From Costa Rica to Arizona: A Musical Journey with Sara Miranda

On this week’s show, we’re going to speak with Sara Miranda. She’s a doctoral student and instructor at the University of Arizona. She comes from Costa Rica, she’s been all over the United States and her primary instrument is the violin.

Today is April 23rd, my name is Tom Heath and you’re listening to “Life Along the Streetcar”.

Each and every Sunday our focus is on Social, Cultural and Economic impacts in Tucson’s Urban Core and we shed light on hidden gems everyone should know about. From A Mountain to the U of A and all stops in between. You get the inside track- right here on 99.1 FM, streaming on DowntownRadio.org- we’re also available on your iPhone or Android using our very own Downtown Radio app. Reach us by email [email protected] — interact with us on Facebook at LifeAlongTheStreetcar and follow us on Twitter @StreetcarLife

Transcript (Unedited)

Tom Heath

Good morning. It’s a beautiful sunny in the Old Pueblo and you’re listening to KT DT Tucson. Thank you for spending a part of your brunch hour with us on your downtown Tucson community sponsored rock and roll radio station.

Tom Heath

On this week’s show, we’re going to speak with Sara Miranda. She’s a doctoral student at the University of Arizona. She comes from Costa Rica, she’s been all over the United States and her primary instrument is the violin. It really fun story and we get to talk to her in just a few minutes.

Tom Heath

Today is April 23, 2023. My name is Tom Heath and you’re listening to life along the streetcar. Each and every Sunday, our focus on social, cultural and economic impacts in Tucson’s urban core and we shed light on hidden gems everyone should know about from a mountain to the University of Arizona and all stops in between. You get the inside track right here on 99.1 FM streaming on downtownradio.org. Also available on your iPhone or Android using our very own Downtown Radio Tucson

Tom Heath

app. On the show you can interact with us through Facebook and Instagram. And if you want more information about us, our book or past episodes or maybe just to contact us, head over to Life Along the Streetcar.org. And of course you can listen to this podcast replay on just about any platform out there like Spotify, itunes and I Heart Radio. Just a reminder that last week we had the fire dancer on Zoe Ray and she’s going to be with her team at Skybar this Friday. And just another selfless plug that I will be hosting. Keep tucson sketchy. It’s not in the urban core but it is going to be fun. That’s going to be next sun, I’m sorry, saturday, 09:00 P.m. At the Unscrewed Comedy Theater and I’m looking forward to my first hosting. A little nervous about it actually, if you want to know the honest truth. And of course this weekend if you’re paying attention to downtown area, we got the Agave Heritage Festival. Definitely want to learn more about that by heading over to Lifelongstreetcar.org.

Tom Heath

Just typing in the Agave in the search bar there and you’ll find a few shows. We’ve done interviews with Todd Hanley and others about this program that has just really grown from what was a tequila drinking contest at the beginning or tequila making contest, making drinks and such to really now celebrating the history and culture of Agave in our region. It’s just really grown and I think it’s a good event for Tucson to show off our roots, our history and our culinary and cocktail skills as well. And today’s show is kind of fun. Well, all shows are kind of fun. This one’s a little bit different because we have someone here that’s a student at the University of Arizona. She comes to us from Costa Rica, she is a doctoral student, she’s majoring in the violin and she’s performing with our local symphony, but because she’s had this interesting journey from Costa Rica to Tucson. I met her when I was at the Tucson Gallery. We just chatted for a while. I thought she was fascinating and wanted to

Tom Heath

share her story with everyone else. This is Sara Miranda.

Sara Miranda

My degree is doctoral degree in music and arts, and my emphasis is violin performance. I am also doing a minor in cognitive science. I enjoy a lot of interdisciplinary studies, and I think that the intersection between cognitive science, the science of learning, is very important for all the fields. Right. But for music, because we teach as musicians, a lot of us teach as well, and that’s one of my jobs and one of my passions as well. So I wanted to dig a little bit deeper and get a minor in cognitive science to kind of like, expand my view on how the brain works when we are learning music, which is fascinating.

Tom Heath

So then does this lead you down into a path of education or performance or what would you kind of ultimately hope to be doing once you gather all this knowledge and graduate with your doctorate?

Sara Miranda

That’s a very good question. A lot of musicians, I think, are able to do multiple things in the area of music. In my case, I like teaching a lot. I enjoy it very much. That relationship that you can build with the student, that time that you spend with a person, that they’re changing their brains, hopefully in a positive way. Right. And you go with them through that journey. So that’s very special. At the same time, I do love performing. I’ve been playing violin for a long time now. So back in Costa Rica, because I am from Costa Rica. I was teaching at the National System of Music. I was coaching chamber music, which is like a small ensemble of strings, and I was also teaching violin, and I was also working with two symphony orchestras. So I think both areas, in my case, they complement each other very well. Performance and teaching. That’s what I’m doing currently as well, and that’s what I hope to do in the near future. Yeah, I’m going to leave it there. But there are other areas that

Sara Miranda

I like, like orchestral conducting as well, which I hope to also dig deeper a little bit in the near future. But right now I’m very focused on the science of learning and also performance, violin performance, in my case, because violin is my main instrument.

Tom Heath

So you grew up in Costa Rica. How does the journey take you from Costa Rica to Tucson, Arizona?

Sara Miranda

Yes. So in the music world, it’s very common to go to music festivals during summers or winters. It’s a very beautiful opportunity that one has as a young musician to get to know people from different places and play, make music with them, even if you don’t speak the same language. So I got to do that I got to come to the US. A few times since I was 15 to Tennessee. You start kind of like networking. Even if you’re young, you start meeting professors because you get lessons with professors from different universities. And then when I was about to finish my undergrad degree back in Costa Rica, I was also working. Already a professor came for a music festival to Costa Rica and he is retired now, but he was the violin and conducting professor at Truman State University in Missouri. So I received some lessons with him and well, he came back to the US. But like 15 days later he called my professor and told her that he was interested in offering a scholarship so that I could come and do a master’s

Sara Miranda

degree in the US. So initially I came to Missouri tremendous state university. I got a degree in violin performance and orchestral conducting. I was working at the university as well, teaching undergrads. And then that same professor, Dr. Sam McClure, he suggested that I continued with the DMA because I was aspiring. I had expressed that I aspired to teach at a university. So of course now it is easier. Not easier, but how can I say it is better to have a doctoral degree if you want to teach at the university, deliver at some point. So I started applying to places. This is getting a long story, but to make it shorter, I applied to different places and had different experiences with the auditions because it takes time and money to go to a place and go through the whole process. And then a professor at a place where I auditioned, he suggested that I auditioned to the U of A team. Cantor is the professor, the violent professor here, and he talk about him very well. So I sent an application

Sara Miranda

here. It was not among my first options because I didn’t know this program. And at the same time, once I knew about it, I was surprised because I hadn’t heard about it. There are so many programs in the US. So it’s hard to know them all. But I applied. This was the option that suited me better. So I got here without ever being in Arizona before, so I didn’t know to what I was coming. I didn’t know anything, but it was a beautiful surprise.

Tom Heath

So your path is Costa Rica, Tennessee, Missouri, and then Tucson and maybe a few stops in between. You’ve seen quite a cross section of our country by those travels.

Sara Miranda

Yeah, I love traveling and in other opportunities I got to go to the East Coast and do a road trip there, like from south to north and also the Midwest. During the spring breaks, I got to know the country a little bit better. But I had never been on this side of the country, southwest or even the west. So it was a very beautiful surprise for sure. I have had a beautiful time here.

Tom Heath

And then you and I met because some mutual friends and I found that kind of very interesting. And didn’t I mean, it makes sense, but didn’t realize this program existed. That the University of Arizona to help you get acclimated kind of pairs you with people within the community to give you some guidance. Is that kind of how it works?

Sara Miranda

Yes. So as an international student, of course you’re going to find a lot of cultural differences and you’re not just going to school, but you’re having a very rich experience that can be very positive, but it can be daunting as well. I’m a very social person. I talk to trees if necessary. I like to talk and to get to know people. So once I went to the orientation for international grad students, I knew about this program. It’s called International Friends. And you can sign up, you write a little bit about you, and then they pair you with a family from Arizona, from Tucson, so you can make that connection and have a little bit of kind of like a more homey feeling because you get to know other students, which is great, but at the same time, sometimes you miss that type of interaction that you would have with someone older other than your professors, but a local that knows better the place and that has that kind of context of home. So I was paired with the Lucinda and Brandt and that was

Sara Miranda

like very early, like perhaps the first two weeks that I got here to Arizona and it was like a click. It felt so bright and comfortable and they’re so open and so well, they’re just like so kind and lovely people. I’m sure you know that because you know them. So, yeah, it has been a beautiful friendship that has flourished throughout the years. So I’m very happy that I signed up for the program and that I got to meet them.

Tom Heath

Sara Miranda we’re back to the second half of the interview with her in just a moment. But first of all, I want to remind you that you’re listening to Life along the Streetcar. We’re on downtown radio 99.1 FM and streaming on downtownradio.org.

Tom Heath

Well, thank you, Paleo Dave. And if you’re out there in the listening world, 07:00 a.m. Monday through Friday paleo Dave does do a fabulous job when he is fully caffeinated and not over caffeinated of delivering beautiful music to start your day. And when he’s over caffeinated, it’s even more fun because he goes on some rambling rants that are enjoyable. We’re going to get back to our second part of the interview today with our guest Sara Miranda, the doctoral student from the University of Arizona. Interesting journey from Costa Rica to Tucson and kind of getting us an insight into her time here, things she’s doing, where she’s performing and what overall she thinks about being here in Tucson.

Tom Heath

Is there anything that has jumped out at you that has been the most surprising about being in Tucson? Whether it’s academic, weather, economic. Is there anything that really just sort of in your mind, sort of defines this area for you?

Sara Miranda

Surprising? Well, everything has been surprising. That’s one of the things about life. I consider myself a very type A person. I like to plan and control as much as I can. And then life teaches you through experiences like you control very little of what you do and at the same time, if you let go a little bit, you get a lot of beautiful surprises. I just didn’t think that three years after I got here I would be where I am. I would have met all the people that I know. I didn’t know that there were mountains in the desert like Mount Lemon, for example, and Mount Rice. And I love hiking, so I love being outside, just the outdoor scenery here. I just didn’t think that it was so rich and beautiful. In terms of my academic journey, of course, it’s been very unexpected as well because the pandemic happened. I wasn’t expecting that. So I mean, that’s something that changed everyone’s lives, I think, somehow. So it was very unexpected, of course. And it kind of felt that my degree went faster because

Sara Miranda

most of it I did it online, basically. It was the same with performance. For example, I didn’t get to do auditions for festivals or for ensembles because of the pandemic. So a lot of what I was used to before changed and at the same time there were a lot of positive outcomes as well. I was able to grow in my financial situation because when I got here, I was only working a quarter of time of time at the university. So then I got to work half time and then I got to do also a CPT, which is a curricular practical training. So with internship hours you get to work and get paid, of course. So I was able to build

Sara Miranda

a small career here, basically, and I wasn’t expecting that, perhaps. So basically I would say like everything from what Tucson is, the people that I have met, my academic and professional journey, I just wasn’t expecting everything. And I have put a lot of effort into it. But also I have been very blessed with everything that I have received so far.

Tom Heath

And then some of the other students that you’ve met you’re meeting doctoral students, not just international students, but I’m assuming there’s other international students in this program. What are their experiences? Are you typical of what’s happening, or are they experiencing different things? Are they traveling more? How do you compare with some of these other students?

Sara Miranda

Yeah, so I think it was during my first week that I got to meet my Deanna. She already graduated from the UFA. She’s working in Phoenix right now. She’s from Australia. And we were roommates at some point, along with Eleni, which was another doctoral student who already graduated, and she’s a pianist, and she lives in Portugal. Right now, she’s working there with a ballet school because she’s an accompanies for ballet. That’s her area. So looking at their journeys, I mean, everyone is just is just very different. I have other peers as well that are about to graduate or already graduated from different areas within music, like percussion, conducting as well. Some of them are international students and some of them are from the US. So there are different barriers for both groups and also advantages, I would say. But yeah, everyone has had a different, completely different journey, which is interesting. It’s not one fits all for sure, especially because we specialize in different instruments.

Sara Miranda

Some are more centered in popular music and playing gigs in town, and some are more interested in teaching. Well, Lenny, who is an accompanist, that’s her area, so that’s what she’s doing. So I would feel like definitely all of our journeys have been very different, but our friendship is very beautiful because we get to learn from each other and support each other as well. Yeah. My friends and the people that I have met here have definitely made a big impact in my life.

Tom Heath

Well, the airing date for this interview is going to be towards the end of April. So with that in mind, are you performing? Are there places people could come hear you play or are you not performing right now?

Sara Miranda

Yes. So my solo recitals or solo performances, I already completed all of them or all the ones that the program requires, at least.

Sara Miranda

It’s called a lecture recital. So I will be basically showing what I have been doing as my graduation final project and performing a little bit. I don’t have a date for that, but it will certainly be during the fall. So right now I had the opportunity, or I have had the opportunity to play as a Sob with the Tucson Symphony. So that has been like, my main performance venue and a special concert with John Williams music Star Wars.

Tom Heath

Okay.

Sara Miranda

So going to be on May, and if you want tickets or the exact times and place, you can go to the Tucson Symphony website. Okay.

Tom Heath

And then are you comfortable? And if not, that’s fine, but sharing any social media platforms where people can follow you and kind of keep tabs on what you’re doing.

Sara Miranda

Sure. So right now, I don’t have a specific platform social media. I have a website, Facebook page and an Instagram account. Those are more personal, but I’m open to share them. I’m working right now on a website, actually, that is going to be an elearning platform and that one is going to be linked to my professional website as well. But I’ll be launching that during the summer, hopefully. So that’s what I’m working on right now before I graduate, you’ll be ready, but yeah, for now my handle is Saras Miranda on Instagram and then my Facebook is Sara Miranda Terrell, and from there, once I have my professional performer website and accounts, I will direct people to those.

Tom Heath

All right, well, we’ll link to all of that from our Facebook page and then when your website is done, we’ll share that back out after the summer so people can check in with you and see how you’re progressing, which I assume at some point will be not just in Tucson, but all over the world. You don’t seem to be one that is going to settle down anytime soon. You’re going to be out exploring all these different opportunities.

Sara Miranda

Yeah, that’s definitely the plan. I have been very open with my future path and I’m just working. Of course, I’m planning and doing the best for those short term and midterm goals, but I’m always open because I got here. I was not expecting to be here where I am and doing what I’m doing like three years ago even. So, yeah, definitely we’ll try to keep going that way.

Tom Heath

Sara Miranda, a doctoral student at the University of Arizona all the way from Costa Rica via Tennessee and Missouri. Welcome to Tucson. Thanks for bringing some joy and just a level of happiness to our community and we’re happy and appreciative that you’re here for the time that we have you.

Sara Miranda

Thank you very much. Yeah, it has been my pleasure to be here and I have felt very welcome in Tucson and so, yeah, thank you for the space. Also to share a little bit of my story.

Tom Heath

Sara Miranda, doctoral student at the University of Arizona really fun interview, talking to someone that has a different perspective on Tucson and it comes from, I guess, a global perspective at this point. My name is Tom Heath and you are listening to Life along the Streetcar on downtown Radio 99.1 FM and [email protected].

Tom Heath

Thank you very much.

Sara Miranda

Enjoy your evening.

Tom Heath

Bye bye.

Tom Heath

All right, thank you again to Sara Miranda spending time with us on the phone and giving us some insight in her perspective of Tucson and her journey here from Costa Rica. Don’t go anywhere. I know we’re wrapping up here, episode number 245, but Ted Prazelski will be up at the bottom of the hour with his program Words and Work, where he talks with writers and members of the labor movement. And then Ty Logan brings us into the afternoon at noon with heavy mental. And I said this before, but if you’re not familiar with Ty Logan, want to listen to his show and also go over to our website and just put his name in the search bar there and listen to his two part episode we did a couple of years ago. Really fascinating man and just quite a history himself. And he puts it all out there very candid and transparent about his challenges and struggles and where he’s come to in life. And now he’s helping others kind of bridge that gap. Of course, if you want to have a feature on the show, you can email. You can find us on our website or go over to social media. It’s probably the best way. Instagram and Facebook are the places we hang out.

Tom Heath

The handle there is just lifelong the streetcar and tag us in something. It’s a good way for us to get information and then if we’ve got any additional questions, we’ll reach back out to you. But certainly would love to hear more about what you want to know about. We’ve been kind of on an art scene with Fire Dancing with Zoe Ray. We’ve got Sara today talking about violin performance and education. And next week we’re going to bring you one of our Meet the Artist segments that we do at the Tucson Gallery and bring in one of our fabulous Tucson artists to share their story. Well, we are going to wrap up today with a little music from our guests. We don’t always have guests who perform, but we did find an audio clip from Sara. Looks like maybe a demonstration or a performance for school. She was accompanied on the piano playing her violin. And we’re going to leave you today with music performed by our host, our guest today, Sara Miranda. My name is Tom Heath. I hope you have a great week and tune in next Sunday for more life along the streetcar.