Lindsey Wiehl

Miles to Go#

Lyrics#

The lyrics to this song were inspired by Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost.

Artist’s Statement#

I like to think that the woods taught me this song. During the pandemic, I spent a lot of time in the woods in Upstate New York, and this song found me. My heart felt full. I knew I had to bring it to life, and am so enthused with how the song has become its own entity.

One of the decisions I made in producing this song was the instrumentation, using relatively few instruments compared to many other of my musical works. Miles to Go only contains voice, acoustic guitar, cello, and bassoon. At the time of composition, I had recently finished a performance degree and entered a world in which performances were shut down due to the pandemic. I felt that all of my time dedicated to classical music theory and technique could surely be put to use in other genres, such as this folksy tune. I enjoy spreading the message that all instruments can have a place in all genres of music. There is no reason to make artistic decisions into rules, and I feel so grateful to be finding beautiful ways to incorporate the rich tones of the bassoon in new musical spaces.

The lyrics to this song were adapted from Robert Frost’s poem, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. The poem’s words echo themes of life, death, and nature, ending with the words “And miles to go before I sleep, miles to go before I sleep.”

About the Artist#

Lindsey Wiehl is a songwriter, performer, and music scholar. She believes that the brainy and complex side of music can and should co-exist with the enjoyable and fun side of music, and works to spread her love for music as a music professor at Valley City State University. Lindsey encourages others to unapologetically pursue their interests while ignoring stereotypes and preconceived notions of what it means to be a musician. Her research includes digging into musical analysis, composition, and creating opportunities to bring typical classical instruments into varying genres. You can learn more about her art at lindseywiehl.com.