For those of you who use vent in the classroom, ministry, as a part of your therapy practice or other, what has your experience been like? What have you learned?

One of the hardest pitfalls-especially for beginner vents-and I experienced this myself back in the day-is often times they will concentrate on lip control so hard that they forget to interact with the character and develop the character and routine. I was so stuck on lip control I literally had tunnel vision. So I tell young vents to worry about lip control, (this is ventriloquism after all) but not at the exclusion of writing jokes and character development. And not to give up. (It’s a learning curve. I always say, “Bad venting is better than no venting at all. Because with venting that’s less than perfect there is always room for improvement.”). What are everyone’s thoughts on this? And how did you beat this hurdle if you faced it?

When doing your live shows, do you prefer a mic stand or headset? I’m old school (NYC comedy clubs is where I cut my teeth) so I like a mic stand. Some vents like a head set because they can move freely. So what’s everyone’s preference?

I think this is Great!!!

I personally prefer soft mouth puppets because they are lighter and more suited to my smaller size. (I am 5’3.5 inches tall and sometimes a wooden figure is too big for me). What do you prefer, soft mouth or wood? Let the group know.