Friends old and new can offer connection and perspective in shifting times.

The many aspects of friendship come up as a source for musicians, of course. Friendship also often informs the creation of music itself, as musicians collaborate in writing, playing, and recording their work.

Here are several ways to consider these varied aspects of friendship as expressed through music.

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.

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.