Late summer into early autumn is often a gentle season of change. There can be storms and other drastic events as well, of course.

At this writing, there seems to be a full slate of unsettling events on the political and social fronts, as well as atmospheric ones.

Take a step, maybe a few steps back, if you can, and find time to reflect.

Whether you are able to do that just now or not, remember, too that it is possible to look for stillness, to find goodness, to look for and to be kind in the midst of upheaval.

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.

Reflection, transition, change: autumn weather, as well as the celebrations, traditions, and memories which go along with the season, invite each of these. That is also the case for the music you will be exploring in this episode of Music for Shifting Times.

Autumn: it is a time of turning, a time of change, a time for reflection, a time for preparation. It is also a time for telling and hearing stories. The music here, and the stories told through it, will work in many situations and seasons. They are especially relevant to all the turns and changes and quiet reflection needed to navigate which come with autumn. Each of the pieces has to do with journeys of one sort or another, as well.

Autumn: a season turning leaves, of changes in landscape, of conversation, of reflection, of renewal. A season of preparation for holiday celebrations, and for thinking about what oncoming winter may hold. 

Music for shifting times: that's the title we came up with for this series of stories which I've been writing since the summer of 2016. Wherever you find yourself, things do seem to be in continual shift and at times and at an accelerating pace. Finding one's way through that sort of circumstance is an aspect musicians have often thought about.

Here are several musical ideas for you to consider, some practical, some mystical, all thought provoking.

Autumn: at times there are vibrant colors in the foliage. At times there are muted hues of rain swept days. The stars are brilliant some nights. On other nights,there are no stars to see for the clouds. Sometimes there's a hint of warm breeze; more often, it's the sharp edge of wind that hints of winter. At times there's sunshine; at times there's snow. It is a time for gatherings, and a time for solitude. There is time for conversation, and space for reflection. Autumn: it is  a season of shifts.
 

What does autumn mean to you? For me, for years in New York, autumn meant the arrival of crisp air, the changing colors of leaves, homecomings, the impending holidays and pumpkin spiced everything. In San Diego, there’s still an arrival of moderately cooler air, you can drive an hour or so and watch the leaves change yet your fish tacos are just as tasty as they were a few months ago and your flip-flops never leave your feet. Here, summer reigns supreme and that outdoor lifestyle doesn’t change much throughout the year.

The turn of seasons from autumn to winter brings gatherings, travels, time for reflection, and in the United States, the holiday of Thanksgiving. Wherever in the world you may find yourself, it has been and continues to be a challenging time, with upheavals and uncertainties in public life - and no doubt challenges changes in each of our personal lives, as well.