“If music be the food of love, play on,” wrote William Shakespeare. And linking music with food and love is another example of the Bard’s genius. Music, after all—like food—has the ability to fill us, to satisfy our hunger, to express our joy, longing, regret, sadness, sheer delight. And, like love, music can touch our hearts and make us aware of people and places and events that have imprinted themselves in our lives with melodies both sweet and sad. “Play on,” indeed, as you turn the pages of this little volume!