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Arthur J. N. Scavella, a cellist, was born and raised in Miami and is a product of the Miami-Dade County Public School System. He began his musical studies in an elementary school Expressive Arts Magnet Program at the age of nine. Mr. Scavella is a graduate of Miami Northwestern Senior High School's PAVAC Program. While at Northwestern, he became the 2002 Silver Knight Award Winner in the category of Music for Miami-Dade County and for receiving this award and for community service contributions, he was awarded a Proclamation from Commissioner Dorrin Rolle and former Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas, where May 23, 2002 was designated as Arthur J. Scavella Day.
Mr. Scavella is a graduate of Florida International University with a Bachelor of Music degree (B.M.) and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership degree (M.S.). At FIU, he was a cellist of the FIU Symphony Orchestra and the FIU String Ensemble. As a performer, Mr. Scavella has performed in numerous occasions with the Jubilate Chamber Orchestra, where he was principal cellist, and later became the assistant conductor. He initiated Jubilate's Overtown Classic Hip Hop Orchestra and its debut took place at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts as one of the center's inaugural events (formerly the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts). Mr. Scavella has also performed with famous musicians such as gospel singers Andre Crouch and Sandi Patty, jazz violinist Nicole Yarling, and Ruby Baker. He was also a cellist in the recording session of the "Open Up My Heart" CD with The Dells of Chicago, Illinois, in which the proceeds went to aid the victims of the September 11th tragedy.
As a music educator, Mr. Scavella has been in the teaching field since 2005 and has taught music to students from kindergarten through grade twelve. He also served as the Assistant Marching Band Director at Miami Northwestern Senior High School prior to his arrival at Mays Middle. During his first teaching assignment as a middle school band and orchestra director, he resurrected the band and orchestra program and tripled its size in a short period of time. As a result, the band and orchestra participated in numerous performances throughout South Florida. Students from the program were also selected to participate in the Annual Superintendent's Honors Music Festival; this accomplishment took place for the first time in many years during Mr. Scavella's tenure. Mr. Scavella is also a member of professional music organizations, such as the Florida Bandmasters Association (FBA), the Florida Orchestra Association (FOA), the Florida Music Educators Association (FMEA), and the National Association for Music Education (MENC).
Mr. Scavella is currently the Director of Bands and Orchestral Studies at Arthur & Polly Mays Middle Community School Center for the Visual & Performing Arts. Since his tenure, the marching band has been recreated and has performed in various parades and events throughout Miami-Dade County. The concert band and orchestra is continuing its rich heritage of excellence, where it has received many awards and accolades from various competitions, including receiving superior ratings in District Assessment. Mr. Scavella believes that success comes before work only in the dictionary and that a world without music would be bleak and incomplete.