Louis Sclafani, a Danbury chiropractor, has reclaimed his rockin”™ youth via a grownup version of his boyhood band that includes a returning bandmate. His new band is Eye Contact and its inception has even spawned a music room in his house in Newtown, supplanting the laundry corner.
The dexterous father of five is a Les Paul enthusiast and is excited to finally have a home for his seven guitars.
Sclafani grew up in Carmel, N.Y., the son of a mechanic, Steven Sclafani.
Sclafani”™s first instrument was the French horn, followed by the trumpet and eventually the guitar.
“I remember being at my grandmother”™s house in Brooklyn watching ”˜The Ed Sullivan Show”™ and one day, boom, these guys, The Beatles, came out and had so much energy,” said Sclafani. “Everyone my age wanted a guitar.”
Sclafani began playing, and with his cousin Louie on drums, began a band.
At 14 years old, Sclafani was asked to play an aunt and uncle”™s wedding anniversary at a Chinese restaurant called Yeelok in Carmel.
“We learned stuff like ”˜Jean”™ by Oliver,” said Sclafani.
The guys impressed the owner and were asked back to play every Saturday for a year.
Sclafani and Louie along with Bobby Donaldson began playing weddings and events as The Perceptions, groomed by one of the band mothers, Mrs. French. Donaldson is back with Eye Contact.
“We began to be well known in the area,” said Sclafani.
Sclafani went to college at Dutchess Community College and finished his undergraduate work at Western Connecticut State University receiving a degree in medical technology with a minor in chemistry.
After being taken under the wing and doing work for a professor, Sclafani began working for Technicon Instrument Corp. in Tarrytown, N.Y. At the same time he worked on receiving his biochemistry masters at New York Medical College in Valhalla, N.Y.
Sclafani published a few papers before coming to a crossroads between getting a Ph.D. in chemistry or going into professional sciences.
Sclafani at age 30 was inspired to pursue a chiropractic career through the words of his father”™s cousin, who coincidentally is also a guitarist.
“My father, who I really looked up to a lot, was a very simple guy and a real smart guy,” said Sclafani. “I remember him talking to my cousin about chiropractics. He explained about this process of healing where you try to get people to live a more natural lifestyle and helping the nervous system be at its peak. It always stuck in the back of my head.”
In 1986 Sclafani began at New York Chiropractic College and in 1992 went into practice at Connecticut Family Chiropractic in Danbury specializing in decompression.
Sclafani was able to continue playing events and shows through college.
“It was a great way to make money,” said Sclafani.
But when he began his chiropractic practice in Danbury, time became scarce and Sclafani reluctantly put away his music equipment.
Sclafani began to go with a friend to a practice studio in Stratford where guys who were former musicians ”“ though not all his old bandmates ”“ could get together and play.
After auctioning off some impromptu guitar playing at a charity event, Sclafani found himself in the position of having to put together a band. Since then, the new group has started doing shows.Â
“The band we have now is called Eye Contact because we don”™t have the same perception. We all have to look at one another while playing.”
Eye Contact has started to play events and Sclafani says the goal is to have 10 gigs per year.
Sclafani has since then been able to meet Les Paul and have him sign his very own Les Paul guitar.
“When it comes to guitars there”™s no beating a Les Paul,” said Sclafani.
Sclafani encourages his kids to play and is currently installing a new basement, outfitted with a music room, where he was previously reduced to a corner near the dryer.
