now booking
Summer is coming and I’m thinking it’s gonna be a crazy one for me. I’m blessed that my speaking calendar is pretty much full. I have a couple of Wednesday’s still left for the year and, of course some things available during the week but it looks like a full year ahead.
Most of you who read my blog know I do some hypnosis for entertainment purposes for Christian camps, college groups, young adults and teen programs but most of you probable don’t know how that all came about. So, since you’re a blog reader, you get the short version. Years ago in Hamilton we would put on what we called an “Alternative Banquet”, a really first class function for Juniors and Seniors to one up the prom and help discourage our kids from going to that event that carried so much, well, baggage.
One year we brought in a Dr. Bellows, a professional hypnotist from Dallas. He was so good that for the next five years the kids would request him every year! We didn’t have him back and it wasn’t until this event fell into my responsibility that I found out why! He charged $5000 a performance and required two performances to make the trip - plus expenses! WOW. Well, we got him, it was rough but we did it. I watched him closely and determined that 1. I could probably do that. And, 2. that there were/are probably a lot of groups that would love some entertainment other than the singing groups that seemed to make their way everywhere and appear on any program of the church.
I kinda put that in the back of my mind until one night the youth guy where i was had a lock in and ran out of “things to do to keep the kids from hiding in classrooms and making out”, so I said, get all the kids into the conference room, I’ve got an idea. I attempted to hypnotize them...and one girl (Dana), went under! Scared me to death! It went well, so well that a few months later when the youth group put on a valentine banquet they requested me, as a hypnotist.
For roughly 20 years now I’ve been doing these shows about 5-10 a year for about any event you can imagine - from gatherings of 3000 to 30 - from teens to a retirement group in Huntsville, Alabama - from camps to college mixers.
It seemed rather natural, I’d been putting people to sleep for year by accident, why not do it on purpose.
There’s always the question of cost/pay. This isn’t like preaching, I preach because of a passion, and if I’m paid, fine, if not fine. I’ve traveled, literally, thousands of miles at my own expense for the privilege to preach, and been paid nothing, and that is fine with me. But I do charge for hypnosis programs. It is not a hard and fast figure, it varies from event to event and depending on the day of week or time of the event. I usually give people just an idea for what to pay me and then let them pay what they want.
So, I’m booking for 2009, if you have any requests or need, just let me know at dale@edge.net
While I’m on it, I know churches are always looking for clean programs for some of their programs. My good friend and brother Eric does magic shows, stage or private. I imagine some of you might want to contact him. His webside is http://www.tnmagician.com. You can also contact him at (615) 481-8836 or via email erik@tnmagician.com.