Blair Tindall's book in tune with new web video series

Can classical music oboist and author Blair Tindall make classical music cool, or at least more popular? Her 2005 book, "Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs and Classical Music," will be released Tuesday as a web video series by Amazon Studios. The series features Malcolm McDowell, Saffron Burrows and Bernadette Peters. SFGate.com says it's "an often delightful and inventive comedy drama." Variety says it's "buoyed by superb casting and an organic setting for flamboyant, larger-than-life characters."The new series has revived interest in Tindall's book, which I just read. I went through it quickly, reluctantly putting it down when real life called during the Christmas season. Amid all of the anecdotes about the partying life of a New York musician is an insightful account of how a classical musician really lives day to day. Tindall has played in orchestras led by the likes of Leonard Bernstein, Simon Rattle, Zubin Mehta, Pierre Boulez and many others, played in the pit orchestra for the hit Broadway shows "Miss Saigon" and "Les Miserables," and has launched a second career as an author, journalist and motivational speaker. She lives in Los Angeles and agreed to take some questions from the Register, typing many of her answers on her iPhone. Sandusky Register: I read "Mozart in the Jungle" looking for a light, fun read, but although I enjoyed living vicariously as a classical musician, I learned more than I expected. Did you get that reaction from other readers? Blair Tindall: Yes — the book was meant as an account of the rise of culture in late 20th century America. Zzzzzzz, best seller? NOT. So I added the memoir as an afterthought, to keep the reader engaged. And that's what got all the attention, much to my surprise. It worked because my life span exactly parallels that history. The factoid that really got me started was this: there was no full time orchestra in the US until the NY Philharmonic went to 52 weeks in 1964. There's a mistaken impression that classical music is dying, when it's quite the opposite. When orchestra administrators stop treating classical music as a growth industry, we'll stop seeing this 7-8 year cycle of groups growing too fast, then crashing financially and having to reorganize. Not every community needs or can support a year round band. Sandusky Register: According to your book, life as a classical musician can be very difficult, except for a relative few who are stars or win jobs at top orchestras. Is there any sign that young musicians (and parents) are listening to you? Blair Tindall: There ARE quite a few employed by major orchestras — I'm guessing around 30-40,000, which is a significant percentage of union members. But openings are few and far between. I've received lots of mail from kids and parents asking for advice. I usually recommend attending a good college in some way and finding the best teacher possible. This can be done in several ways. First, many conservatories like Juilliard have a collaboration with a university (Columbia in this case) and can either award a joint degree or simply provide academic excellence while attending conservatory. The MacArthur Award recipient, cellist Alisa Weilerstein, did this. So did Ariana Ghez, who is principal oboe in the LA Philharmonic. You can choose a conservatory that's within a great university, like Northwestern, Oberlin, Eastman, or Indiana University. Or you can simply attend a great university and study with someone you really want. Yo Yo Ma was a history major at Harvard.Sandusky Register: How do you like the new Amazon series? Do you hope it will focus new attention on your book? Blair Tindall: I'm over the moon about the show — I've seen the first seven episodes in advance. It's beautifully shot, and is edgy, weird, and unexpected. Jason Schwartzman, Roman Coppola (they're cousins), Alex Timbers and Paul Weitz REALLY scoured the book and include a startling amount of detail. It's important for viewers to realize this is not documentary, it's entertainment. I'm already tired of musicians bellyaching about terminology and accuracy. If they'd depicted exactly how an audition unfolds from the union newspaper advertisement to monotonous practicing to a room full of oboists honking away backstage, well, we would've lost viewers about 10 minutes in. Like cop or law shows, there's a certain shorthand to create a dramatic arc. Everyone involved knows "second cello" actually means "assistant principal cello," but it's just not worth explaining in a 27 minute show! Lighten up, people! We saw the first two episodes at the premiere. The NY Philharmonic had the night off, and quite a few of them attended. They loved it! The book is selling very well now, which is unusual for a nine-year-old work; it's #1 in classical at Amazon. But more importantly, I think the visual impact, together with a sublime soundtrack, is going to have viewers seeking out the beautiful music in the show. It was fun watching people on set who were new to all of this learning to pronounce composers' names and identify bassoons. I think it may encourage people to explore concert going, and I'm hoping it might inspire a new genre of classical music videos. So far, there's only one; of a Korean dance group tweaking to New World Symphony. We can do better than that, although it IS well done and hilarious.One other thing about the show; director Paul Weitz has a 10-year-old daughter, and it was important to him to realize the female characters in a deep, nuanced way. He did. Sandusky Register: The most prominent orchestra around here is the Cleveland Orchestra. What is the reputation of that orchestra among musicians? Blair Tindall: Oh, Cleveland is one of the Big Five for sure (Boston, NY, Chicago, Philly). LA and SF are generally considered in the top level these days, too. Cleveland is, and always has been, a legendary orchestra with an amazing hall. Sandusky Register: We had an early Christmas dinner with my sister's family, and my nephew, a college student at Miami University (of Ohio) shared that he likes rap music and heavy metal. When I asked him, he told me nobody he knows listens to classical. Do you have any thoughts of how to make classical music cool for young people? Blair Tindall: Video, #1. Watch that New World Symphony twerkfest. Also onscreen storytelling suchs as "Mozart in the Jungle." I just had an interview in A Musical Offering in Berkeley, where a string trio was playing. Cellist Matt Haimovitz was/is an evangelist for performing in bars/cafes.Sandusky Register: All of the incidents are "Mozart in the Jungle" are true, but while you name names in some instances, you use pseudonyms for others (and list the pseudonyms at the front of the book.) How did you decide whether to name somebody? And for those who have read the book, how is "Sidney"? Blair Tindall: The manuscript was vetted by an entertainment attorney, and I took his advice seriously. Clearly, Keith Lockhart put things in writing; no lawsuit ever appeared. If anything, the scandal enhanced his image! With "Sydney," there were no legal issues but I wanted to spare her further embarrassment. And here's how faceless we really are: my former editor at The Times couldn't figure out who she was despite her distinctive appearance, and he must have heard 100 or more of her concerts. Sydney is fine; she's still in her long-running show and has amassed a handsome pension. Her boyfriend left her and she moved to Harlem, I assume she bought a home there. She's unhappy with the book and refuses accountability for some behavior very hurtful to others. But she's still beautiful and makes six figures.