-fashioned enough to have remained rugged individuals, openly contemptuous of the trend, passionately devoted to their work, impossible to bribe or seduce, working long hours, often without reward or fame, who are motivated by a common impulse – the joy of doing as they please. At some point along the way, they separated from the others.
The men I speak of can be detected at a glance: their countenance registers something far more vital, far more effective, than the lust for power. They do not seek to dominate, but to realize themselves. They operate from a center which is at rest. They evolve, they grow, they give nourishment just by being what they are, To live beyond the pale, to work for the pleasure of working, to grow old gracefully while retaining one’s faculties, one’s enthusiasm, one’s self-respect, one has to establish other values than those endorsed by the mob. It takes an artist to make a breach in the wall.
An artist is primarily one who has faith in himself. He does not respond to the normal stimuli: he is neither a drudge nor a parasite. He lives to express himself and in so doing enriches the world. (H.M.)
What is “artistry?” and what is it that makes the difference between an “entertainer†and an “artist?”
We will explore this next Monday on the show. I have been collecting interviews from illuminated magicians on my travels. You can experience the reflections of master magicians on the upcoming show and listen to their words of wisdom and experience. Join Tobias Beckwith, George Parker, Bryce Kuhlman and the faculty and friends of our Mystery School for an evening of Artistry and Wisdom.
Remember, “Monday is a school night!” – Monday, Feb 13 at 7PM PST.
“Art is magic… But how is it magic? In its metaphysical development? Or does some final transformation culminate in a magic reality? In truth, the latter is impossible without the former. If creation is not magic, the outcome cannot be magic.â€
— Hans Hofmann
Wonderground – February 16
Tim Wise hosts the 8pm comedy magic show.
Christian Diamond will host the 9pm close-up gala show
DJ Shinobi spins the deep chill out grooves
Abbi will host the 10 pm “stage extravaganza!”
 DJ Shinobi (aka Leo Diaz) |
 Tim Wise |
For details, directions and the full line up of amazing talent, go to: www.vegaswonderground.com
This month Scott Steelfyre will help Tim and Christian stream the show live on
www.mcbridemagic.tv. We will go live at 9pm Pacific/Vegas time.
“The art of art, the glory of expression, and the sunshine of the light of letters, is simplicity.â€
— WALT WHITMAN, Preface to Leaves of Grass
From Tobias:
Jeff is still in South America as I write this, but will soon be back in the US. For those of you in the Chicago area, be sure to catch him when he is there for a special McBride Magic Experience, hosted by the Aces Magic Club. Our good friend Bill Cook is president there, and we’re looking forward to a fantastic weekend put on by Bill and the great team working with him. Learn more at http://tinyurl.com/mcbride-chi. Be sure and sign up early for show, lecture and workshop.
Then, April will be another “convention month,†as he returns to Hank Lee’s Cape Cod Conclave. One of the highlights of that weekend will be the special 4-hour workshop Jeff conducts on the last day. Learn more at
Finally, Jeff will be traveling to Italy for the 11th Saint-Vincent Magic Convention, taking place from April 19 to April 22 2012. He will be joined there by an allstar line-up including Juan Tamariz, René Lavand, The Great Tomsoni, Xavier Mortimer, Dean Gunnarson, Fielding West, Eric Jones, Danny Cole, Andrew Mayne, Mark Mason, Dani Da Ortiz and more. The program is packed full: 11 lectures, 5 Gala Shows, 2 International Contests, 5 Workshops, the escape day, street-magic shows, parties and after-nights. Again, Jeff is offering his special Super Session workshop. Learn more here.
For more information contact: news@mastersofmagic.it or +39348001125.
I’ve just checked, and it turns out we do still have one or two slots left for our Extended Master Class in March…but only a couple. This is the first extended class of 2012, and I’m sure it will be filled. If you’re serious about your magic, I urge you to grab one of the remaining spots now at www.magicalwisdom.com.
Until next time, then.
Magically yours,
Tobias Beckwith
tobias@yourmagic.com
Dear friends,
Our writer this month is our friend and faculty member at the Magic & Mystery School, the corporate alchemist, George Parker. If you’ve been watching Mystery School Mondays, you know we’re in for a treat. Here’s George:
Excellence
By this time, we’re all familiar with the 10,000 hours concept that was popularized by Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers. Gladwell is great at making interesting ideas and concepts accessible.
But he wasn’t the first one to focus on excellence and expertise. K. Anders Ericsson published his Toward a General Theory of Expertise in 1992 and came to similar conclusions. He looked at experts in different fields like medicine, performance arts, music, sports, etc. and suggested that having a talent is great and a genetic predisposition for something may be very helpful, but a lot of training and aiming to be excellent is key to become an expert.
And way, way before him, Aristotle wrote that “we are what we repeatedly do.â€
I know salespeople who should be excellent communicators/listeners but they spend 80% of their time in a car. They are probably excellent drivers, but I doubt their ability to really connect with their clients.
I think we all struggle with this from time to time. We desire excellence but there are a thousand other things that distract us from practicing it. Sometimes that’s because we don’t love what we’re doing or we lack the will to be excellent. But most of the time there’s another reason: we don’t have the time.
In order to help you create time, I’m including a list of things you may want to stop doing this year.
My guess is that you will create at least 400 free hours this year, but probably more. That’s a great step towards your 10,000 hours!
George Parker
Thanks, George! One of the best ways you can fill in those hours you gain back using George’s methods is certainly to fill them with practice and rehearsal. But another is to use them to come to a Master Class. We have our first extended class of the year running from March 11-17, and it is not too late to make plans to attend. There are a few slots still available, and March is a fantastic time to visit Vegas. It’s already warm, but not the super-hot that comes with summer. We’ll be seeing some great shows, and you’ll get lots of one on one attention from the full faculty. There’s no other experience in magic that comes close – so treat yourself to the one experience guaranteed to help you raise the level of your magic right now! Go to www.magicalwisdom.com and sign up for either the March class, or one of the classes later in the year.
Jeff McBride will be in South America in February, first at the Mundial de Magia, in Bogota, Colombia from February 2-12, and then at CADI – Congreso Argentino de Ilusionismo, in Buenos Aires, Argentina from February 15-19.
Just to follow up a bit of what George was writing about: I’ve traveled on many long trips with Jeff, and I can tell you he puts his airline time to good use. He always has a deck of cards and several tricks he is working on, and it is not unusual at all to see him practicing his sleight of hand skills while waiting to check in or at his seat. And if he isn’t practicing, he’s likely to be reading a book on magic.
So…thanks, George, for the excellent advice for all of us. We hope to see all of you soon – either on Mystery School Mondays (Live at 7pm PST every Monday at www.mcbridemagic.tv, or available in archived form for a full week after each web-cast in the same location), at one of our upcoming “Locked Room†sessions, or live in Las Vegas!
Best wishes for a magical February!
Tobias Beckwith
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”
— Benjamin Franklin
Greetings friends,
You are invited to our celebration, as McBrideMagic.tv celebrates the beginning of our second year of online broadcasting. If you’ve not seen McBride’s Mystery School Monday, and what we’re doing online, you can watch, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! All episodes are available on demand, at your convenience. We’re having a party to mark the occasion, and all of you are invited!
It’s a party at the Mystery School, which is broadcast on the internet! Each week, I invite all of the friends and faculty of the Mystery School for a celebration of imagination, creativity, magical performance and philosophy. Consider this your invitation to a most magical time with us. Be sure to tune in every Monday at 7pm pacific time to mcbridemagic.tv
Over the years, I have met many creative and passionate magicians. Perhaps the most enthusiastic Houdini fan and collector I’ve ever met is Roger Dreyer. Roger has created a magical oasis in the center of NYC. It is the home of one of the greatest magic shops in the world, and also the home of an awesome Houdini magic collection that is on display for you to see when you visit the shop!
Roger is always donating his time and energy to create extraordinary events for our magic community, both in New York and here in Las Vegas. Now, Roger is helping us bring our gifts of magic to you, all around the world, so you can watch our shows and educational magic training programs from the comfort of your own home.
We would like to welcome our friend and magical creator Roger to our team!
He is our newest sponsor on McBrideMagic.tv
Go visit the virtual shop or, even better, drop into the REAL shop when you are in New York City! Take a peek: Fantasma Magic!
“In the long run, men hit only what they aim atâ€
— Thoreau
As a magic teacher, it often feels like I am helping my students perfect their aim, so they can hit the bull’s eye of their target.
Target = intention
Aim = Energy + focus + regular practice. These are just some of the “pointers” to manifesting your goals… hitting your target.
What goals or targets are you setting up for yourself in 2012 my friends?
One of the maxims I live by is, “People support what they help create,” whether that is an organization, a political movement, or even a vision of a better way to perform magic. This year, consider those around you who can empower your vision of excellence, and work with you to help you achieve your goals.
Our favorite filmmaker, Jordan Wright, has posted the newest outstanding presentations from last year’s Magic and Meaning Conference. If you have watched the TED talks, you will notice that these are similar, but they deal with themes related to magic, performance, and psychology.
Why one of the simplest little magic effects in my repertoire receives the most comments and fan mail…
Richard Shadwell wrote me to say:
“Your Ritual of Liberation is one of the simplest yet most powerful effects that I perform. I have done it for friends and strangers alike. One person who I did this piece for (over 2 weeks ago) saw me at one of my regular haunts, and told me that after I gave him the little bracelet, he felt like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders and was able to work out his problem in time. Of all the effects I do, this is my number one because it goes deeper then ‘just a trick’ …this truly is a ritual. Thank you for this beautiful ritual that I know will touch many, many more lives than I can ever hope to meet.â€
Do YOU perform this effect? If you do, what are your thoughts about it? If you don’t perform it, why not? Let us know at mcbridemagic.tv in the chat room… We want to know!
“I came home from Master Class infused with a wisdom and a truth that is priceless and lasting.”
—Kevin McPherson
In January, we have the only three day Master Class of 2012. Go online to see if there are still any seats available, and get yours! http://www.magicalwisdom.com
February brings me to Bogota, Colombia, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. All the info is here:
I will have a couple of free days while I’m there, so heads up, students in South America, if you want to have a private session with me while I’m in your city, email me directly, Jeff@mcbridemagic.com and we’ll get you scheduled!
I hope you stick to all of your New Year’s resolutions, and make this year the year that you visit us here at the Magic and Mystery School!
Your friend in magic,
Jeff
Dear Friends:
This is Tobias, writing to wish you all a very happy New Year, and bring some interesting news. But first:
This month’s Museletter is from Larry Hass, Associate Dean:
Photo credit: Arto Airaksinen
“Its Always the Beginning of the Worldâ€
Dear Friends in Magic and Mystery,
Happy New Year! This edition of the Museletter should arrive in your mailbox on the first day of 2012. This is a big deal and a beautiful thing: turning the page, a fresh start, the beginning of a new year.
If you are like me, the past few weeks have been extremely busy with a slate of holiday parties, shopping and planning, then perhaps traveling, or hosting friends and family. All of this is a pleasure, but over the years I have come to find an even deeper pleasure in making some good time during New Year’s week to think about renewal.
You see, I have never been one for New Year’s “resolutions.†That practice always seems tinged by regret, self-scolding, and stern promises that can be hard to maintain—which thus leads to further regret and scolding. Instead, I prefer to use these days to carefully meditate on my forward path in life and in magic. What would I like to experience on this journey? How can I reconnect with things that really matter to me? How can I transform a goal or a dream into something real?
In the spirit of my meditation, I would like to share some of my own practices for renewal in life and magic. I hope you find them helpful as you start 2012.
1. “What do I really need right now?†Over the years, I have found the “What do I really need†question to be very healing and helpful. It is easy to get lost in others and their needs, in duties and responsibilities. It can be restorative to ask what you really need, and what your exploration of magic really needs. Perhaps it is more time to practice, perhaps it is a script for one of your new pieces, perhaps it is time with a director or a teacher. . . . The beautiful thing about asking yourself this question, and listening to the answer, is that it usually becomes obvious how to get what you need.
2. Re-arrange and restore. I always take time around New Years to put away all the props from my December shows, to go through the piles of papers and magazines that have built up, to weed through my bookshelves and trick drawers, to put books and DVDs back on the shelves, to throw things out or give them away. For me, this just feels good. I am making room for new things and liberating myself from old ones. For me, this isn’t a “chore†or a labor. It is an opportunity to make way for my fresh start.
3. Read a great magic book; study a great DVD. Nothing is more inspirational than reading a great magic book or sinking into a worthwhile DVD set. Perhaps there are one or two you have been meaning to explore, but haven’t yet had the time to do so. Well, now is a good time! For me, I always make it a classic work—something that will be good for my soul and also good for my knowledge base.
4. How am I going to learn and grow? Education, and the growth that comes from learning, is one of the great goods in human life. Like health, learning is both “good in itself†and “good for all the consequences it brings.†(That makes it one of the highest goods according to Plato.) I have discovered that it is important to make a concrete plan for my own growth and learning in the year ahead, either through experiences, classes, or working with teachers and directors. What will you do to learn and grow in 2012?
I hope you already feel how different this renewal approach is from stern resolutions and failed promises. It is about touching base with yourself and taking stock. It is about making the time to engage in reflections and practices that will feel good and help you get what you need. It brings peace and pleasure, and it is a great thing to share and discuss with your loved ones.
One of the most dispiriting things in magic (and in modern life) is the incessant grind of information overload, the battery of our psyches at the hands of constant selling and advertising, and all the messages you are failing and lacking because you don’t own, can’t perform, or haven’t achieved this or that. This New Year season can be a special time to reconnect with yourself and your gifts, to remember, in the spirit of Gautauma, that “you are already a magic Buddha.†And to remember the deep truth articulated by Rob Brezsny (in his book Pronoia) that “it is always the beginning of the world.â€
As always, Larry brings us interesting and useful thought on improving our magic. If you haven’t yet had a chance to attend one of our master classes when he is in residence, you’re certainly in for a treat!
And, speaking of classes: We have one coming up mid-January that is still has slots available. It will be the rare class taught by Jeff McBride alone, with the rest of us coming in for Q&A via Skype. But, since there ARE a few slots left, this is a great opportunity for a few students to get more intense, one-on-one attention from Jeff personally, in the context of a master class. I really can’t think of a better way to quickly “up your game†for the new year.
We’ve recently seen a spurt of growth in viewership and participation in our “Mystery School Monday†streamed broadcasts (also available 24/7 as archived material at mcbridemagic.tv). Watch this space in the coming weeks as we prepare something brand new for that fast developing branch of the Magic & Mystery School.
Finally: We’re looking for a few strong magic organizations with leaders not afraid to take on sponsorship of the “McBride Magic Experience.†As a result of Jeff’s working with George Parker recently in Amsterdam, we are currently re-thinking this event in order to make it easier for our sponsors to present, and to get students maximum exposure to Jeff’s work – as performer, lecturer and teacher. The “McBride Experience†has become one of our favorite ways to get Jeff’s work seen, and it usually takes less risk, with a far larger potential for gain, than having in a lecturer alone. Visit our page at http://tinyurl.com/
That’s all for now: All of us at the McBride Magic & Mystery School send you best wishes for a very happy and successful 2012!
Tobias