Euro Tour 2011

Photo Copyright 2011 by L.Donin ncportraitmagic.com

“People travel to faraway places to watch, in fascination, the kind of people they ignore at home.” – Dagobert D. Runes

Greetings friends,

One Thing Needed

“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.”

— Leonardo da Vinci

Dear Friends:

We are delighted to have this week’s contribution from none other than our Dean of the Magic & Mystery School, Eugene Burger:

One Thing Needed

Eugene Burger

I have the opportunity to watch a great amount of magic performed each year. Happily, I really enjoy performances of magic. And I am still learning. Over the years, one thing I have realized is that very often a thoughtful performer can learn as much from watching bad performances of magic as we do from watching good ones. From bad performances, we can learn what we do not want to do and be – and learning what we don’t want can be a lesson that is be truly priceless.

Not only do I have the opportunity to watch magic, I often have the opportunity to talk to many magicians – and magicians from many countries. Perhaps, not surprisingly, I often hear the same comments from them:

“I want my magic performances to be better.”
“I want to take my magic to a new level.”
“I want to figure out who my character is.”
“I want my magic to have more power and impact.”

These are revealing comments. They lead us to big questions: questions that are exceedingly important if we do, indeed, want our performances of magic to have more power and impact. The problem is how to begin.

I am here reminded of a Buddhist teaching. In Buddhism, there is the Eight-Fold Path,” the path a believer must travel on the way to personal enlightenment. Yet, before one begins to travel this Path there is what might be thought of as a preliminary step, the step before the first “official” step – and this preliminary step is Right Association. To practice Right Association, we need to spend less time with negative people who bring us down and, instead, spend more time with positive people who want us to succeed and actualize some of our dreams.

To deal with these questions about our magic – and to answer them for ourselves – requires many things. It certainly requires sacrifice which may be different for each of us. Priorities will probably need to be arranged and rearranged. Yes, many elements are needed. Here, I want to consider one of them. I am not saying that other things aren’t more important but only that this is one thing very definitely needed. Perhaps it is more like the preliminary step of Right Association in Buddhism. What I want to consider is a sense of urgency.

A sense of urgency comes from the realization that I do not have forever. I do not have forever with my life and I do not have forever with my magic. If I am going to change my performances of magic so they have more power, then I must act. I must act now. I do not have forever. Perhaps the automobile that is going to run over me and kill me in three months is, at this very moment, having its final coat of paint applied in some factory in Michigan! And, if that were to happen, I would be dead and no one would ever get to see that great new performance!

A sense of urgency reminds me that I do not have forever and yet can become so caught up in my “thoughts about improvement” that I never take any real steps to improve. Instead, I become stuck in my thoughts. Perhaps trying to figure things out before I take that first real step.

Some of the magicians I meet in my travels have this sense of urgency. Most, I am afraid, do not. Perhaps they think they do have forever. Perhaps the dream of improvement is better than the work – and possible failure! – of improving. Perhaps they don’t think much at all.

Lacking a sense of urgency, one faces the danger of living in unfulfilled dreams, living in our thoughts.

And acting out of a sense of urgency can be the first step to changing our relation to our magic in truly amazing ways.

As a footnote, I realize that not all of the people reading these words are magicians. Some have no interest in performing magic at all. If you are one of these individuals, I wonder what a sense of urgency might do for you as you face the path you have chosen to travel.

Website Update from Bryce:

We just posted another wonderful Secret Art Journal article from Mario Morris:  Mario’s Top Ten Tips for Street Performing.

From Tobias:

Thank you, Eugene! One of the great pleasures of working with Jeff and Eugene on our Master Classes is that I get to listen to Eugene deliver talks just like the article above every time I go to Las Vegas. He always makes me think, and take my art just a bit more seriously after I listen to him. I’m sure it is the same for all of you!

The holiday season is practically upon us, and Jeff McBride has been busy creating some of those “must have” goodies for all the magicians reading this:

“Squeak Technique” was originally going to be “Bravo,” the teaching of Jeff’s commedia dell’arte inspired handling of his ball and bowl routine, using a commedia character he developed and a special squeaker gimmick. But when he demonstrated the product at last summer’s IBM national convention, the enthusiasm for the squeakers themselves and their many uses was such that Jeff decided to hold back the product until he could add more material for the squeakers – and until we could actually find a source for them in bulk and actually include two of them with each DVD. The result is a DVD with twice as much material, and two of the special squeaker gimmicks. It is now available in our on line catalog: http://shop.yourmagic.com.

Jeff has also created two (actually three) new utility items for those of you who are into manipulation magic: Jeff McBride’s Palming Coins and his special new manipulation cards. There are two versions of the new cards, each designed with flesh-tone backs in a new ‘McBride’ design, and available both in the heavier weight Jeff uses for his card spinning and bouncing routine, and in an ultra-thin manipulation and fanning weight, unlike anything else currently on the market.

Beyond the new products, I should remind you: Now is the time to put together your Christmas Wish Lists, and few things can do more to help you take your magic to the next level than a visit to the McBride Magic & Mystery School. We now have the schedule posted on line for courses throughout the coming year. As I understand it, we even have one or two slots left for this year’s Master Class for Mentalists, October 13-15. If you’ve been thinking now is the time for a serious upgrade for your magic, please visit www.magicalwisdom.com right now and register for one of the upcoming classes. We have had to turn away students at the last several classes – they fill up quickly. So make sure you get in, and register early.

For our friends in Europe, Jeff will be over there with you very soon. First for the “Las Vegas in Bodoe” convention sponsored by the Magic Circle of Norway, and then for a tour that goes from Amsterdam to France to Denmark, Sweden and Hungary. Click the calendar for specifics of each stop. Jeff is both performing and teaching in almost every one of the locations where he stops, so sign up early for the workshops if he’s going to be near you.

That’s all from me for now. Best wishes for a magical fall season!

Sincerely,

Tobias Beckwith
tobias@yourmagic.com

Starting a Movement

“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.”

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!

Judging Success

“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.”
— 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:

Judging 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 “work”. 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