Something that we have observed time and time again at Vent Haven ConVENTion is the number of Ventriloquists that get together with other Ventriloquists for a mutual learning session. You can witness this type of activity throughout the ConVENTion.
What you will see is groups of Vents getting together. It can be groups of 2, 3, 4, 5 or more. They will sit down off to the side and hold up one puppet. Then each Vent will in turn take the puppet and do something with the character.
By the time the puppet has been passed around the circle several times, the owner of the character has a bucket full of ideas how to make that puppet work for him in his/her show.
Then this group will take another puppet that belongs to someone else in the group and do the same thing.
What we are trying to get across to you is the importance of having other friends in the Vent community that you talk to on a regular basis.
Contact another Ventriloquist by Email and ask them if they would be interested in forming a group that helps each other with ideas and criticisms. Make it clear to them that this is to be mutually beneficial to everyone in the group.
Communicate with your group on a regular basis. Phone is a great way to communicate. In the world of cell phones there is not a concern about long distance charges.
Any problem or concern that you have is a good topic for discussion in your little group. If you have a particular problem, maybe another group member has had this problem and solved it already.
Just by listening to someone else, you may avoid the pitfalls of a particular problem. Use each other to try new comedy lines or ideas. Bounce things back and forth. If you can get a couple of Vents to get in your circle of friends, you will have established a powerful tool.
This is a simple concept, but if you can establish friends in the Vent community, you can be of mutual benefit and can encourage each other when there are “down” times.
Try it. It will also be fun in the process.
That is all for now, we will talk again next week.
Steve and JET