Thursday, November 17, 2005

Practice, Practice, Practice

Ventriloquism, like any performance art, requires practice. I find that the more I have practiced the less I have to be concerned about moving lips. If I pick up a figure I haven't used in ages and try to wing it off of the cuff, and it could be a disaster!

We are all busy but I have found that one of the most convenient times I have to practice is when I am alone, driving down the road in the car. One hand on the wheel and the other hand free to rest a finger on my lips and I can run through the host of character voices and personalities as I go from place to place. At other times, I might practice using my free hand to practice coordination of movement and syllables of spoken text. Other times, I might be using the spare hand to practice figure manipulation. You can get a lot of practice time in if you simply turn off the radio and talk with yourself.

In addition, this kind of practice can allow you to talk things out. Sometimes, things that come to you in these sessions might even become parts of a routine at a later time.

Another way to practice in the car is to allow your figure to have a running commentary on the news you might listen to on the car radio. Maybe turn to a talk show and allow your character to interact with the host or call in guests' points of view. Have fun!

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