Some people are born with an artistic eye, and one of them is sophomore Mia Sarris, who has been flooded with talent since a young age. You may have seen Sarris on the tennis courts, but probably every current student at West has seen her perform with Niles West’s very own a cappella group, High Fidelity (HiFi).

Her interest and love of singing started when she was little. She started singing with her church, then with her elementary and middle school choir ensembles, and now in high school with HiFi.

Sarris was inspired by another Niles West a cappella group, Echo Effect, when they visited her school in sixth grade (2015) and performed the song “If I Ever Fall in Love Again” by Shai.

“Their sound and energy sparked my interest in a cappella. The way that all three groups hyped each other up and supported each other [was] another selling point for me, and from that point on I worked my way towards being in the program.” Sarris said.

At that point, Sarris continued to push herself towards her passions by singing for Lincoln Jr.’s honor choir, and even claiming a lead role in her middle school’s musical. By the time she was in 8th grade, the a cappella program returned to reaffirm her interest in auditioning at West.

“I was fortunate enough to make HiFi as a freshman, and the group welcomed me with open arms. I was immediately welcomed into a family beyond just Niles West. HiFi worked closely with Secondary Dominance (an all-girls group from ISU) and we formed great relationships with them as well. A cappella has allowed me to make friends and meet new people that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to if I wasn’t part of the program.” Sarris said.

For Sarris, performing with HiFi has booked many great memories for her high school experience.

“Last year was my first competition and it truly was a once in a lifetime experience! The night before our performance the whole group gets together and we reflect on how far we’ve come, and we focus on our personal connections to each song we are performing. When we each open up about our personal stories, it’s a really powerful connection that brings us all so much closer together.” Sarris said.

Someone she looks up to in the a cappella program is senior co-captain Janay Moncrief, who describes Sarris as, “a light and someone who is constantly bringing joy into the group. She’s done amazing work with editing this year while managing our social media, and I could not be more proud of her! She is definitely a strong asset to our group.”

HiFi has also led to many new opportunities and interests for Sarris. Now that competitions are virtual, Sarris has taken the creative liberty to control the videography and editing.

“Videography has been a more recent interest of mine. I’m a very visual person, so in my head I see a lot of what I want to create, and editing helps play a huge role in executing my ideas. I’m sort of new to videography but I think once I get the hang of it, the options for the content you can create are endless”, Sarris said.

Everyone seems to know Sarris for her enlivening and positive attitude.

“Mia is such a driven and passionate person, and it honestly inspires me to better myself every single day,” said her friend and fellow HiFi member, Briyanna Manzanares.

Sarris spreads the message to anyone who might be in her sixth-grade shoes to “not be afraid to put yourself out there. Having confidence in yourself as a musician and essentially storyteller can really help to enhance your performance. Also, don’t be afraid to reach out to any members or our directors if you have any questions or even just want to pick out brains.”