A Color-Coded Symphony is a performance piece by singer/songwriter Aireene Espiritu that carries listeners through songs and sounds — a lullaby from a childhood growing up in the United States, a folk song from another country, rhythms from regions connecting the audience to their ethnic origins. The first half of the concert will be performed in the dark, for when we listen with our eyes closed, we allow more room to receive, be open and be touched by what we hear. Through this musical experience, Espiritu aims to nurture intercultural openness and explore how we are connected to the rest of the world.

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“We are fortunate to live in a colorful city that provides access to an array of languages, religions, cultures, cuisines, music and arts. Still, wherever we are, it is human nature to judge and be judged based on our ethnicity, skin color, gender, etc. I've learned from my share of judgments, and I have also personally felt the sting of being judged: to be told as a little girl to go back to my own country, to be banned from meeting a boyfriend’s family because I am not white. I wanted to say, ‘If you only got to know me, I think you’d like me. If you were blind, maybe you would see better.’ There seems to be more emphasis on our differences, the us versus them, the fear and discomfort of the unknown. How can we be more empathetic and curious toward one another, and lessen our tendency to prejudge?

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In music, there are fewer boundaries that separate us. There are similarities in rhythms and themes from all around the world. Music can affect our emotions even when we don't understand the words.”

— Aireene Espiritu