LESSON 4

The Voice

The fourth lesson is the voice. Since you have already started to create your character, the next step is to create the voice. Tom nudges you by giving options and things to think about. Voices need to not only fit the figure but be different enough to seperate you into two indiviguals.

 

Tom also gives us bonus material that touches on catch phrases.

 

One a personal note. I feel that this will be my biggest obsticale to me becoming a compident ventriloquist. Almost two years ago, I had a thyroidectimy. The doctor that extracted my thyroid said that normally there is no perminant damage to vocal chords. It was a long procedure taking much longer than anticipated. The next morning when the doctors made their rounds, The Surgeon, in a stern voice, admonished me for not imforming him that my vocal chords are forward. I replied best as I could in the socratic meathod, "How would I know" He replied asking me that no one had told me. "No ... it never came up in conversation."

 

Because of this my voice is a little ... raspy ... and limits my vocal range. Before I was able to do a pretty good imatation of Mickey Mouse. If fact I was fairly well know for at work. Once I checked in a family where Little Billy, accused his family of lieing. He had been promised that he would see Mickey Mouse. No Mickey, but Little Billy was pitching a fit. He had long past gone from pink to red to purple. I got on a house phone  and called the room and asked for them to put Little Billy on. The parents going down the hallway saw me and stopped and stared as I conversed with Billy. He was thrilled and said that "Mickey talked him and no one else." He settled down. My reward ... his parents stiffed me.

 

I may be limited by voice but then who knows ... this might even help.