Miranda goes to the Symphony
Originally published on The JOLT News on October 22, 2025
When I discovered I had double-booked myself on the afternoon of Oct. 19, Miranda agreed to go to the Olympia Symphony Orchestra (OSO) “Ignite” concert in my place and tell me all about it.
With this being Miranda’s first time ever going to any symphony orchestra concert, I was eager to hear what she thought of the experience. Miranda’s reflections were deep and beautiful, and I hope they speak to your heart as they did mine.
'It was spectacular'
Reflecting on her time at the symphony, Miranda commented, “There was nothing that I didn’t enjoy about it and I was listening to the performance, I wondered why I had not been to the symphony before because I love live music, seeing and hearing real instruments.”
Miranda got to witness all the magical moments that happen when a symphony orchestra comes together on stage, and it moved her.
“I watched the musicians sway to the music, some of them closing their eyes (for a couple of moments), and then watch the director. They were so present in that moment," she said.
Isn’t there something beautiful about being present? In a world full of distractions and overload of information at our fingertips, it can be tricky to step away from it all, but when we do, our lives gain greater meaning and our collective humanity refreshes our souls.
“Watching all of these phenomenal people doing what they do in harmony and sync was beautiful," she said.
During our conversation, Miranda talked about how she adored OSO Music Director and Conductor Alexandra Arrieche.
“She was becoming one with the music,” Miranda reflected. “She wasn’t stiff like other conductors. They are good at what they do, but she was fun to watch because she was in her element and you could tell it’s what she loves.”
Miranda also loved guest flautist Demarre McGill, and was in awe of his talent. She said, “I have never seen fingers move as fast as he did — it was incredible!”
Where the music took her
“I didn’t know if I liked it more when I would close my eyes or keep them open to watch them because each one offered a different experience. When I would close my eyes, I would disappear in the music — it was beautiful," Miranda said.
Ever since I was a little girl, I've loved classical music because of the places it would take me in my imagination. Having a special spot for those moments, and a curiosity about where classical music takes other people, I asked Miranda about what sort of imagery came to her mind throughout the concert.
“When I would listen to the flautist who was playing the primary role, I would close my eyes and I was in a field — a spring field with flowers," she said. “I experienced serenity and there was something almost childlike about it. There was an innocence and wonder in it.”
This first half of the concert featured Arturo Màrquez’s “Danzon No. 2” (1994) and Carlos Simon’s “Movements for Flute and Orchestra” (2021), highlighting McGill on the flute. Miranda described these pieces as light, almost dreamy. Both pieces had their “dramatic” moments, but the drama was keenly felt in Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade” (1888).
Entering the second half, Arrieche described the story of “Scheherazade“ to the audience. Scheherazade is the main character in a story about a woman who managed to save her life and get the Sultan to fall in love with her by telling him numerous intriguing stories.
These are the ones found in the Middle Eastern collection of stories titled “One Thousand and One Nights,” also known as “The Arabian Nights.” Of course, this is a rough summary. I invite you to do more research on this story if it intrigues you.
“(Arrieche) dedicated the story and music to those of us women that are leaders,” Miranda said. “I appreciated the story line because it speaks of resilience, telling your truth, being authentic, living with integrity, and getting others to change their minds from living like that. The music definitely reflected that too and was fitting.”
Real talk
Miranda loved her time at the symphony, and wants to prioritize art more in her everyday life. Like many of us, this requires budgeting. In our expensive world, that is not easy, no matter how incredible you know it will be or how deserving these artists are. As Miranda can attest, it is entirely worth it.
The symphony does offer lower ticket prices to people ages 29 and under, and continues to find ways of making the arts accessible to all.
Learn more about OSO and purchase tickets here.
https://www.thejoltnews.com/stories/hold-miranda-goes-to-the-symphony,26806