Mia Sclafani's musical journey at Sacred Heart Academy has been nothing short of remarkable. As a dedicated student and talented musician, Mia has consistently displayed a passion for music that is inspiring to those around her.
Mia's commitment to excellence is evident in her numerous performances at school concerts, community events, and competitions where she has consistently delivered outstanding performances. Her musical journey serves as a testament to her diligence, talent, and unwavering commitment to excellence in music. She is truly a shining example of the high caliber of students at Sacred Heart Academy.
Meet - Mia Sclafani '24
When did your musical journey begin? Did someone influence you to play? Why did you choose violin?
My musical journey technically began when I was in 3rd grade. Our school used to have this assembly every year about band and string instruments where a group would play small excerpts from some pieces in order to gain our interest. And I remember absolutely loving the flute. But after learning that my hands were too small to play it, my mom convinced me to try the violin. She told me how she used to play the viola when she was a girl, and how my aunt, her sister, had played the violin too. So I hesitantly agreed and my lessons started. But they were only once a week and I was never taught to read musical notation or any proper form. It wasn’t until my freshman year at Sacred Heart that I actually began to learn my way around my instrument. I would say that that’s when my true musical journey began.
Throughout my four years, I learned different techniques and how to use dynamics and articulations to improve my playing, none of which I’ve ever heard of before. I learned to have confidence in myself and to trust others when playing with them.
Did you experience any hardships throughout your musical journey and how did you overcome it?
I would say the most challenging things for me in my musical journey have been my difficulty sight reading music and my performance anxiety. But by taking the time to practice and having patience with myself, these things became more easy to manage. I learned to not become overwhelmed by what I see on a page of music and to just break it down bit by bit in my head before playing. I also taught myself some psychological techniques and mindfulness skills to help me perform better, such as breathing exercises and even simulating performance anxiety symptoms to train myself to react better when they arise. And although these didn’t always work, I definitely think I can say that I became more comfortable and brave while performing. And I think most of that I can thank SHA and the music department for.
Do you have a favorite song to play?
I want to say that I had a favorite song to play, but I don’t think there’s been just one. I feel like, in general, a lot of the songs that I played with the SHA Orchestra became my favorite songs at one point or another. But I would say one of my favorites to play was The Swan by Camille Saint-Saens, which I played for my Junior Year Honors Recital. It was one of the ones that made me feel the most emotion and the most freedom while playing it.
Life after SHA what will you do? Will you continue playing?
After SHA, I’m still not exactly sure what my plans are, but I’m sure they will include music in one way or another. After everything I’ve been through, I think I would be crazy to not use what I’ve learned at SHA. I did receive some exciting news that I will be able to own my violin for free from now on. So I will definitely be taking it with me to college. There are options at my school to take private lessons or join the college orchestra, but I’ll have to see where I can get. If I don’t wind up doing that, I’m sure I’ll be able to find a practice room to use if I want to play.
" I’m so grateful for my time in the SHA orchestra and for the level of performance that I was able to reach. I really did feel on top of the world by the time I finished my musical journey at SHA and I am so grateful to the school and its faculty for the courage that I will continue to have in my life. "
Video edited and produced by Mia Sclafani