It’s been a chilly, damp, dark stretch, from early March through April. The beautiful winter ice for skating melted months ago. Snow for skiing disappeared in bits and drabs. Purple finch and white-throated sparrows have returned, ravenous for sunflower seeds and peanut butter, along with the resident chickadees, woodpeckers and nuthatches. The trilling red-winged blackbirds are turning up too.

How have we made it through those dismal weeks? Besides trying out lots of new recipes and listening to Minnesota Public Radio while I cook, I’ve leaned heavily on music for inspiration.

For me,...