Whether you are at the end of summer in the northern hemisphere or the end of winter in the southern part of the globe, at times it seems to have been a very long season. A long season in the midst of ever-changing times.

In such times, it is good to find moments of quiet, times to refresh one's ideas, one's visions of hope and of connection. Then, to take the next step.

Here is music to help with those things.

It is summer at this writing, a summer of shifts and change and uncertainties across the world. It is a time of division, of anger.

It is also a summer, though, of seeking ways forward, and a time of looking for joy, for hope, for trust.

Music is a part of thinking about all these shifts and changes, of finding hope, of seeking perspectives that lead to peace.

Here's music to explore:

Music can help create connections; it can also help remember them. Music can recall times of kindness, of grace, of patience. A lot to ask of a song or a tune? Not necessarily.

Here are several pieces of music to go along with these ideas.

As changes occur across all areas of life, and across all regions of the word, music continues to offer ways to think about events, seek inspiration, and at times take a break to refresh from challenges.

That's true of the music in this episode. We'll celebrate the work of an award-winning musician, remember the passing of another, consider the power of music to connect across place and time, enjoy a quiet time along the road, and celebrate the change of seasons.

Music can be a way of connecting community, in hard times, in times of celebration, and in day to day life. Music is helpful for reflecting on one's own, also. Music offers ways of marking things, too, and of considering questions and challenges which may arise.

Whatever season you may be in, consider the work of these musicians as you move through the time.

Connection and community: as events  shift and change, so do understandings and perspectives about events and circumstances.

Music can offer a thread that pulls through, a life line, even a life boat, in times of change. There are dark times; there are lighter times. Music can be a friend along the way through all these shifts and changes.

That is something people in Ireland have known a good bit about through the long course of the island's history. One aspect that recurs in the song and tune of Ireland is the ability to lift spirits in the midst of hard times.

February: whether you are in the northern hemisphere with winter or the southern one with summer, it is a month of transition. In weather, in plans, in quality of light, and in the stories we tell, there are contrasts and changes, back and forth, from one day to the next.

Here are several ways musicians look at these things. At whatever point in the year you are reading this, there is much to explore and consider.

The start of a new year always seems to suggest and invite beginnings and changes, thinking over what has come before and considering what may be.

In these shifting times with changes and uncertainties continuing in every aspect of life, music can offer reflection, hope, and guidance when considering all these situations.

Winter: it's a season of connection and celebration, solitude and reflection.

It is also a time of stories, and of music.

Quite a few of those stories have to do with Advent, and Christmas. Whether those are within your faith or not, there is much to enjoy and learn in the stories. There are many stories of the season told with no words, as well.

Shadows slant differently in autumn light. Nights draw in sooner; there may be an edge to the wind. That wind often plays music on the rustling leaves as they turn to autumn's colors of red and gold.

It is a time of gathering as well as solitude, of reflection as well as celebration. All these take place in the frame of the natural world. Those changes and connections are subjects artists often turn to for reflection themselves.

May this music aid in your reflections and actions on the changes of this autumn season.