If you asked me at the start of the Stories of Music project how many submissions I expected to have, I would have told you that I’d be lucky to get 50. So, you can imagine my surprise that in the end I had the chance to review more than 1,000 stories. What an honor.

Due to the limited space in the book, I had some tough choices to make and decided the best approach was to choose works that truly complement one another. As a result, I can tell you Stories of Music, Volume 1 will be a beautiful collection of stories that together will take you on a journey all around the world and through various life experiences — from singing at the 9/11 memorial and playing the fiddle as a loved one passes to playing the blues at the front line of the Bosnian War and touring with the USO to lift the spirits of America’s troops. I look forward to sharing more with you in the coming months.

Having narrowed the selections down to just under 50 pieces, there are still so many great stories I would like to publish. For this reason, all original submissions that are still in the queue (i.e., if they have not been withdrawn) will be considered for possible inclusion in Volume 2. I will also open a new call for submissions later in 2015 and hope to make selections for Stories of Music, Volume 2 in January or February 2016.

I am amazed by how many music stories are out there, and even more amazed at the impact music has clearly had on the lives of those who submitted works. Thank you for sharing your stories with me.