Today, Bookpleasures.com is pleased to have as our guest, Rosemary Ellen Tingley author of Daniel Kossov-Pictures of an Outstanding Musician Part 1 and Daniel Kossov: Pictures of an Outstanding Musician Part 2- A Violin From Jerusalem.

Good day Rosemary and thanks for participating in our interview

Norm:

Please tell our readers a little bit about your personal and professional background.

Rosemary:

Hello Norm. Thank you for inviting me to join you in an e-interview.

I was born and bred in Perth, Western Australia. I lived in Floreat Park with my parents and 3 younger brothers. My father died when I was 12.

Together with the normal 12 years of schooling I studied piano with G H Davies and Edward Black to A Mus A level; and ballet with Judy Schonell and Madam Kira Bousloff who was the founding director of the WA Ballet Company. Madam invited me to join the Company. My favourite things to do as a child were playing the piano and reading and of course the weekly ballet class; Also my mother insisted I learn long stanzas of poetry from Wordsworth, Keats, Longfellow, Shelly etc, and Banjo Patterson, and recite them from memory.

Not by choice I went to work in a drafting office and studied Cartography. I completed the Diploma in 1964. Never-the-less I love maps (it has been said 'we think in maps'). Sadly with the advent of digital mapping much of the symmetry, artistic balance and hand-crafted beauty has disappeared from this beautiful old Art.

I married in 1968 and have 3 children who live in different parts of Australia with their families

In 2005 I finally completed the Diploma of Accreditation in piano teaching and now divide my working life between my Cartography at Landgate and teaching the piano at my home studio in Booragoon.

Norm:

How did you become acquainted with Daniel Kossov and why did you want to write about him? As a follow up, how did you decide you were ready to write the books on Daniel Kossov?

Rosemary:

I started to write about Danny in protest. I believed the travesty and disaster that had befallen Perth audiences needed to be recorded. The West Australian Symphony Orchestra had refused to keep him on as Concertmaster (the youngest ever in Australia) and we were being deprived of his brilliant musicianship and teaching. The Petition I organised and presented to WASO management failed; so the next best thing was to write it all down.

In chapter 1 of my first book I recount how I first met Danny. My daughter had invited him home to our place in Booragoon on Christmas Day. As other people, too, have said: there's something startling and unusual when you first meet Danny; he seems to be somehow not of this world.

Norm:

Why did you decide to write two books rather than combine them into one tome?

Rosemary:

After I'd completed my protest and bid goodbye to him at the Airport (where the first book ends), I realised I was intrigued: "Who is Daniel Kossov?" I found myself asking. And before long another book was started.

We decided in Jerusalem one year that it would be a Trilogy.

Norm:

What purpose do you believe your narrative serves and what matters to you about the story?

Rosemary:

I believe Danny has a very important message for us. It's the essence of his "calling" his vocation. His mission… all bound up with truth, purity and Simplicity. I couldn't quite work it out for a while… for many years actually. You find the first thing Danny teaches you is to really listen. And I mean really LISTEN. Not just to the music; but to life; what's going on around you.

I haven't got to the point of Danny's story yet. All will be revealed in Part 3

What matters most to me is that I get his message across accurately and effectively.

Norm:

What would you say is the best reason to recommend someone to read your books on Daniel Kossov?

Rosemary:

If you want to know the truth behind the scenes in the classical music world, then this is where you will find some startling and often distressing revelations.

They say to be a writer you have to be prepared to travel to the ends of the earth for a good story. Well, I’ve travelled to Jerusalem many times but that is nothing compared to the travelling I’ve had to do in my mind and in my emotions in order to write the story of Daniel Kossov.

Danny is an enigma. A very complex personality and character. You think you're getting on fine, that you've finally worked out where he's coming from and going to and…. poof! It's all confusion again. It's sort of exciting in a way. Definitely mind-expanding.; you learn so much about yourself. You definitely start to think "outside the box". Reading about him is thought-provoking. Danny is continually sacrificing himself and his life for the music.

All I've done is recount my experiences with him, but you can see by my sometimes unorthodox and radical observations of life, (personal, political and religious), how he's pushed my mind into some pretty deep thinking.

Norm:

How did you decide you were ready to write the books?

Rosemary:

I really don't decide. It just happens. I love writing but I love thinking more. I think about things and then it just comes time to write them down.

Norm:

What was the most difficult part of writing your two books on Daniel Kossov?

Rosemary:

The most difficult part was waiting for Danny to proof-read the Chapters as I wrote them. I'd write say: the first Chapter or two and post them off to him and sometimes it would take him (like with Chapters 5 - 7 of Part 2) a year! to get back to me. I nearly gave up and Part 2 was almost doomed. Then he invited me to Tasmania for the Sunday Live thing and I was able to finish the 9 chapters. I aim for 9 chapters per book, each chapter being a short story in itself; bound together by the theme "Daniel Kossov". I love the format of the "short story".

Norm:

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books on Daniel Kossov?

Rosemary:

As I write about Danny it's as if he's teaching me to understand what he sees is happening to his beloved music in the music world of today. And the surprising thing is that, even though I was paying astute attention I couldn't see what he was telling me until just recently.

Another surprise was that Part 2 was going to end up a tragedy. This was not going to be a happy ending.

Also a surprising thing is that I've been criticized for not writing "chronologically". I write where the spirit of the story moves… where-ever and whatever I find to illustrate or enhance the aspect of the Chapter. Besides there's the metaphysical question: "does 'time' really exist?"

Norm:

What is next for Rosemary Ellen Tingley and where can our readers find out more about you and your books on Daniel Kossov?

Rosemary:

I'm about half-way through Part3 of the Trilogy. and I'm hoping for a "happy ending" of some sort but I'll have to see what life has in store for Daniel Kossov.

At present my books can be found on Amazon, Trove, etc, but my daughter says I really must create a website. Also I can be contacted at <rosemary.tingley@gmail.com>

Norm:

As this interview draws to a close what one question would you have liked me to ask you? Please share your answer.

Rosemary:

It's rather a question we can ask ourselves: "What does it say about the world we live in where Danny's unique talent is feared rather than fostered? Can we find the strength…. do we have the courage to see below the surface and look into what he is showing us?"

Norm:

Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavours

Rosemary:

Thank you, Norm. And thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about my writing.


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