VENTURE INTO VENTRILOQUISM

You will need to be able to stay with the rhythm of the music and do a fair job of keeping the tune on pitch.  However, your vent partner can miss a few notes or use his own unique character voice to sing or talk a song.  When you add music to your routine, the audience is convinced you have done something a lot harder than just talking.  The trunt of th matter is, music helps you memorize your lines more easily and gives you

Here are several suggestions for a variety of music ideas you might incorporate into your vent routine:

• Start with the Christian alphabet song.  Either sing without accompaniment, or use a pianist to help you.  Let your vent partner sing the letters, and you sing the serious lines.
       F:    A-B-C-D-E-F-G
       V:    Jesus died for you and me.
       F:    H-I-J-K-L-M-N
       V:    Jesus died for sinful men.
       F:    Amen! O-P-Q-R-S-T-U
       V:    I believe God's Word is true!
       F:    Do you?
       V:    U-V-W
       F:    God has promised you (he looks at you, because the promise of eternal life is for people, not puppets) X-Y-Z
       V:    A home eternally!
• Try singing with your vent partner, using sound tracks as backup music.  Tracks available from One Way Street, Inc., especially for puppets include:
        Top Novelty Songs
        Top Sing-Along Songs
        Catchy Choruses for Children
• Create your own simple lyrics to the tunes of familiar songs.  Examples:
  •  Tune: Oil in My Lamp
    Give me truth in my youth, keep me honest. / Give me truth in my youth, I pray. / Give me truth in my youth, keep me honest. / Keep me honest 'til I'm old and gray. / Tell the truth!  Tell the truth! / Tell the truth at home, at school, at play. / Tell the truth!  Tell the truth! / I will tell the truth each day.
  • Tune: Row, Row, Row Your Boat
    B-I-B-L-E, use it every day! / Read it, know it, live it, love it! / It will show the way!
  • Tune: Farmer in the Dell, then Three Blind Mice
    When things are going wrong, / When days are hard and long, / When trouble hits to make you quit, / Just sing this little song:  Don't give up!  Don't give up! / Pray all the time!  Pray all the time! / When things go wrong and you're down and out, / Don't quit, don't give up, and don't cry or pout, / With Christ you can do it without a doubt. / Son don't give up!
• Use instrumental segments to set a mood, or longer pieces to create a mood for your whole routine.  Examples:
  • Use a recognizable quiz show musical bit when asking your vent partner tough questions.
  • If you costumed your vent partner as a detective to solve a mystery such as "The Missing Cookie," you might use suspenseful or mysterious background music.
• Use sing-along music tracks and have your vent partner lead the audience in a fun sing-along time.  Of course, your partner and you should use microphones so he could add his own humorous quips or encourage better participation.
• As you become an accomplished ventriloquist, try creating a novelty song routine using a showy song with lots of words or difficult-to-pronounce words.  As incredible as it may seem, perhaps you could learn to sing a round with your vent partner.  Note:  Join us at I-Fest this summer in the College of Ventriloquism, and attend workshops designed to teach you some musical fun!

Try putting a song in your heart and vent partner's mouth.  Who knows?  You may surprise yourself and others, but it's sure to put a smile on your face!