while studying at stanford, tindall supported herself by performing with the san francisco symphony and as a soloist with the san francisco contemporary music players. during this time, she was also a staff business reporter at the "examiner" (hearst) and critic-at-large for the "contra costa times" in walnut creek. she went on to write for "the new york times", "agence france-presse", the "los angeles times", "sierra", "the sydney morning herald", and the "international herald tribune".