Saturday, January 29, 2005

Find your Niche

Here's the problem I had starting with ventriloquism, finding my niche. Now I know at the age of 12, when I first started performing, I wasn't much of a writer. Here's what I did, took some material from Jimmy Nelson's Instant Ventriloquism and a couple routines from a Flip Wilson album. Combined them, and performed at adult gatherings.

When I became a teen, I ordered a figure from Alan Semok and began performing, again at adult gatherings, using bits and pieces from Alex Housten's album (with his permission). Now here's the thing, first of all, I wasn't even concentrating on writing my own material and second, I was performing Alex's material at CHURCH FUNCTION! Wow did I have a long way to go to find my niche.

As I got older I tried the Comedy Clubs and actually took 1st place in a competition. Didn't really care for the environment and didn't go back. Not until I was in my 30's did I start performing family shows at churches, my niche. Now I didn't even think about doing this and fell upon it as an accident. More on that story tomorrow. Here's the point to all this rambling and history, not everyone is cut out to be a comedy club entertainer, a church entertainer or a kids show entertainer. Find your niche, try everything and see what works for you.

1 comment:

daryl_smileyface said...

Hi there. Daryl here. I too have found my ventriloquism niche in ministry. I like watching ventriloquists in all types of settings, but for me, it is a gift best used in service for God.
I do use ventriloquism at other times as well (story times, nursing homes, emceeing, etc.), but my passion is using them to teach about God.
May God bless you in your endeavors and may He give you what you are looking for - an opportunity to use your gift in full time ministry (this is my desire also).
-daryl_smileyface-