The Idols of March

“Sometimes our light goes out, but it is blown again into flame by an encounter with another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this inner light.”
–Albert Schweitzer

Jeff McBride Awarded Lecturer of the Year from the Academy of Magical Arts!

“Teaching is not filling a bucket; it is lighting a fire.”

The above is an inspirational thought that I worked into my acceptance speech at the AMA awards last week. I was presented with the Lecturer of the Year award, which is the highest honor a teacher of magic can receive. I want to thank all of my teachers for keeping the fire of magic burning brightly: Eugene, Abbi, Tobias, Bryce and Jordan and all of the other teachers and facilitators here at the School.

Academy Awards

The Academy of Magical Arts (The Magic Castle) held its 41st annual awards show at the Avalon Hollywood Theater. …And the winners are: 

Jeff McBride, Lecturer of the Year 
Guy Hollingworth, Magician of the Year 
Bob Fitch, Lifetime Achievement 
Celeste Evans, Performing Fellowship 
Howie Schwarzman, Performing Fellowship 
Louis Falanga, Literary Fellowship 
Doc Eason, Close-up Magician of the Year 
Kevin James, Stage Magician of the Year 
Shoot Ogawa, Parlour Magician of the Year 

It was really quite amazing that I have deep and lasting friendships with so many of the winners. Bob Fitch was my first director, and responsible for helping me choreograph one of my favorite routines, “THE MAGIC WATER BOWLS” that you may have seen recently on Masters of Illusion. Louis Falanga is the publisher of many of my teaching DVDs, and the new MAGIC AT THE EDGE 3 volume set. I often tour with Doc Eason, Kevin James and Shoot Ogawa, all fine magicians. All of these guys visit Las Vegas on a regular basis. Celeste Evans is one of the great ladies of magic; I hope that she can attend the upcoming Sisters of Mystery conference for women in magic later this fall.

“Without inspiration, the best powers of the mind remain dormant; there is a fuel in us which needs to be ignited with sparks.”
— Johann Gottfried von Herder

MayFire, May 10-15 at the Valley of Fire State Park

Vegas. One of the places we find inspiration is at our Alchemifire events. We are hosting one here in May, and if you are called to join us, here is the link to explore: 

http://www.vegasvortex.com

We will be hosting another in June, in Ohio, 

http://www.wisteria.org/wisteria-summer-solstice.htm

Peacock Update from the McBride House of Mystery

Yes friends, the big blue bird of happiness will greet you if he stays around our neighborhood, though I must say, the lawn guys gave him quite a scare yesterday with their leaf blowers… He gave them a scare, too. His tail feathers span over eight feet when he’s got them extended, which he displayed for us the other day. So, just be cautious as you approach the door to our House of Mystery. His nest is just to the left of our gate…. 

As you read this, I will be on tour in Israel and Spain, getting home just in time for our April Master Class, and then to the MAGIC-WHIRL event in Washington, DC. 

Your friend in mystery,
Jeff

Globe-Trotting

 

“As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.”
— Carl Jung

I feel that that’s what magicians do. We light fires in people’s imaginations. These fires burn away impossibilities, limitations and restrictions. They clear the fields of the dead wood of predictability. The ashes of these fires nurture new seeds of hope. 

When I travel, I often meet magicians who I consider to be sages. In this Museletter, my friends, you will meet a few of them. I’ve just returned home from touring Peru and England. Magic is alive and well in Peru. Here is a photo of my magic friends after a six hour Master Class that was part of the convention.

Juan Tamariz
… is one of the most enthusiastic performers of our time. I have had the good fortune of sharing time with him over the years, but in this last visit to Peru I got to attend some of his seminars and lectures, and was thoroughly impressed, all over again. 

During the Flasoma Convention 2009 in Peru, Tamariz explained his reasons for thinking that the S. W. Erdnase material was actually written by L’Homme Masque. L’Homme Masque was a Peruvian magician who lived at the same time as Erdnase. Dai Vernon considered him to be one of his idols. Gaetan Bloom shares Juan’s assumption. Juan and Gaetan held a lecture and discussion speculating that there is enough evidence pointing in the direction of L’Homme Masque as the author. I am sure that Juan will share further research at upcoming events. 

I spoke at length with Juan Tamariz at his late-night philosophy lectures. He is truly a brilliant thinker. Juan is a big fan of Bob Neale, and I am presently conspiring to bring them together at one of our events in the near future. It was worth the many days it took to travel to Peru to sit in this sage’s company and drink from his fountain of wisdom.

Amazing Blackpool
Over 3,500 magicians converged on the northern seaside city of Blackpool, England, for the 57th annual convention. Some of the highlights for me included teaching a three day Master Class at the Blackpool magician’s club, seeing friends and Master Class alumni like Jon Randall, Romany, Rafael, George Parker and Kenny & Angie from Kernow Magic. Eugene gave a standing room only lecture, and twelve close-up shows… and people think I have stamina! 

I suggest that you make Blackpool one of your magic vacation destinations. This seaside city is filled with variety shows, circuses, and enchanting old-world attractions. Even during the cold winter months, the town is a hot spot. Hats off to Derek Lever and the Blackpool magicians’ club for hosting one of the greatest magic events the world has ever seen! 

I had the pleasure of meeting the legendary comic Ken Dodd. He’s in his mid-80s and still does four shows a week. He’s kind of like England’s Bob Hope. He said that the key to performing is enthusiasm, and when I asked him what the secret of a good life is, he said “plant something…. Plant a seed, and watch it grow. Not only real seeds, but ideas, dreams, and possibilities.” 

Eugene and I had a delightful conversation over breakfast with The Amazing Randi. We discussed all things skeptical and meta-magical. He’s a charming conversationalist, and his mentalism show and lectures were phenomenal. When we left the breakfast table, there were many bent spoons left behind. Here is a photo of us with Mr. Randi.

March will bring me down to Daytona & Orlando, Florida. After a private corporate date in Daytona on the 17th, I will be doing a show & lecture at the Sleuth’s Dinner Theater at 8267 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819, http://www.sleuths.com, on the 18th and a special Secret Session workshop on March 19th at Magical Arts and Design East Coast Studio: 1039 Pine Street, Orlando, 32824 ( www.MagicalArtsandDesign.com ). The contact number for all Orlando appearance information is: MAD Hotline 866-905-9858, 407-858-9858 local. 

Then Abbi and I will be going to visit Israel from the 22nd- 30th of March. Learn more about it here:http://www.magic.org.il (probably only useful if you read Hebrew). On the way back, I’ll be visiting with my friend Juan Mayoral for his magic festival in Almusafes, Spain, where I’ll both lecture and perform. 

Oh, by the way, our friends, “Lord Peacock” is roosting in the front yard, so if you drop over for a class or private session, I’ll be happy to introduce you! He seems to be especially fond of sunflower seeds, so be sure to bring some along if you want to feed him. 

The trees are beginning to bloom here, and the new seeds have been planted in Abbi’s garden. What “seeds” of magic are you planting? 

Your friend in magic, 

Jeff

Magic Cruise and More!

 

“Achievement is talent plus preparation.”

–Malcolm Gladwell

 

While many folks complain about “the economy,” others are taking this down-time to polish their performances to perfection.  Following are just a few examples of our talented students whose preparation has paid off in major achievements.

Henry Vargas, from Brazil, attended a one day Master Class in Peru last summer, and came to our seven day Master Class here in Las Vegas earlier this year.  Just this week, all of his hard work paid off big time.  He was awarded the top prize in general magic at South America’s largest convention,  FLASOMA, in Lima, Peru.  Congratulations, Henry!!

Erica Sodos, has been working hard for many years on her one-woman show.  She’s come out to the Magic and Mystery School for Master Classes and has worked with me in private phone sessions over the years, and the fruits of her labors are blossoming now.  Learn more about her show here:

http://www.boulderweekly.com/20090205/buzz.html

 

WOMEN IN MAGIC

This Fall we will see the birth of a new seminar here at the Magic and Mystery School: THE SISTERS OF MYSTERY, A Magical Conference for Women.

September 7-9th, 2009  Join Abbi McBride and other phenomenal women in the magic world for a three day journey into the heart and soul of magic and mystery.

This conference will explore the feminine side of the mystical arts, and is open to women who perform magic, who love magic, or who are in love with a magician.  Featured events include small group discussions, hands-on learning sessions, developing material, and performance feedback sessions. For more information on this event, call Abbi at 702-450-0021.

 

JEFF ON NEW TELEVISION SERIES

Gay Blackstone is happy to inform you all that another one of our performances for Masters of Illusion is being aired on MyNetwork next week 9pm Monday, February 16th.   Check your local listings for the exact time in your area.

 

LET US HELP PLAN YOUR VEGAS VACATION!

 

CNN says “Vegas is a good deal now!” Click here for the full article.

 

Online travel giants like Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz are offering all-inclusive packages with flights and two-night hotel stays starting as low as $270.  What’s more, we still have some spots available in our April & June 7-Day Master Classes.  There couldn’t be a better time – but register soon, as the classes promise to fill up fast.

 

Jeff & Abbi McBride in New Feature Film Documentary, WOMEN IN BOXES!

 

You can catch this amazing film if you are close to Sedona Arizona for the Sedona Film Festival on Feb. 26th and 28th (http://www.sedonafilmfestival.com/); or in Vegas for the Las Vegas International Film Festival April 9-12.  (Exact date to be announced. http://www.lvfilmfest.com/)

 

I am off to Blackpool, England for the biggest magic convention in the world. I’ll be meeting 3,000 new friends there, and will be hosting a three day Master Class Secret Session.  Learn more by going tohttp://www.blackpoolmagic.com/ and clicking on the “Jeff McBride Secret Session” link.

 

I’ll be home just in time to make some magic at the Orlean’s Hotel and Casino at the WORLD MAGIC SEMINAR, March 1, 2, 3, 4.  I’ll also be helping Lance Burton and Eugene Burger host the Teen Magic Seminar.  We look forward to this event every year, to see the new faces of magic that will carry our tradition into the future. 

 

I look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas, or on tour!

 

Yours in the art of mystery,

Jeff

 

Living in Interesting Times

“Until you are willing to be confused about what you already know, what you know will never grow bigger, better, or more useful.”
~ Milton Erickson Quotes from A Joseph Campbell Companion

Greetings, Friends! 

Tobias here – Jeff and Abbi are busy hosting “Mysterium” in Las Vegas as I write this from my new office, looking out into a stand of sunny redwoods here in central California.

The immediate reason for writing is, of course, current news:

You can catch Jeff on television again this week. On February 2nd, he’ll be one of the featured performers on “Masters of Illusion,” along with Kalin & Jinger, Farrell Dillion, Hillel, Krystyn Lambert, Amazing Jonathan, Guy Bavli, and some of our other favorite magicians. If you love a good magic show, this one promises to be just that. It’s on the MyNetworkTV (one of the FOX family). As they say “check your local listings” for the exact time in your neighborhood.

Also be sure to tune in to the DOC channel, if you can, on February 9th, for the premiere broadcast of “Women in Boxes,” a documentary film by Blaire Baron Larsen about women who are and have been magicians’ assistants over the past 50 years. Both Jeff and Abbi can be seen in short interview segments. I saw the film at its premiere in Las Vegas last summer, and it’s fascinating. 

NOW: Let’s get back to the quote above. There’s an ancient Chinese curse: “May you live in interesting times.” The implication is that it is a wish for your life to be filled with upheaval and turmoil. 

Well…we certainly do live in interesting times! The economy is in worse shape than it has been since the 1930’s. People are losing their homes and fortunes. I’ve just moved away from security and long time friends in Las Vegas to explore new environments and new possibilities here in the Bay Area. At the same time, we have a new president, a commitment to change for the better – and at the same time, just when we’re at our lowest, and call to responsibility – to taking on the task of each creating our own highest visions and dreams. Not an easy task at any time – but a special kind of challenge right now, just when we’re ALL feeling kind of “down and out.” 

I’d say we might all be forgiven if we’re feeling a bit confused. But as Milton Erickson implies in his quote above – this may be just what we all NEED if we are to allow what we know to become bigger, better and more useful! 

And so my call to all of you – our friends on this magical journey through life – is to cast aside the depression and confusion of the dark times we’ve just been through. Be prepared to re-examine and re-consider all the things you think you know. Embrace the confusing new ideas, new environments, and see what is here to be learned. And allow yourselves to grow. Growth is transformation – and transformation is magic. 

I’ve been thinking a lot about what magic means to me lately. My clients are all a very special breed of performing magician who can take magic beyond tricks and illusions and use it to achieve a purpose. Sometimes that purpose is to lead an audience to some kind of enlightenment. Other times it is to help a corporation deliver a particular message. Still other times, it is to wake people up about their own interactions with their friends and families, or to their own innate abilities. 

I find I’ve become a firm believer that the real magician only uses tricks and illusions as tools to achieve his or her purposes. Magic doesn’t lie in the trick any more than carpentry does in the hammer and nail. Just as the carpenter has a higher purpose (a building, a cabinet…the joy brought by what he really creates), so does the magician. When I was a child, I loved to play with hammers and nails and chunks of wood. I created some very interesting pieces of trash with my “carpentry.” Later on, I learned to use it to create interesting stage sets…and suddenly carpentry became infinitely more interesting. Accepting the responsibility to actually make something with my carpentry gave it meaning and purpose – and it became a far more satisfying experience! 

I know many of you reading this are either magicians or fans of magic. I have some bad news for you. Lots of the magic I see out there, even while the tricks are successful, seems to be creating the same kind of “trash” I created as a child with that hammer and nails. What’s it really for? Does the magician know? Does his or her audience know? 

In my own lectures and courses, I’ve become a big advocate for discovering the purpose behind any bit of magic we do, of defining what we want to achieve in creating our businesses, and the purpose we have for each show we do. It is amazing how finding those purposes makes everything else involved in creating the magic (or the career in magic) so much clearer and more easily doable. Not only does it help you make wise decisions and choices – it gives you a way to measure your success. More than that – it gives you a way to take responsibility for the results of your magic. 

Unfortunately, discovering our purposes can be a confusing proposition. We find ourselves re-examining our every idea and belief. Sometimes we find that our ideas and beliefs conflict with one another, or that we’re holding onto beliefs that are outdated or limiting. Letting go of something you’ve lived with for a long time can be traumatic and upsetting – but if you do, you’re suddenly free to grow again. 

And that would seem to bring us full circle…we’re right back to the confusion and growth we started with. So, I’ll leave you here. Hopefully embracing your own confusion and ready to grow. The days have begun to grow longer – around here, there are already new buds on the trees and bushes. I’m looking forward to discovering what magic awaits me in the coming months. The dark times have already begun to pass. Magic is afoot! 

Best wishes. 

Tobias Beckwith
tobias@yourmagic.com

PS: I’m working on a new book, “Wizards’ Ways” about how magic can affect each of our lives. If today’s note brought back any interesting memories from any of you “wizards” out there, I’d love to hear your stories. Drop me a line!