On Saturday, Jan. 25 at 11 a.m., senior Miranda Lile gave a concert in Harper Hall promoting her capstone album, “Whispers on 106.2.” The concert lasted about an hour and included other students from Lawrence University on a wide variety of instruments. Lile herself was on vocals and guitar. From the studio of Janet Planet, Lile is a candidate for the B.A. in music with a minor in creative writing.
The concert was comprised of a total of eight songs. Lile provided context in between each piece, as well as heartfelt gratitude and love for her fellow performers, friends and family. The first few rows were full with people supporting her; it was no surprise she received a standing ovation at the end. It was well-deserved.
The performance itself was mesmerizing. Lile’s presence was both confident and relaxed. At one point she invited participation from the audience, and she effortlessly dissolved any awkward transitional moments with graceful humor. Full of soul and poetry, her voice and instrumentation were just as wonderful as her lyrics.
Lile’s lyrics went beyond anything I’ve heard from a young singer-songwriter. They articulated images and questions I’ve thought about on my own, as well as memories and experiences specific to Lile. Bridging her passion for history and archives with music, Lile infused her songs with themes of memory, stories told and untold and gripping existential questions.
Her song titles alone are enough to make me want to listen to her album when it comes out. I’m thinking of “Stolen Time, Bitter Gin” and “radiotower” in particular. Listening to her words, it makes sense to me that she’s a creative writing minor; each line is its own poem.
Lile’s voice was also remarkable. Her lower notes were warm and lively, and every now and then she’d come in with a high, bright sound reminiscent of a choir. Her emotion seemed so genuine in each song, especially when she’d end a phrase with a choked-up, speech-like sound. Obviously, this is a specific choice, but the way that Lile did it made these choices feel completely organic.
I think it’s fair to say that towards the end of her recital, Lile charmed everyone in the audience with her two sheets of “thank you” notes. Throughout the entire hour, her love for her music and the people she was performing it with shone brightly. It was beautiful, not to mention inspirational, to witness.
I would try to classify Lile’s music, but I feel like I’d let it down by doing so. There were moments in her songs that felt like indie or indie pop, and others that were more like jazz. Sometimes her effect made me think of musical theatre. Either way, whatever your taste in music, I’m sure you’ll find something in Lile’s music that will speak to you.
If you missed her recital and would like to watch the webcast, which I highly recommend, you can find it here. You can also listen to her capstone album “Whispers on 106.2” when it comes out later this winter. I know I’ll be listening!