Jay Johnson's Blog.

I've always respected Jay Johnson since his days of "Soap." Since then its been other shows and venues ... including Broadway. I've gone back and I'm reading his blog from the beginning. I found it interesting that we share some common elements. We both are interested in tarot, ventriloquism, drawing , and cartooning. We are also both deslexix. Take a kool ... I mean look.

http://hellandhayes.blogspot.com/

And just for good measure here is the link to his web page :

http://monkeyjoke.com/

Enjoy!!!!!!

Lesson 2

This lesson , like the last is deceptively simple and in the book it's usually confined to a couple of lines.
 
You gotta stick out your tongue!!!

The tongue is a muscle ... and it needs to be stretched and exercised. This leads you to do all the labials. You need to add this to your daily routine. Stretch, cluck and stretch it out. You now have a licence to stick out your tongue. You haven't had this kind of freedom since you were a kid.

Lesson 1

Mr Miyagi and his dummy Chop SticksTom starts the lessons with the most basic of things. This is a sign of things to come. We are given small bite size bits ... just enough to chew ... which is a good thing for such a close mouth activity. They are building blocks , so why not start at rock bottom. The first lesson is about proper breathing and the exercises to increase lung compasity and air flow. Nothing new. I've seen this explained in a book or two. However Tom teaches by example and explains the need. And if future lessons he reinforces and reminds us to do the exercises. In the books, there is a line or two that is quickly passed over and soon forgotten. And I have. This is definitely a skill I need to work on. Tom gives the base to build our skills. After all in the words of Mr. Miyagi ... "No breathe, no life."

Why???

That's the question. Why am I doing this? I don't think my wife, Yoko understands. I'm not sure I do myself. Maybe it's an element that always has fascinated me. Or perhaps it's that I have a hard time letting go and admitting defeat. Typical Cancer. Maybe it's just that it won't get out of my head. Ideas just keep coming . I don't know. It certainly isn't it because I need something to do ... at present I have art work blogs a plenty, and musical instruments to learn and practice. I have a wife and critters to care for, a job to go to and chores to ignore. And let's not forget the boob tube. Cable, Netflix and DVDs a plenty. I could veg for years. I guess the answer is because I have a passion. Or maybe it's because I was dropped on my head as a child. One way or another .... hear we go ... again.

Thank you, Tom

I can't really remember how I came to the site. I was just doing my normal surfing of the internet. Made my way to the A tell site. They have some really nice puppets. I've been thinking the chicken puppet for a long time. There are a few more that speak to me. I would love to get the baby dinosaur as a baby dragon with the smoke. (But I think I don't want to know the cost.) The Audrie 2 is close but I don't like the lips. As I look at the site resources, I find the link to Tom Crowl's online lessons. And before I know I am immersed. It contains a lot of information I've seen before, but it's organized and stressed in all the right places. I like his approach and the little bites that he serves us. Just enough to push us along. There is a blog and a forum to participate in. The only thing better would be if Tom was in my living room giving private lessons.

Thanks Tom!!!




http://www.learn-ventriloquism.com/

Manifesto ... This Blog

This blog is indeed about something "magical" ... but truth be told 'I have no illusions that anyone will ever read this. Not even my wife. It is more of a personal diary that is left out in the open , in hopes that someone will pick it up out of curiosity. It's main purpose is to record both progress and stumbles as I attempt this path once again. It is a little late from the gate but I will try to catch up. I promise to try and stay the course ... but it is entirely likely for me and this blog to go the way of all my others. Abandoned and forgotten. Don't hold it against me.

What the heck does this mean???

I grew up in the silver age of television. There were variety shows, like "The Ed Sullivan Show," that were an extention of the long gone theaters of Vaudville. They brought into people's homes jugglers, singers, animal acts, clowns, comedians, and puppeteers. And among the puppeteers were ventriloquists. I was blessed with the likes of Paul Winchell, Jimmy Nelson and Senor Wences. There were vents hosts even on the local kid's cartoon shows. Nelson and his buddies, Danny O'Day and Farfell, sold Nestle's Quick chocolate drink. Winchell pushed the boundries of the art with a sophistocated understandings of the medium of television.

Some where along the line I caught the bug. I was maybe 12 when I realized the possibility that I might be capable of doing ventriloquisim. I bought Paul Winchell's book at a small shop called "The Magic Mart," that had long held my interest. When I went downtown with my parents, I was allowed to explore to my heart's content while my parents shopped in the old Maas Brothers department store. (Yes, you could do that ... back then.) I remember finding this treasure. Under the influence of my pleeding eyes, my Father advanced my allowance and I had my start. I devoured the book until brads had to placed to support the bindings. It gave me my start.



My next step was when I was 13. I had hoped for a figure for Christmas. I had gotten another book from the Magic Mart, which gave me my first lead on vent figures. They were English and probably commanded a dear price. The box underneath the Christmas tree that I pinned my hopes upon held not my dreams ... but a ticket to the scout ranch, Philmount. It was a trip of a life time, but my Father noted my dissapointment. He found an ad in the local classifieds for a dummy. It turned out to be a Danny O'Day vent doll ... not a true figure. But it did come with Jimmy's "Instant Ventriloquism" album. Now if you have had any thing to do with ventriloquism, you might know there are certain letters that are difficult to say with closed lips. M is one of these. Mr. Nelson's solution is to substitute "N" for "M" .... So you say "N" and think "M." The practise phrase was " Many men make money." Or ... "Nany nen nake noney"