As things continue to shift across the world, the connections we encounter each day, with others, with nature, with stories from other times, become more important.
Music which draws in these aspects may provide ideas for reflection, connection, and peace, too.
Several years back, Carrie Newcomer was working on writing and recording songs for her next album at her home base in Indiana in the US.
Unexpectedly, invitations came for her to travel to India to share her music, both in concerts and in educational settings.
A folk and Americana singer and songwriter, Newcomer had traveled internationally with her music. India had not been on her radar, though. In the course of her travels, she met master sarod players Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan. As things worked out, they were able to join Carrie for several of the pieces she recorded with ideas that came from her time in India. Connections among sunset on the Arabian sea, corns and beans in an Indiana farmer's market, and a friend's gifts of soup and time are all part of the song Everything is Everywhere.
Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris are both award-winning musicians across several fields of music. They are longtime friends, as well, and they share love for songs that tell good stories. When they decided to set aside time to make a duo recording, one of the songs they chose talks about time, faith, friendship, and other connections, framed in spare, vivid images. There is space for listeners to make their own reflections, too. The song is called Western Wall and was written by another musician you may have heard of: Rosanne Cash.
When he was composing his tune Looking at a Rainbow Through a Dirty Window, Scottish musician Calum Stewart used notes rather than word to invite reflection on the reminder of hope that his choice of title suggests. Calum's main instrument is the uillean pipes. Harp player Rachel Hair and guitar player Ron Jappy (they are both from Scotland too) heard the tune and have put their own mark on it. It was, Rachel recalls, one of the first tunes they tried playing together, and it's an often feature of their sets still when they appear together in concert.
Glenties is a town in Donegal in the northwest of Ireland. Vivid images of the place fill the song Maurice McGrath wrote after visiting the place. Cherish the Ladies sing it here, with Kate Purcell on lead voice. You will also see and hear Mirella Murray on accordion, Kathleen Boyle Jordan on keyboards, Nollaig Casey on fiddle, Mary Coogan on guitar, and Joanie Madden on flute and whistle.
Cherish the Ladies has recently been named Group of the Year by the TG4 Gradam Ceoil awards. That's the top award in Irish traditions music, and recognizes outstanding creativity and cultural impact. Cherish began in New York as a band of daughters of Irish immigrants, and has been through changes over the years. The quality and creativity of their musicianship have stayed constant, to which this award pays respect. Joanie Madden and Mary Coogan are founding members of the band.
Cathie Ryan was a member of Cherish the Ladies as they began, too: for the band's first eight years, she was lead vocalist before heading off to an award-winning career of her own as a singer and songwriter. She has been based in Ireland for some time. Ryan heard Cork-based songwriter John Spillane sing The Wild Flowers at a music club one evening and immediately knew his song of resilience, connection, and creativity framed in images of nature was one she too wanted to sing.
Connection, creativity, reflection, peace, grounded in images and melody: may the creativity of these artists make a good companion to you through these shifting times.
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.
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.