The Snow Man | Michael D. McGroarty | MusicSpoke

The Snow Man

by Mickey McGroarty

text by Wallace Stevens

One must have a mind of winter To regard the frost and the boughs Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;

And have been cold a long time To behold the junipers shagged with ice, The spruces rough in the distant glitter

Of the January sun; and not to think Of any misery in the sound of the wind, In the sound of a few leaves,

Which is the sound of the land

Full of the same wind

That is blowing in the same bare place

For the listener, who listens in the snow, And, nothing himself, beholds Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.

Program Notes

Wallace Stevens’ poem uses the image of a harsh yet beautiful winter scene to demonstrate an important concept: in order to look at something objectively and to witness true beauty, one must be able to look past themself. Focused on themself and on their perspective, one may find misery and grief in a snowy winter forest, too focused on the cold snow and the biting air to see the glittering lights and still beauty. The title “The Snow Man” does not refer to a man made of snow (a snowman) but to a man who has achieved the icy stoicism necessary to truly understand and observe the beautiful winter scene described. My great desire with this setting is to paint the winter scene with the piano and let the voices play the part of observer (and occasionally the sound of the wind).

Composer Bio

Mickey McGroarty is a conductor-composer and pianist based in Akron, Ohio, where he lives with his wife Anneliese and two cats, Twilight and Piper. McGroarty earned his Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting and his Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of Akron, where he recently served as Interim Director of Choral Activities. He is currently the choir director / organist at Church of Our Saviour Episcopal in Akron, pianist at Temple Israel in Fairlawn, and Artistic Director of Vox Audio a cappella. His compositions and arrangements have been performed all over the world from Los Angeles to Ottawa, Ontario to Munich, Germany and are published with E.C. Schirmer and MusicSpoke. This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

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The Snow Man | Michael D. McGroarty | MusicSpoke

Published on Nov 30, 2025

MusicSpoke

Wallace Stevens’ poem uses the image of a harsh yet beautiful winter scene to demonstrate an important concept: in order to look at something objectively and to witness true beauty, one must be able to look past themself. Focused on themself and on their perspective, one may find misery and grief in a snowy winter forest, too focused on the cold snow and the biting air to see the glittering lights and still beauty. The title “The Snow Man” does not refer to a man made of snow (a snowman) but to a man who has achieved the icy stoicism necessary to truly understand and observe the beautiful winter scene described. My great desire with this setting is to paint the winter scene with the piano and let the voices play the part of observer (and occasionally the sound of the wind).