As times continue to shift, community, connection, and friendship can be constants. Should be constants, in fact, though of course these are aspects of life which have their own ways of changing, too.

That said, consider where and how connection, community, and friendship show up in your life. Consider where and how these are sources of strength, of kindness, of ways to give and receive encouragement and help.

Music with ideas to help as you thinking about these ideas:

The Open Road from Terri Allard might at first seem a bit counter to these ideasm as it’s about the a person taking off on a solo road trip. She keeps in contact, though, explains why she’s going, and it seems her partner gives her space. All those are parts of friendship.

Allard is based in Virginia. These days, you’ll most often find her presenting television programs in and about Charlottesville for Virginia Public Media. Though it’s been a while since she’s been touring with her music, she has recorded several fine albums. This song is on the album called Rough Lines.

Bells of Norwich, written by English musician Sydney Carter and performed here by Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem, fits in with these ideas both in the stories in the lyrics and in the way Rani and the men of daisy mayhem perform the song.  

One of the hallmarks of these four New England-based musicians is how great they are at collaboration. Here Andrew Kinsey takes lead, with Rani on fiddle, Scott Kessel on percussion, and Anand Nayak on guitar. All of them add backing voices to Andrew’s lead, as well.

You will find the song on Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem’s album Wintersong. On a winter-themed recording, note the daffodils, a sign of spring, that show up in the lyrics.

Careful How You Go is a song framed in a walk on a winter’s night. That quiet watchfulness and care when traveling over uncertain ground -- and looking out for each other when doing so -- works in any season, though. The song was written by Kim Richey and is sung here by Gretchen Peters. You will find it on Gretchen’s album Northern Lights.

A  tune written by one friend for another is part of these ideas, too. The tune is called Dr. Risk, and was written by accordionist Nicholas Williams for his friend Laura Risk when she received her PhD. It’s a short tune, but well worth the listen. That’s Laura on fiddle, Nicholas on accordion, and Rachel Aucoin on piano. They are all based in Montreal. Nicholas and Rachel both join Laura on her album Traverse, on which you'll find the tune Dr. Risk recorded.

Carrie Newcomer was thinking about friendship in tough times as she wrote the song Sanctuary. You will find on her album The Beautiful Not Yet. Carrie is based in Indiana.

Friendship, connection, and community can all be resources to give and receive when times shift. Music can be a resource in such times, as well.

Thank you for staying with us through this journey. Below, you'll find a link that will take you to an article which has a bit more backstory on the series. It also has links to a number of the stories, including ones called Listening for Community, Music for Winter's Changes, and The Geography of Hope.

Music for Shifting Times

Kerry Dexter is Music Editor at Wandering Educators. 

You may find more of Kerry's work in National Geographic Traveler, Strings, Perceptive Travel, Journey to Scotland, Irish Fireside, and other places, as well as at her own site, Music Road. You can also read her work at Along the Music Road on Substack.