Through these shifting times, it remains good to consider and seek out qualities that support and nurture connection.

What might those qualities be? You will find your own, of course, and create your own order of importance among them.

Generosity is one that comes to mind; so does courage.

In some ways, they are part of the same story: it takes courage to offer help. Standing up for something, or reaching out to help, involves the gift of courage.

Music can help with thinking about these ideas.

Carrie Newcomer’s song A Great Wild Mercy -- it is also the title song she’s chosen for the album on which it appears -- uses observation of seemingly small stories to connect with ideas of hope, generosity, and courage.

Newcomer is good at that.

She’s been known to say that she looks for the sacred in the ordinary as part of her creative practice. At times, she draws details from what she sees near her Indiana home base. Geese across an evening sky, beauty hidden in a geode, flame of autumn leaves across a ridge, and protective actions of her beloved dogs are a few of those that have made their way into her songs. Often she turns these into vivid images to tell her stories. In A Great Wild Mercy, there’s a rainstorm and an umbrella for starters, and two lines that stand out, especially these days

There’s news of the world
and news of the heart

Newcomer sings.

Rani Arbo and Scott Kessel, Anand Nyack, and Andrew Kinsey, who make up the quartet Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem, are based in New England. All of them are fine songwriters and composers. They often find songs from traditional sources and from contemporary writers that they enjoy performing, too.

One of those is called Shine On. It’s by May Erlewine. There’s a story of making a way through hard and confusing times, of generosity, of courage, told as a conversation addressed to a friend.

This a bit of a vintage video of the band singing the song. All the more recent ones clip of part of that first verse, though, which is a part of the story I wanted you to be sure to hear. You will find the song on the band’s album Big Old Life.

Tish Hinojosa draws on images of what may seem fleeting moments to ask good questions and tell good stories of courage and of generosity.

Show Me someone helping out a friend
Show me a broken man standing up again
Show me a smile in ancient eyes
I’ll say love is on our side

is part of what Hinojosa sings. This is a vintage clip of her singing it from a show called The Texas Connection. You will find the song on her album Homeland and the re-issue of that, called My Homeland.

As I write this, it is winter turning to spring, a time when people celebrate Saint Patrick and thoughts turn to Ireland. The island of Ireland and Irish artists know a lot about generosity, and about courage.

Just a Journey, sung here by renowned Irish artist Mary Black, was written by Steve Cooney. You will see him in the video too, playing guitar. It’s a song filled with image and mysticism which yet connects with both Ireland’s stories and the stories in the other songs you find in this article. It’s recorded on the album The Best of Mary Black 1991-2001. You will find the lyrics at Mary’s web site. Mary Black is based in Dublin.

Cathie Ryan is a fine songwriter herself -- you’ve met several of the songs she’s written as part of this series. She is also a great interpreter of others’ songs, as you’ll hear in her version of a song by Roger McGuinn and Camilla McGuinn. They take two old Irish blessings and make them into the song called May the Road Rise to Meet You.  

Ryan’s reflective version of this quiet song adds to the stories told in the words. You will find the song recorded on Cathie Ryan’s album Through Wind and Rain. Cathie, who is Irish American and has lived in both countries, is based in County Louth.

For a set of tunes (that is what music without words is called in traditional music) to add to the reflection on these ideas, here is Golden Castle from Matt and Shannon Heaton. This is a set of three tunes: Golden Castle Hornpipe by Junior Crehan, Good of the Flock by Shannon, and Milliner's Daughter, which is a traditional tune. Matt’s main instrument is guitar, while Shannon’s is the flute. They are based in the Boston area, travel the world with their music, and have spent considerable time in Ireland, especially in Clare. You will find this set recorded on Matt and Shannon’s album Whirring Wings.

May the creativity of these artists be of help as you make your way 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.

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.