For DHS sophomore Gabriella Galluzo, singing is more than a hobby.
“Music has been very soothing to me since I was younger,” Gabi said. Her interest began at the age of three, when she first stumbled across songs from her parents’ radio. The sounds calmed her, she remembers, but they also riveted her and inspired a passion she couldn’t recognize. It was this passion that pushed her to join the school musical in sixth grade; later, the same passion guided her to learn singing in seventh.
“It was a little scary when I first started because I was worried about singing in front of people, but I’m glad I did,” Gabi said. Her efforts have taken her far. Today, Gabi is a member of Tudor Singers, the school’s honors choral group, and Tri-M, the National Music Honors Society. She has also been cast in Theater 308’s Les Miserables and the upcoming Percy Jackson. Being such an involved musician requires regular, demanding performance, which other students say she excels at.
“She is very dedicated to singing and performing. I had a chance to perform a solo with Gabi for the Holiday Spectacular, and she was so amazing,” said senior Charvisri Sangaru. “She’s really such a talented singer, and rapper too!”
Gabi’s dedication has landed her beyond the school’s music programs and into Connecticut’s Western Region Festival, an event held by the Connecticut Music Educators Association. This is no easy feat: before performing at the festival, a musician must first join hundreds of band, orchestra, and chorus students from across Fairfield County in an audition process. Seats are limited, so it is difficult to earn a place. Yet, for the past two years, Gabi was chosen to sing.
“It’s a big accomplishment to go to Western Regions,” said sophomore Stephanie Jiang, another attendee of the festival. “The audition is a nerve-wracking experience, and it takes hours to prepare. You need discipline and courage just to show up.” This resonates with Gabi— she recounts feeling nervous before both auditions, worrying over the excerpts and experiencing self-doubt. Even so, when times got tough, she was always able to ground herself in her love for the art.
“What I’ve learned about music is that it’s super refreshing, but also exhilarating,” Gabi said. “It’s really helped me to cope.” And when it comes to high school life, there certainly is a lot to handle— academic pressure, friendship, and budding individuality are all challenges she cited as day-to-day. Yet, instead of searching for escape in her interests, Gabi approaches them as a means for introspection.
“Different aspects of my identity influence my music,” she said. While handling personal traits can complicate daily life, interacting with them in art makes space for Gabi to make sense of them, allowing her translate those layers of her identity into something expressive and meaningful. The process inspired her to explore a rawer medium, songwriting, which she dove into with equal enthusiasm.
“Right now, I’m working on a song called ‘She’s a Girl in Her Own World,'” Gabi said. “It’s kind of about me, because I’m in my own world a lot.”
When asked about her plans for the future, Gabi said she wasn’t certain, but knew she wanted to continue her musical projects for as long as possible.
“I think they have impact,” she said. “That’s something I care about. Maybe singing might tell people that I have a voice too, and that it deserves to be heard.”
