Winter: it is a time of drawing in and venturing out, of traveling and welcoming travelers, of celebration and of quiet reflection, of learning from the gifts of solitude and the warmth of community. Music makes a fine gateway and companion for all this.

As autumn turns to winter in Scotland -- a transition which certainly happens during November -- days become shorter, temperatures fall, it may begin to snow, and that snow, already in place or oncoming, may begin to stay around longer. There are changes in the quality of light as the sun hangs low in the sky, and at night stars shine brightly.

The Texas hill country, the high country of Alberta, the dusty backroads of rural California, the mountains of Colorado, the quiet landscapes of Montana, the forested slopes of Oregon ranges: each of these has had its part in shaping and changing and keeping alive the idea of the west in North America. So, too, the musicians who have been shaped and drawn to these places have had their part in creating, defining, and sharing ideas of these landscapes. Take a listen...

It might seem an unlikely place for cultures to meet and for tradition to endure -- and for both of those things to happen along side each other -- yet such things occur on Cape Breton Island.

Music is a collaborative art and a solitary one -- solitary at times in creation and at practice and study, collaborative with listeners, other players and singers, and at times, with musicians who are also partners in life. From the landscapes and traditions of Cape Breton, Ontario, Texas, Ireland, and Boston, among other places, Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy, Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis, and Matt and Shannon Heaton draw their stories told in word and melody...

The mission of Putumayo World Music is defined in its tagline: music guaranteed to make you feel good. Putumayo founder Dan Storper and ethnomusicologist Jacob Edgar search the world for music from varied cultures to meet this idea.

Ireland's Ancient East: that phrase suggests all sorts of intriguing ideas -- which is why it has been chosen as a way to encourage visitors to spend time at places in the eastern parts of the island, much as the Wild Atlantic Way is helping to connect and bring attention to communities and locations along the island's western sea coast.

Listen to the Birds: an Introduction to Classical Music by Ana Gerhard, with illustrations by Cecilia Varela