Etched deep into my memory is the first day I watched a ventriloquist performance. I was 9 years old, and I was amazed by how the performer could sit there, without moving his lips and no expression on his face.. yet the dummy sitting on his knee was talking away, cracking joke after joke. After that performance, at a schoolmate's birthday party, I knew that someday I would want to learn to be a ventriloquist.
My parents never thought that I would actually get into something like that seriously, but they humored me by giving me a cheap ventriloquist for Christmas that year. I practiced as much as I could for the next couple of years, but I could never get the hang of talking without moving my lips. I always performed for my sister, who would shout, "Your mouth moved!" every time I attempted to talk for the dummy. After a while, I just got frustrated and eventually I gave up my dream.
About fourteen years later, I watched my next ventriloquist act. It was in a local comedy club, with a very funny, yet very vulgar puppet. It reminded me of how I would used to sit in front of the mirror and my family on so many nights, trying to achieve my dream. At that point, I decided I was going to get back into the hobby, and this time I would make sure it worked.
I'm sure that many of you are in the same boat. You saw a performance and were immediately drawn to it. Don't just dream about it! Why not get involved and learn how to be a ventriloquist? There are really a few things to learn, but you must be dedicated and disciplined about it.
Like any skill, you must practice and keep a schedule. Becoming a good ventriloquist will not occur overnight, so you have to be determined and keep at it until you have perfected it. Use the mirror, family or friends as your audience. Set up rehearsals, so that you can stay on top of your dialogues.
You have to learn how to pronounce certain words differently, and do it in such a way that it cannot be detected by your audience. This is because some letters cannot be pronounced without moving your mouth, so you have to find a substitute to that sound, which sounds similar, but can also be pronounced without moving your mouth, thus creating the illusion of ventriloquism.
You should first master the art of throwing your voice, before you use a puppet. Using a ventriloquist dummy takes some focus away from your voice distortion. After mastering the voice technique, you can afford to lose some attention to the puppet. Trying to do this all at once may just leave you frustrated.
My parents never thought that I would actually get into something like that seriously, but they humored me by giving me a cheap ventriloquist for Christmas that year. I practiced as much as I could for the next couple of years, but I could never get the hang of talking without moving my lips. I always performed for my sister, who would shout, "Your mouth moved!" every time I attempted to talk for the dummy. After a while, I just got frustrated and eventually I gave up my dream.
About fourteen years later, I watched my next ventriloquist act. It was in a local comedy club, with a very funny, yet very vulgar puppet. It reminded me of how I would used to sit in front of the mirror and my family on so many nights, trying to achieve my dream. At that point, I decided I was going to get back into the hobby, and this time I would make sure it worked.
I'm sure that many of you are in the same boat. You saw a performance and were immediately drawn to it. Don't just dream about it! Why not get involved and learn how to be a ventriloquist? There are really a few things to learn, but you must be dedicated and disciplined about it.
Like any skill, you must practice and keep a schedule. Becoming a good ventriloquist will not occur overnight, so you have to be determined and keep at it until you have perfected it. Use the mirror, family or friends as your audience. Set up rehearsals, so that you can stay on top of your dialogues.
You have to learn how to pronounce certain words differently, and do it in such a way that it cannot be detected by your audience. This is because some letters cannot be pronounced without moving your mouth, so you have to find a substitute to that sound, which sounds similar, but can also be pronounced without moving your mouth, thus creating the illusion of ventriloquism.
You should first master the art of throwing your voice, before you use a puppet. Using a ventriloquist dummy takes some focus away from your voice distortion. After mastering the voice technique, you can afford to lose some attention to the puppet. Trying to do this all at once may just leave you frustrated.
About the Author:
In the market for a cheap ventriloquist doll? Visit ventriloquistdummydoll.com for great variety and the answer to where can I find a cheap ventriloquist doll online.
No comments:
Post a Comment