Laying bare a life less ordinary

The book's title, Famous Father Girl-a reference to a nickname bestowed upon her by a second-grade classmate-indicates the paradox of wanting to escape from her father's shadow, while having his legacy rooted deeply inside her.

It was not until after her father's death that she and her two siblings, Alexander and Nina, finally figured out ways to share the joy of music with young people and make the world a better place, just as their father had done before, with what is now called the Leonard Bernstein Office.

"It shows you that life can begin at 50," she says.

Her own resolution is to narrate concerts, just as her father once did. She learned from him how to communicate her own sense of fun about the music with her audiences.

During his tenure with the New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein also performed Young People's Concerts live on the US' CBS TV network. The first was broadcast in January 1958 and the last one aired in March 1972. The program was designed to combine the philharmonic's performances with lectures interpreting the music for younger listeners.

It was not just the children and adolescents, accompanied by their parents, who were excited, watching with wide curious eyes and frequent smiles on their faces at the concerts. It also resonated with those sitting in front of the TV at home.

In a time when television dominated entertainment and was very much the focus of family gatherings, the charismatic Bernstein, sparing no effort in expressing his talent, enthusiasm and feelings for music, pushed the once "obscure" classics down from the altar and made them more accessible for children and their parents alike.