Photo by April Coffey.
Sebastian Gaffo
Sebastian Gaffo is an eighth grader at Homewood Middle School whose interests span music, athletics and academics, from show choir and eight years of piano to soccer, cross country, track and competitive swimming. A member of both the Patriot Singers Show Choir and the Birmingham Boys Choir, the aspiring software developer also competes on the eighth grade math team and speaks both Spanish and Italian.
At just 14 years old, Sebastian Gaffo is already deeply involved in a wide range of activities, from music and athletics to academics. An eighth grader at Homewood Middle School, he balances choir, band, sports and a love of learning — especially when it comes to math and music. With years of piano experience and a growing interest in technology, Sebastian represents the kind of well-rounded student eager to explore both creative and analytical pursuits as he prepares for high school.
Q: Please tell our readers about yourself.
A: My name is Sebastian Gaffo. I’m a passionate student. I’m 14 years old and in eighth grade at Homewood Middle School. I am a member of the Patriot Singers Show Choir, and I was also in the show choir in seventh grade. I sing bass in the show choir.
Q: What extracurricular activities are you involved in besides show choir?
A: I’m in the Birmingham Boys Choir. I started in the Birmingham Boys Choir in fifth grade, so this is my fourth year, and I sing alto. I also play soccer sometimes, and I do cross country and track. In the summer, I swim for a swim team. I also play piano, and I have played for eight years.
Q: What do you love about music? What is your favorite type of music? Do you have a favorite piece?
A: Sometimes rhythms just work really well, and certain chords really speak to me. I enjoy those kinds of musical moments. I like piano compositions from the Romantic period. My favorite piece is probably the third movement of the “Moonlight Sonata.”
Q: You’re also in the Homewood Middle band — what do you play?
A: I play percussion.
Photo by April Coffey.
Sebastian Gaffo
Sebastian Gaffo is an eighth grader at Homewood Middle School whose interests span music, athletics and academics, from show choir and eight years of piano to soccer, cross country, track and competitive swimming. A member of both the Patriot Singers Show Choir and the Birmingham Boys Choir, the aspiring software developer also competes on the eighth grade math team and speaks both Spanish and Italian.
Q: Do you have a favorite teacher or class at Homewood Middle School?
A: I’m very good at math, in my opinion, and I am on the eighth grade math team. I also really like my English teacher, Miss Gaines — she’s very fun.
Q: Who is your role model and why?
A: I haven’t really thought about that. There are a lot of people out there doing great things, but I don’t have one specific role model.
Q: What is something people might be surprised to learn about you?
A: Most people don’t know that I’m a quarter Peruvian and a quarter Italian, both from my dad’s side.
Q: Do you speak any other languages?
A: Yes, I speak Spanish and a little bit of Italian.
Q: What advice would you give to a new student at Homewood?
A: Homewood is a very nice school. There’s not much bullying — if anything, it’s usually just light teasing. It’s a good place to be yourself and be creative.
Q: What are you most looking forward to about high school? Do you have any idea what you would like to be when you grow up?
A: Continuing my education, especially exploring higher-level math, which I’ve always been interested in. I’m thinking about becoming a software developer.
