Inspiration comes in many forms. For Ian Varella, it as a young ventriloquist he saw while attending school. Witnessing the wonders of this art form had a profound effect on Ian. The next day he began devouring books on the subject at his local library. The desire to become an entertainer was instantaneous and probably had something to do with his background. Ian's mother, Jane, has been a professional musician most of her life. Appearing with top flight bands around the country and being featured on national television gave her a great deal of experience, which Ian has learned from. Ian worked his way up the hard way, preferring not to use his mothers influence. Starting with shows for his classmates, Ian began performing at libraries around his home town of Dayton, Ohio. These shows quickly led to paid performances with repeat engagements. After graduating from high school, Ian won a grant to study at the prestigious Berkshire Center for the Performing Arts in Massachusett! s. During his two-month sojourn, Ian studied all aspects of theater including voice and acting. In 1980, Ian began attending Wright State University working toward a bachelors degree in communications and public relations. To finance his education, he performed shows in the evenings and weekends. During summer breaks he made appearances at fairs, festivals and theme parks throughout the United States. In four summers he performed over 3000 shows at Cedar Point, Kings Island and Valley Fair Amusement
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