The book proceeds

I'm happy to announce that episode five of the second version of my book -- about the future of classical music -- is now online. I think it's an especially good episode, full of very specific ideas for ways in which classical music can change. Of course, these are just a teaser, since I'm still just writing the introduction to the book. In the finished text, I'll have many more ideas.

Comments, as always, are very welcome. I don't know if anyone who hasn't done what I'm doing here can imagine how helpful all the comments are. And they've also turned my book into a very lively discussion site.

You can subscribe to my book, and I urge to you. Just click the link, and send me e-mail with the word “subscribe” in the subject line. (I’d love it if you’d also tell me who you are and why you’re interested in the book.) That way you’ll get e-mail whenever a new episode shows up online. Plus, maybe in the future, extra commentary, jokes, special revisions of the book, and any other goodies I can think of. (No promises, though!)

And for anyone who’s thinking of subscribing, I want to state my privacy policy. I was at a luncheon for a new website I've done some work on (see below for what it is; it's worth a look). Among the many questions asked by members of the press was one very skittery inquiry, about whether somebody who posted comments on the site would have their privacy protected. The answer, of course, would be that if you choose to leave your name and e-mail address, then of course the whole world will know who you are. Otherwise the site would always protect your privacy.

This taught me, though, that many people wonder what happens to their data when they send it to anyone online. So I thought I'd better state my own privacy policy, which from now on will be stated on the book site as well:

I’ll never share my subscriber list with anyone, for any reason. I send all e-mail to my list myself, without routing it through anyone at ArtsJournal. And I send all e-mail with the names of the recipients hidden. All subscribers have their privacy protected at all times.

(And of course anyone who e-mails me has similar protection.)

The website I mentioned is www.polyphonic.org. It's a promising resource for orchestra musicians, hosted and made possible in part by the Eastman School of Music. I conduct video interviews for it, with people in the orchestral world. On the site right now, you can see me talking to Gloria dePasquale, a lively cellist from the Philadelphia Orchestra, and (as you'll see) a terrific spirit, a real statesman in her field. She plays her cello at the beginning of the interview, and she's pretty terrific at that, too.

A bonus if you watch this (or maybe not a bonus, you decide): If you've ever wondered what I'm like in person…