Elizabeth Prescott Voice- The E-List

The E-List:

Links:

www.backstagewest.com

The only game in town for musical theater casting information. Thom Mills has a terrific actors' advice column in the back. Like everything else, the paper is packed with advertisements, but the staff really does try to provide useful information for actors. If you subscribe online, you can save money, avoid most of the ads, and save trees!

www.eckharttolle.com

Eckhart Tolle is one of my favorite people ever. What a beautiful spirit! I talk about his books and recordings elsewhere so I won't go on and on here, but I'll tell you that his site is a good place to see what's available, and you can order products there if you can't find them at your local bookstore. His world wide lectures sell out as soon as they're posted, but the cd's are enough for me. Having wrestled with many like-minded teachings, I have to say that his brilliance is in his simplicity and lack of pretension. There's nothing to understand or not understand in his words. You simply recognize truths.

www.jwpepper.com

Recommended by a voice student of mine who is an accomplished (though painfully young) professional choral director, conductor, singer and instrumentalist, this site is a great resource for music books and sheet music online. I've got several other nationwide sources, so if you're having a tough time finding what you're looking for, feel free to contact me for details. And, thanks for the tip, Matt.

www.irvineshelter.org

This is my new favorite "no-kill" animal shelter. Last year, my sister was looking tirelessly to find the right dog for her family, visiting half a dozen L.A. area shelters. She could really see the difference between this amazing Irvine facility and so many others. It's on five acres and houses more than 3,000 homeless animals every year. The pets enjoy daily playtime in yards, and the kennels have plenty of beds and toys. The wonderful eight-month old hound my sister ended up with is an angel. Copper's so well adjusted I was a little envious to hear it was going so smoothly while my puppy was still raising hell around here!

www.buckleys.com

Buckley's makes horrible tasting, fast-working medicine without the ingredients many of us don't want. Their motto is, "It tastes awful. And it works." They also say, "Let the people who love you give you comfort. We're here to make you better."

www.burtsbees.com

I first found Burt's Bees products at Whole Foods after hearing they made the world's best lip balm. No petroleum products or other creepy ingredients in any of their lines. They have an extensive line of natural skin and hair care products, even cosmetics, all made with concern for the health of both the consumer and for the environment. I've e-mailed them with questions about products since I have sensitivity to certain ingredients, and they've been very helpful and responsive. If you don't want metals in your lipstick (for those of you who wear lipstick), this is worth checking out.

www.naturalstresscare.org

Duane Law is a licensed acupuncturist and naturopath in the Los Angeles area. I have found him to be enormously in keeping me healthy and centered. He comes to your work or home (or rehearsal site, as I've experienced), and has a staggering wealth of knowledge about nutrition, energy, mental and emotional balance, and all things related to wellness. I recommend him for everything from back pain to stage fright.

Sometimes Duane works with his partner, and she is an amazing massage therapist. A native of China, she has shared much of traditional Chinese medicine. When they work as a team, they are truly transforming! Whenever I feel an ailment coming on, if I'm approaching a performance that is particularly important, or if I'm just feeling the need to de-stress, these are the people I call.

www.madcowboy.com

Okay, it's a little heavy-handed, but filled with chilling info' on food processing practices in the United States. Howard Lyman is the mad cowboy, a fourth generation cattle rancher turned vegan. He says, "If you can't take it with you, all that really matters is what you leave behind."

www.suzeorman.com

I love her. She was the first person who made financial advice interesting to me. Her motto is: "People first, then money, then things." I've had many struggling actors cross my path, and I've been one myself. I've certainly made my share of mistakes, and Suze's books helped shift my attitude and habits for the better so that I can pay for my voice lessons!

www.traditionalmedicinals.com

They make the best tea for throat inflammation that I've found. They also make several other wonderful medicinal teas.