In difficult times, it's important to focus on what is truly important and meaningful and real for you--in your life, family and friends, work, spiritual or religious practice, and so on. Negative emotions like fear, anxiety, and anger are primal, powerful, and capture our imagination and attention with unpredictable effects--especially when they are caused by events beyond our personal control or influence. 

While not political, this episode is offered in response to an obvious, pervasive mood of shock and uncertainty following the recent U.S. election.  Attentive listening, to music that really rewards the effort, provides experiences that are cathartic, calming, energizing, mournful, and more. Here, the music we recommend and discuss offers some comfort, brief escape, and opportunities to focus on what's most important, right here, right now.

Playlist for this episode: 

1. John Luther Adams - Become Ocean
2. John Adams - Harmonielehre: Pt. III: Meister Eckhardt and Quackie
3. Steve Reich - Music for 18 Musicians
4. Philip Glass - Prophecies
5. Olivier Messiaen - Quartet for the End of Time: Praise to the Eternity of Jesus
6. Bob Dylan - Forever Young
7. John Corigliano - No. 7, Postlude. Forever Young
8. Funkadelic - Maggot Brain
9. Johann Sebastian Bach - Partita for Violin Solo No. 2 in D Minor: Ciaccona