FCM Ventriloquism Line Up

The Fellowship of Christian Magicians international convention is July 11-15th on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University about an hour North of Indianapolis. This year, the ventriloquism section has lots to offer for aspiring ventriloquists and more seasoned vents as well. Here is the line up:

Monday: Steve Parker, Basic Ventriloquism

Shari Ellingson, I Want to Vent- Now What?

Tuesday: Mary Porter, Let the Show Begin: puppet, costume, scripts

Ricky Henson, One Handed Magic & More for Vents

Joey & Alex Evans, Comedy Routines for Vents and their Partners

Shari Ellingson, Vent ministry Outside the Walls of the Church

Wednesday: Steve Parker, Advanced Ventriloquism

Terry & Barbi Franklin, How to Talk & Sing Without Moving Your Lips

Thursday: Mary Porter, A Quilt Full of Bible Stories

Bob Shimer, Technology for the Ventriloquist

Dave Mitchell, Out of the Box with Dave

Terry and Barbi Franklin, Traveling the World with Your Dummy

Friday: Curt Patty, Building Novelty Ventriloquist Figures

Tim and Amanda Cowles, Don't Let the Message Get Lost

Bill Anderson - Venting in Heaven

William H. Andersen (1920-2011)

William H. Andersen, known to his friends as "Bill", died this past Wednesday, May 11, 2011 at his home in Racine, Wisconsin, with his wife of 65 years, Vena, at his side.

http://obits.racinepost.com/2011/05/william-henry-andersen.html

I remember Bill for his leadership of the ventriloquism section of the Fellowship of Christian Magicians, for his wit and kind heart. He wrote many ventriloquism scripts filled with some of the best corny jokes around, and while it has been years since hearing it, I can still remember being fascinated by the material of "Wally Nutt," a young boy ventriloquist figure who joked about living in the Nutt house with his Nutt family. Wally went to great lengths to describe how "the whole family is Nutts!"

Bill will be missed but his body of work lives on.

FCM 2011

Looking forward to the 53rd Annual International Convention of the Fellowship of Christian Magicians, will be held Monday, July 11 to Friday, July 15, 2011, at Wesleyan University, in Marion, Indiana. It is an exciting week of activities. Participants can have a full week of training in magic, clowning, puppets, ventriloquism, drama/storytelling, balloon-twisting and more.

VBS Idea- juggler & escape artist

Juggler and escape artist Brennan Scott makes a great addition to a VBS or summer event for children, youth, or adults. His programs are fun, family friendly, and affordable. Don't let this escape artist get away-- book him early!

Brennan has performed for crowds from 2500 youth to groups of 15 children. He is a member of the Christian Jugglers Association as well as the Fellowship of Christian Magicians.

Escape Artist and Juggler Brennan Scott

Escape artist and juggler, Brennan Scott, has his own location on the worldwide web at www.BrennanScott.com. I caught his last two shows at two local churches recently and can tell you that his audiences love him.

His comedy escape routine is hilarious, his double straight jacket and chain jacket escape is amazing, and his program finale is something everyone will talk about... it might even expand your mind. What fun!

For those looking for a great program for their church or community group, contact Brennan Scott (bscott01@drury.edu). His rates are very affordable and he performs for churches, nursing homes, youth, and children.

As Brennan Scott's business card reads, "Book early--don't let this escape artist get away!"


[You can see him juggle on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5zWBdXIYo4 and watch a comedy escape here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4-i8PUiJJw&feature=channel and watch a straight jacket and chain jacket escape here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQkZbg-nfao&feature=channel]

2009 FCM Ventriloquism Lectures Schedule

We have a wonderful line up of ventriloquism lectures scheduled for this summer's Fellowship of Christian Magicians conference in Marion, IN on July 13-17 on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University.  You'll spend a week lectures and workshops aimed at improving your ventriloquism in nearly every aspect.  You can count on returning home equipped and inspired with new ideas and techniques.  

Here is our schedule:

Monday, July 13th

1:30pm Randall Munson   "Ventriloquism for Dummies"

4pm David Turner   "Character Building and Creativity in Ventriloquism"

Tuesday, July 14th

8:30am Mary Porter "Adventures of a Real Live Puppet & Her Ministry"

11am Rory Johnston "Writing Vent Routines that Work"

1:30pm Steve Taylor "Humoring Your Dummy"

4pm Steve Parker "The Little Things that Count for Client Satisfaction

Wednesday, July 15th

1:30pm Bob Shimer "Walk Around Vent"

4pm Joey Brummett "Sound Systems, Remotes, and More"

Thursday, July 16th

8:30pm Ken & Chris Lock "Improvisation & Theater Arts for Vents"

11am Bob Shimer "Using the Internet for Vents"

1:30pm Steve Parker "Advanced Ventriloquism"

4pm Dave Mitchell "Ventriloquism Dave's Way"

Friday, July 17th

8:30am Mary Porter "Bible Stories by Mary & Suzi Q"

11am Ken & Chris Lock "Ventriloquism Here and Now: Clips to Learn From"

FCM 2009

I just got the word from Fellowship of Christian Magicians annual convention coordinator, Barbara Varro, that we can expect a full slate of ventriloquism lectures again in July of 2009. I look forward to serving again as lecture coordinator and putting together a wonderful team of teachers to help everyone, from novice to accomplished vents, improve and aspire to improve.

Ventriloquism is growing-- Terry Fator of America's Got Talent fame, has signed a $100 million dollar contract in Vegas. Ventriloquists in other talent competitions are placing high in the standings. It seems that the art of "belly talking" has once again captured the imagination of people longing for entertainment. It is a skill that anyone can learn. Pastors and church workers would do well to add this as yet another tool in their belt to enable them to inspire and entertain.

FCM Convention 2008 - Fun & Inspiring

The Fellowship of Christian Magicians (FCM) annual international convention was a success again this year. It was the 50th meeting of the FCM and the facilities at Indiana Wesleyan University, about an hour North of Indianapolis couldn't have been better. Each year it seems that new buildings are popping up on that beautiful campus.

The ventriloquism section at FCM enjoyed 14 lectures during the week with an average attendance in the 20s. Dave Mitchell's lecture was packed with over 30.

In 2009, the puppets and ventriloquism section will likely be combined. There are many natural areas of overlapping and it promises to double the numbers for many of the lectures.

The most inspiring part of the ventriloquism lectures this year was watching new students discover that they could do ventriloquism. Some picked it up immediately, and nearly everyone was plugged in to the lectures, seeking to pick up and develop their skills. I look forward to encouraging them in the months to come and see them perform next year!

FCM 50th International Convention

Christian ventriloquists will enjoy a fun filled week at the Fellowship of Christian Magicians annual international convention held near Indianapolis, IN. This year will be the 50th year of this grand convention that features week long tracks in ventriloquism, magic, balloons, clowning, storytelling, puppets, and so much more. Held on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, IN, the convention allows vents to sharpen their skills as well as pick up talents in other areas that will enhance their performances. Our family loves this convention because there is ventriloquism for me, chalk art for my wife, juggling for my son, and all kinds of top notch performances every night to entertain and inspire.
The convention runs from July 14-18.

For ventriloquist junkies, it is possible to score a triple play by attending IFEST in Illinois (July 7-12); FCM in Indiana from July 14-18, and VENTHAVEN (July 16-19).

For more information on FCM's year of jubilee 50th convention, visit fcm.org.

Country Figures & Church

A few of my figures are decidely "country." Ida Claire is a soft spoken woman with Southern charm. Slim Chance, a cowboy, is also "country." The interesting thing, is, however, how well these two characters lend themselves to use in church. My church is in Virginia, but I suspect that these two characters would play well no matter where they would find themselves. It seems that there is a little bit of country in everyone.

Speaking of country, on a trip last Spring to Nashville, I came to understand and appreciate the country music genre. Prior to the visit, I thought country music was about dead dogs, cheating spouses, and runaway trains! Sitting in a session with a prominent Nashville song writer, the light finally went on inside my head and I saw country music in a whole new light. Country music is about telling the story. These country music writers are gifted at painting pictures in our minds in about 4 minutes using nothing more than music and words. Ventriloquists should learn from these folks. Their music is about real people and real situations people face. Good ventriloquist routines should be as well.

As Paul Kingsbury and Alanna Nash have pointed out in their 2006 book, Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Country Music in America, country music is "corny sometimes and the puns are encouraged and savored" (p.8). That too is something any ventriloquist can appreciate. Kingsbury and Nash continue, country music is concentrating on communicating common experiences and on storytelling.

What story are we telling with our ventriloqust figures? Beyond entertainment, ventriloquism has the power to inspire as well as inform as we tell our story. Christian vents understand their work as an opportunity to tell His story. We should be good stewards of the opportunities that we are given to bring a smile and to inspire thoughts and actions.

So, what's your story?

Do You Celebrate the Season or the Reason?

Sometimes it is important to pause and examine how we spend out time, talents, and treasure. While very "into" Christmas, I have to suggest that we spend a lot more time celebrating the season of Christmas than we do celebrating the reason for Christmas. Which consumes you- the season or the reason? Which one should? It is worth thinking about. . .

Christmas Stocking Talks

Thanks to Clinton Detweiler, ventriloquist figure maker extraordinaire (see his blog at www.newsyvents.blogspot.com), I have added a talking Christmas Stocking to my assortment of characters.
Leotardo (related to the Spanish word for stocking), has captured the imagination of the children in our church. While speaking with a bit of a Spanish accent, he talks about the origin of hanging stockings by the fireplace, and answers all kinds of questions about the North Pole.
Thanks Clinton for the constant creation of new and novel creations to entertain and inspire.

Ventriloquism is Back!

It has been a good year for ventriloquism. David Letterman's "ventriloquist week" was a hit, not once but twice. Jay Johnson won a Tony award for his one man ventriloquist show on Broadway. Then last night, Terry Fader, a singing ventriloquist, won the $1 million dollar top prize in NBC's America's Got Talent competition.

It is great to see that even in today's high tech world, that this old fashioned, low tech art can still captivate and touch hearts.

Louie Wolf--another picture

Louie has turned out to be a giant hit with our preschool children. They pass by my office door at church, wave, and shout "Hi Louie!"

You can have lots of fun with a puppet and just a little imagination.

New Puppet-- Brother of the Big Bad Wolf

Here he is, just in from Pavlov's Puppets in Czechoslovakia, Louie Wolf, brother of the infamous but deceased Big Bad Wolf. Louie claims that his brother was framed by a band of disgruntled pigs. As a member of the Wolf Anti-Defamation League, Louie wants to set the record straight about all of those nursery rhymes and fairy tales that picture wolves as villains. "The huffing and puffing," says Louie, "was caused by my brother's asthma. He raced to their house to warn them of the on-coming tornado. In return for his kindness, he was boiled alive in the pot of those canibal pigs." When asked about the Little Red Riding Hood story, Louie replied, "Fiction, pure fiction, made up by the Grim Brothers who were bankrolled by the Pig lobby. It is high time someone speak up for the wolves."

Ventriloquist week at FCM-- Workshop Schedule

Here is the tentative schedule for Vent Week at the Fellowship of Christian Magicians annual international convention this summer, July 16-20, 2007 in Marion, Indiana.

Monday
1:30pm Del Wilson, "Basic Ventriloquism"
2:45pm Tim Cowles, topic to be announced

Tuesday
8:30am Tim Cowles, topic to be announced
11am Liz VonSeggen, "Lip Control for Vents and Dummies"
1:30pm Steve Taylor, "Fooling Your Dummy"
2:45pm Liz VonSeggen, "Show and Tell for Vents"

Wednesday
1:30pm GloriaJean Hendrickson, "Developing Your Character"
2:45pm Steve Parker, "Vent Voice Aerobics"

Thursday
8:30am GloriaJean Hendrickson, "Basic Ventriloquism II"
11am Dave Mitchell, "My Favorite Bible Stories"
1:30pm Ken Lock, "Learning from the Masters"
2:45pm Del Wilson, "Novelty Ventriloquism"

Friday
8:30am Bob Shimer, "Walk around Vent"
9:45am Ken Lock, "Music, Monologues & Special Additions"

For registration information, visit http://fcm.org/convention_information.php

Ventriloquist week at FCM

The Fellowship of Christian Magicians (FCM) will meet for their annual convention in Marion, Indiana (1 hour North of Indianapolis) from July 16-20th this summer. If you are involved in Christian entertainment or ministry there is something here for your whole family. You can learn magic, ventriloquism, puppets, storytelling, balloon twisting, face-painting, juggling, chalk art, clowning, drama, and so much more.

Our family has enjoyed going for several years now. The variety is wonderful and there is a spirit of joy and helpfulness at this convention. People are happy to help you, show you the tricks of the trade, and encourage you. There are no extra fees for a little personal attention or encouragment to help you master a skill, technique, or trick. There are no acts that contain "blue" or questionable material. It is family friendly fare all across the board.

This year, the ventriloquism section is quite strong. Beginners and seasoned veterans alike will learn a lot from folks like Liz VonSeggen, Steve Taylor, Tim Cowles, Dave Mitchell, Steve Parker, Del Wilson, GloriaJean Hendrickson, Bob Shimer, and Ken Lock. The classes are small, enabling you to have no trouble seeing and hearing, asking questions, and getting just the help you might need to advance your skill level. There is even a late night time of discussion, sharing, and coaching for those who just can't get enough ventriloquism!

I look forward to seeing many ventriloquists at FCM this year. Read more about the convention at www.fcm.org/convention_information.php. You will find that it may be the most economical week of vent workshops you could attend.

Ventriloquism is Fun

With something as simple as a hand puppet, you can create great joy. Here, Cletus the Possum, is whispering sweet nothings in to the ear of a senior adult in a nursing home. When was the last time you let a possum nibble on your ear?

Talking Cane or Walking Stick

How about this great talking cane or walking stick custom made for me by Pat Harris of Baltimore (www.hometown.aol.com/peebie3). Beyond his striking good looks (ha!) is his moving mouth so that I can use him as a voice of conscience. The kids seem to enjoy him and so do I. Yet another way to talk for two!

Revival of Ventriloquism?

Several ventriloquists are reporting a renewed interest in their art following David Letterman's ventriloquist week earlier this fall. Bookings are up and many are re-discovering this unique creative art.