Play Me a Song

Book excerpt: Play Me A Song is a historical retrospective of the unusual circumstances of the lives of my parents. Both of Italian descent, each struggled with poverty, physical ailments and limitations, and the lack of education. From his miracle birth in 1917, the snippets chronicle my father's journey as a traveling musician, composer, and arranger with insight into the workings of his musical creations and his genius. Tormented by adversities throughout his career, my father's shoulder was my mother whose stabilizing foundation kept him afl oat and our family together with her perseverance, determination, and love. For the three of us, it is a story of survival.