As a kid growing up in a suburb of Flint, there wasn’t much culture to be found with the exception of an occasional trip to a Flint Cultural Center institution and the ballet/tap/jazz combo classes that were a rite of passage in the 70s and 80s for every Midwestern girl. Most of the classical music I heard came from Looney Tunes and Fantasia, although I have a cherished memory of lying on the floor during my third grade music class (back when they still existed in public schools) listening to Grieg’s Hall of the Mountain King.

When I moved to Lansing, I was (and remain) a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of cultural events, including the full seasons of performances by the Lansing Symphony Orchestra.

While I don’t enjoy listening to recordings of orchestras, I love attending live performances. For me, watching the performance is at least as much fun as listening. You won’t find me sitting with my eyes closed, relishing every note. I’ll be trying to make sense of the relationship between conductor Timothy Muffitt’s complicated “dancing” and the music, watching the expressions on the individual performer’s faces, and trying to guess when the musician in the back corner will finally get a chance to participate.

I especially enjoy the Masterworks programs. Sometimes the performances are hushed or light and airy. Sometimes they are bombastic, overwhelming, hey-why-is-my-face-wet drama. Sometimes there is humor, like Ava Ordman’s trombone performance during Erb’s Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra — a spectacularly weird piece I doubt I would have been exposed to elsewhere. Sometimes there are unexpected “oh wow!” moments, like tonight’s piano solo by 19-year-old Andrew Hsu.

If traditional classical music isn’t your cup of tea, there are pops concerts featuring contemporary tunes. The final show of the season, a free June 4 concert at Adado Riverfront Park, will feature the music of the 60s, including Aretha Franklin, the Beatles and Neil Diamond.

I grew up thinking that going to the symphony was something expensive for rich people to do. This is not even remotely true. If you stick with the inexpensive seats, it’s cheaper than going to the movies. A couple years ago I realized that the 25% new subscriber discount would let me buy a season of very reasonably priced tickets and I became a regular after years of sporadic attendance. After that first discounted year, the buyer samplers keep tickets very affordable. (Do remember to bring $5 if you’re parking at the Wharton Center.)

Tickets for the 2014–2015 season go on sale on August 4, 2014.