"There are times when we find ourselves isolated and alone, or in reflection and solitude," Julia Bullock writes in the liner notes to her solo debut album, Walking in the Dark. "There are other times when we choose to connect to further understand each other, which provides us with an opportunity to share our evolving identities—maybe even better discern how to communicate. And who knows ... if our intentions are translated well enough and are clearly in focus, it may lead to some moments of illumination." You can read her note here.

"Finally bringing this recording to your ears, after so many years ... is a tremendous exhale and a collective accomplishment made possible by many small and many giant acts of generosity," Shara Nova writes in a new essay about the creation of The Blue Hour, a song cycle collaboration among composers Rachel Grimes, Angélica Negrón, Caroline Shaw, Sarah Kirkland Snider, and Nova, who performs the piece with the commissioning chamber orchestra A Far Cry on the album out this Friday.