Celebrate the glory of Michigan autumn with the best fall music: folk. 

Another year is dying before our eyes. Campus is a fading banquet of color. Walking up the hill in the morning, your breath comes in silvery puffs. Hot cider is suddenly appealing, and you’re reassessing your sweater collection. 

What better way to mark the fleeting beauty of November in Hillsdale than the wistful music of folk groups like the Lumineers, The Avett Brothers, and Lord Huron?

In autumn, the created world once again reconciles with its mortality, its summer bounty giving way to bare bones and bitter chill. Certain music can guide us in our own reconciliation.

Folk music in particular conveys a keen sense of mortality with the earnestness of its lyrics and simple instrumentals. The right folk song, whether mournful or lively, helps us transition from the carefree youthfulness of summer to the long days of winter. Songs like “This Will End” by The Oh Hellos or “Mausoleum” by Seryn proclaim a joy heightened, not inhibited by human transience.

Folk music’s wistful romanticism is perfect for autumn wanderings, armed with a suitably warm beverage and sturdy pair of boots. Take the songs of Lord Huron: they are three-minute glimpses into a dreamy world of wild possibility. The right folk lyrics enhance the contemplative spirit of autumn, something easily lost amid the fast-paced final weeks of the semester.

Folk is homey in a season intent on drawing you inside to the hearth fire. The husband-and-wife duo Chatham Rabbits makes music as cozy as your favorite cable knit, as gentle and warm as a steaming mug of chai.

Folk is communal, with guitar-friendly melodies meant to be sung around flame-kissed firewood. Take the music of Gregory Alan Isakov or Charles Wesley Godwin: strummable, unhurried, and pure. Traditional folk music lends itself beautifully to dancing, a lovely way to share the joy of autumn with others. 

We could all use more practice in the art of living seasonally: appreciating each time as it comes and discovering the particular wonder of each phase. You don’t have to give up your current music taste to enjoy what folk music has to offer. Find a couple of songs that call to you, and enjoy this November with the sounds of fall.

Caroline Kurt is a sophomore studying English.