Introduction
People need music. We crave it like nothing else, and its undying imprint on our lives spans generations and extends across cultures around the globe. Some might contemplate how humankind came to know music for the first time, or even how a song is born; some find solace in connecting with other people through music while others hold their memories in music. It’s not always easy to explain our individual relationships with music, but one thing is certain: it has the power to bring us together. And in a time of astonishing turmoil occurring all over the world, I’d say we need it more now than ever before. The power of music is what keeps the stories coming in for this book series, and as grateful as
I am for the opportunity to experience these works, I am overwhelmingly proud and excited to share them with all of you. The works presented in Stories of Music, Volume 2 not only celebrate music’s remarkable place
in our lives, but also how music can propel us forward—despite obstacles, pain, and uncertainty— and in some cases, save lives. The stories that follow demonstrate how music gives us a space to explore emotions we can’t otherwise express, how it can open the door to new opportunities in life, and how it can become the vehicle through which some people transcend expectations. You will meet a host of incredible people in this book—legends known to a small few and some who have achieved great musical accomplishments and are celebrated around the world. You will travel back in time to experience monumental moments in music history, and to present-day India, France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Israel, Russia, Siberia, Morocco, and the United States, where you will discover stories from authors and artists who continue to live through music today. Similar to how the stories were presented in Volume 1, Stories of Music, Volume 2 traces our
lives with music. This volume focuses on a group of themes that capture perhaps the most poignant of our musical experiences: origins, interconnection, exploration, “against all odds,” transcendence, and ghosts. These themes tie in quite literally to some works, and in a more abstract way for others, but I hope you enjoy this presentation. And, as the selections here were chosen for their universal nature, I hope you find yourself in these works—remembering fondly similar musical moments from your own life.
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