Help Jeff McBride & Street of Cards make history!
Jeff McBride teams up this week with Street of Cards TV for the first ever live reporting from FISM — The World Championships of Magic, going on right now in Beijing. McBride is reporting using his tiny pocket camera, with instant uploads to the Street of Cards web site. If you’re a magic fan and always wanted to visit the biggest event in magic, but couldn’t make it in person — now you can be there virtually!
Go to http://streetofcards.tv/channel/27/jeff-mcbride/ now. We suggest keeping a window open — the blasts come through periodically. Until the next one is live, you can watch the archived reports Jeff has already filed.
I know we just sent you a Museletter earlier this week — but we didn’t want our friends and reader to miss out on this opportunity, which continues for just a couple of more days. We hope you’ll enjoy experiencing the World Championships of Magic with Jeff!
Best to all.
Sincerely,
Tobias Beckwith
“When we perform we, the cast, have an appointment with ourselves to meet each other and the audience at our best conscious moment.”
— Cesareo Palaez
People ask me what is new in the world of magic? What is exciting? How do you keep your passion for what you do fresh and vibrant? One of the keys that unlocks the doors to an exciting life is travel. I am very blessed that I have the opportunity to share my adventures with you in these letters to you, my friends.
THE ROAD TO CHINA…
Well, it’s not actually a road. I’ll be flying to Beijing for the World Championships of Magic, and then on a brief “Magic All Stars Tour.” Due to our demanding touring schedule, we are announcing the final confirmed classes here at the Magic & Mystery School for 2009. Right now, you have the opportunity to get the inside scoop of all the newest things happening here in Las Vegas.
Above is a photo by my brother, Clay, taken at a recent show.
Why aren’t there more women in magic? That is a question we hear often. The answer to this question will be explored here:
SISTERS OF MAGIC & MYSTERY
Master Class alumna and film-maker Gerry Timmerman will be featuring the Sisters of Magic & Mystery in her upcoming documentary. This will be an exciting addition to our already scheduled events…. Which include a special screening and discussion of the feature documentary Women in Boxes with Blair Larsen and an exciting workshop with Luna Shemada.
What is one of the new trends in the world of magic? You will find out when you explore the incredible world of martial arts magic and experience the mystery of mastery.
MAGIC & MARTIAL ARTS
Featured at this year’s event will be magician, author and martial arts expert, Tom Meseroll, Kung Fu weapons savant Bryce Kuhlman, and recent World Champion in Martial Arts Magic, Master Diaz. We will also have a contest! Magician/Inventor Sean Scott will be bringing with him one “Ki” DVD for each of our attending students.
The student who can come up with the best presentation or innovation with Sean Scott’s “Ki” will win a $700 three day Master Class. This is just one of the many exciting surprises we have in store for you who love the power of magic and the skills of martial arts. Take a look at last year’s film clip by Sensei Strange here:
3 DAY MASTER CLASS
This is the last Master Class of 2009. We are nearly full, so make your plans now.
Is it possible to travel through time and space? We think so!
FOCUS ON STREET MAGIC:
AN ADVENTURE IN TIME TRAVEL, PAST & FUTURE
Last year’s event was a blast! This year, all students will receive passes to THE AGE OF CHIVALRY Renaissance Faire. We will be hosted by the Greenwood Revelers, who have a great castle and performance stage for us to weave our magic into the fabric of this fun event! Students will meet some of the top street magicians on the circuit, attend special lectures on Street Magic, and even get a chance to perform close-up, or on the platform stage… and get feedback, too! The evenings will have the option of students either performing street magic on Las Vegas Boulevard, or the many high-tech nightclubs that Las Vegas nightlife has to offer.
Who are the most brilliant thinkers in the world of magic? Many of them will be gathering at this year’s…
MAGIC AND MEANING CONFERENCE
This is our Mystery School Reunion and tribute to Bob Neale, who turns 80 this year! Dr. Larry Hass has done a wonderful job organizing new presenters for this year. Jeff will be hosting an evening of his new works in progress; Fred Turner is back this year, coordinating the Works in Progress. If you would like to present a PEP talk, or would like to present your Work in Progress for feedback, get in touch with Fred or Larry. Their contact information can be found on the website:
Does magic have the power to heal the body, mind and spirit?
MAGIC AND MEDICINE
Abbi and I have been in contact with Dr. Randall Wolf, and are awaiting confirmation on his schedule. Last year, he flew in directly from China, and we are hoping for his return this year. Due to our demanding travel schedule, this is the last year Magic and Medicine will be an annual event. The next one will be in 2011, so if you want to attend, come this year!
Do you want to learn how to read minds? …. Or at least create the illusion of mind-reading?
MASTER CLASS FOR MENTALISTS
This is one of our favorite events, because we get to spend quality time with one of the great psychic entertainers of our time, Ross Johnson. Ross always delights us with his powerful presentations and in-depth knowledge. If you have not attended this event, you don’t know what you’re missing. Here’s a clip:
Thanks for taking the time to read these updates. We look forward to seeing you at one of these great classes….
Your friends in magic,
Jeff & Abbi
FROM TOBIAS:
First, many thanks to our magical friends here in Silicon Valley. We had a wonderful group for both Jeff’s show and lecture in Fremont last Friday and for his workshop at The Magic Garage in Sunnyvale on Saturday. Both he and I had a terrific time, and look forward to his next visit here in the Bay Area. We’re looking for a good group to host him north of the city later this winter…if someone reading this is interested, please let me know!
Our other big news is that we’ve just posted and opened registrations for our classes through the end of the summer 2010. By the time you read this, I may have the full year’s schedule for 2010 up. So you can start making your plans now – classes seem to be filling faster and faster, so the earlier you get your registrations in, the better chance you’ll have of attending the class that’s your first choice.
Best to all.
Sincerely,
Tobias Beckwith
“How can I describe the kind of person who is on a path to mastery? First, I don’t think it should be so dead serious. I think you should understand the joy of it, the fun of it. Being willing to see just how far you can go is the selfsurpassing quality that we human beings are stuck with. Evolution is a whole long story of mastery. It’s being real. It’s being human. It’s being who we are.”
— George Leonard
Greetings friends…
Last week was filled with awards and record-breaking events here in Las Vegas. Our recent “Virtual Mystery School” on www.streetofcards.tv broke all on-air attendance records for the most people ever in the chat room during a live broadcast. If you missed it, and want to see the show, you can see the archival footage online.
The Magic School continues to grow and improve. At our last class we spent an evening with Gerry McCambridge at his fantastic show in the new upstairs venue at the V-Theater. Here is a recent photo of Jeff teaching at the Master Class, with Paul Harris watching from the front row. We really appreciate the support we get from all our magical friends here in Vegas. It’s wonderful to know how many of them really share our enthusiasm for bringing along the next generation of magicians and continuing to expand and improve our art!
I’ve always had a passion for Asian culture. Ever since I can remember, I have been infusing my magic with exotic influences from the East. I started studying judo when I was eight years old and now this passion has created a new seminar we offer to those who are looking for more than just tricks.
MAGIC & THE MARTIAL ARTS
What do magic and the martial arts have in common? 1) They both take commitment and discipline.
2) They both are paths to mastery, which take the student on an adventure of understanding and experience.
3) When combined, magic and martial arts create a dynamic fusion of physical excitement and visual wonder.
Las Vegas and the performing arts world are beginning to take notice of the magic and martial arts movement. Our school is on the cutting edge of this new trend.
In fact, our student, Leo Diaz, just won a major award at the World Martial Arts tournament. Many of you know Leo as the DJ from the WONDERGROUND. We are proud of him!
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: MASTER LEO DIAZ
News Flash, Las Vegas — Magician LEO DIAZ takes First Place at the World Martial Arts tournament 2009 ! Master Diaz is now the World Champion in Magic with Martial Arts due to his demonstration. Master Diaz is the first magic martial artist ever to win a first place trophy after performing his blend of Kung Fu and illusion.
Master Diaz participated in the Guinness Book of World Records Break-a-thon in May 2009. He began the ceremony by breaking the first board at the Martial Arts tournament that set a new world record of 70,000 broken boards, which took place at Palms Casino in Las Vegas.
If you want to learn more about magic and martial arts and how YOU can put more “punch” into your performance, join us September 22, 23, 24th for MAGIC AND THE MARTIAL ARTS. Visit the website to learn more, and to see the new video created by Sensei Strange!
Read more about Magic and the Martial Arts
LAS VEGAS…YOUR MAGIC SUMMER SCHOOL
After I return from a tour of China, I will dive into three great Las Vegas magic events. I will be teaching a Master Class with Eugene Burger at the MAGIC LIVE convention, which is SOLD OUT! The good news is that we have a few spaces left for our 7 day Master Class here at the School, August 19-25th. Call Abbi at 702-450-0021 to get more information and to reserve your spot, or  read more about the August Master Class online.
Here is a photo of Jeff giving a shuffling lesson, with Paul Harris and the film crew from True Astonishments.
We’ll look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming classes, or at the World Championships of Magic in Beijing, China!
Your friend in magic,
Jeff
“There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.”
— Unknown author
Greetings magical friends…
We are enthusiastic about our new accomplishment!
VIRTUAL MYSTERY SCHOOL!
At our upcoming Master Class on June 30th from 8pm to 11pm (Pacific Time), we are experimenting with creating a “virtual magic school.” The VMS will be available for you to participate in!
Join Eugene Burger, Tobias Beckwith, Bryce Kuhlman, Abbi and me, as well as all the Magic School faculty for this new exploration into the world of magical education. Our virtual Mystery School will feature a cam chat room, so we can help you one on one and in small groups, learn some of the secrets that we share with our students here in Las Vegas. The internet is bringing people together around the world, and we are happy that we can open our School to those who cannot make the journey to Las Vegas at this time.
Tuesday June 30th at 8pm Las Vegas time
Go to your computer and log into www.streetofcards.tv.
For now, please visit our virtual home in cyber-space. This is an actual rendering of what our Magic & Mystery School looks like! It was crafted by a team of artists, and took over a year to prepare…. We are still working on it and are open to your thoughts and ideas.
http://www.mcbridemagic.net
See you on the evening of the 30th for this historic and fun event!
Jeff & the Magic And Mystery School faculty
Enjoy the super hot models!
From Tobias:
Thanks to Fantasma and all the New York magicians who made Jeff’s event there last week such a success! We’re working to get him back in your neighborhood again early next year.
We still have a few spots available for upcoming classes in July and August. Check out the schedule and sign up now — Las Vegas prices will only go up from here as we move forward out of the recession. Now is the time to take time and invest in your show and career, which prices are down and work is scarce. Be ready to take full advantage and gain market using what you learn to improve your show and market share as things start to come back.
Best to all,
Tobias