About Sofia
Sofia is a singer and songwriter from Northern New Jersey, raised with an abundant combination of creativity and hard work that comes from her immigrant roots. Her mother, who grew up in Italy until the age of fourteen, and her father, who moved to the U.S. from Cuba at just three years old, both instilled in her a deep respect for cultural heritage and unique expression.
From a young age, Sofia’s love for singing and songwriting was unmistakable. Her earliest memories include singing lullabies to her younger sister, Bella, and writing her first song at eight during an after-school program while her parents worked. Soon after, Sofia joined her first theater camp, where she discovered her passion for live performance.
Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at New York University’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, Sofia is strengthening her skills in music business, engineering, production, and songwriting. Her ultimate goal is to build a career as a creative entrepreneur in the music industry. This fall, she’ll be studying abroad at NYU Madrid, expanding her knowledge of Spanish, art history, literature, politics, and more while immersing herself in the vibrant culture.
With an eclectic taste that spans pop, country, soul, and soft rock, Sofia finds inspiration in albums like Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, Adele’s 21, Raye’s My 21st Century Blues, Aretha Franklin’s Lady Soul, and Etta James’ At Last! But her all-time idol, whose influence has impacted her since childhood, is none other than Whitney Houston.
Get to Know
What inspires you most to write a song?
“While a lot of my songwriting is inspired by an experience, or something I watched happen, I also pull a lot of inspiration from the films I watch and the books I read. Trying to write from another person's perspective is a super fun thing for me to do, so often I’ll pick a book character or TV character, sometimes even someone I know, and try to understand what they're feeling, what the situation is, etc, and write with that in mind. Of course, there's still a piece of me and my experiences in everything I write, but I think drawing inspiration from anything you see, hear, and watch is such a special way to make music and art.”
Do you have a favorite song that you've written?
“This is definitely a hard one. I think ‘Caught In You’ is one of my favorites I’ve written because I didn’t think I was capable of a song like that for so long. When I wrote it, I was in a Zoom class for school my freshman year of college, and I told myself I wanted to write a ‘fun’ song, without even really knowing what that meant. I came up with the whole thing on the spot without ever sitting down at my piano, figuring out what melody and lyrics work. I’m so happy with what it’s become and the sound we’ve created. It's one of my absolute favorites because it pushed me to get out of my comfort zone more often. Can’t wait to release it so soon…”
Most of your lyrics are personal and describe situations you've been in; which song do you think has helped you work through something difficult the most?
“I probably write roughly 120 songs a year, so it’s so hard to choose because they all have guided me through different stages of my life. However, I wrote a song called “The Shelf” in my first few weeks at NYU, about moving away from home and living on your own for the first time, and it definitely helped me write that feeling in a way that I could've only described through my music.”
Is there a specific song or artist that changed your life or made you listen to music differently?
“I spent a lot of years traveling for choir. There was a song that we sang in my All-state group, when I was a Junior in High school, by the composer Richard Smallwood. It's called ‘Total Praise’, and it definitely changed the way I feel and listen to music. It's such a beautiful piece, and singing alongside 250 other students really showed how much power there is in community. One of my favorite songs to this day, and it definitely changed the way I listen and make music.”
Which do you love more: writing your music or getting to perform it?
“Both writing and performing are such different and all-encompassing experiences, so it's hard to pick which side of the art I love more. I love writing because there's a blank canvas, and I get to create whatever I want to create, about anything I could think of. Being able to express emotions and feelings in a way is truly so special, and it's always exciting to find new ways to write about these moments.”
Who is your most listened to artist on Spotify?
“Raye! Love her.”
Do you have a favorite class at NYU?
“Definitely my music engineering classes, but there are so many fun classes I get to take!”
If you could collaborate with any musician, who would it be?
“Definitely Adele. She’s one of my biggest inspirations.”
What is the best concert you've ever been to?
“I haven’t been to many, but out of the three I’ve been to, the time I landed pit tickets for Harry Styles at MSG was definitely my favorite!”
For your semester abroad in Spain, what are you looking forward to the most?
“Exploring the culture and the city, and learning more about the music scene there!”
