Find Your Voice

Norma Garfin has always had a passion for the stage. Her love for musicals began at a young age when her father took her to her first Broadway show. As a child, she’d often perform for her parents on Friday nights in the living room of their Bronx, New York apartment.

Now, at 87 years old, she still loves to perform. More than a decade ago, she auditioned for Alive & Kickin, a Minneapolis-based senior rock ensemble that performs across the state for audiences of all ages. Becoming a member of the group, Garfin says, was a life-changing experience.

“I was lost, and this group became like family,” she explains. “Not to be dramatic, but I feel in some ways that it saved me.”

 In reflecting on her time spent with Alive & Kickin, she can see how it has improved her mental health, given her more energy and helped her stay connected with her community. Friendships in the group are strong. When members are struggling or going through hard times, they lean on each other.

Such was the case last year, when Garfin was enduring treatment for leukemia.

“I never missed a rehearsal or a show,” she recounts of that time. Staying involved helped keep her motivated each day. Now in remission, Garfin goes on to say, “It’s that kind of drive we all love. Some of us love singing, and others love performing. We all have our reasons.”
 

At the movies

Throughout her career working as an actress, Garfin has appeared in three major movies set in Minnesota:
     • “Feeling Minnesota” - starring Keanu Reeves and Cameron Diaz
     • “Drop Dead Gorgeous” - starring Kirsten Dunst and Denise Richards
     • “Grumpy Old Men” - starring Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon

“On the set of Grumpy Old Men, Walter Matthau and I kind of just hit it off. One of my parrots is named Walter for him. It was lovely.” – NORMA GARFIN

Singing your song

Garfin moved from New York to Des Moines when she was 15, where she began her acting career. She first performed in a high school production, then at the Des Moines Playhouse. In her debut show, she shared the stage with future Academy Award winner Cloris Leachman.

From there, she went on to perform in dozens of musicals and plays throughout the years. She’s performed at theaters like Center Stage, The Minnetonka Theater and The Guthrie, and she now returns to the Bloomington Center for the Arts each year with Alive & Kickin.

Garfin believes singing and making music have improved her health. Research backs this up. A 2020 report from the AARP found that activities like playing instruments, dancing, singing or even just listening to music can benefit adults of all ages.

Singing has certainly provided Garfin with a lifetime of joy, and it has also helped her stay mentally sharp. As a part of Alive & Kickin, members memorize up to 27 songs each year. She believes this has strengthened her memory and brain function.

“For 15 years, we have had to memorize every song,” she says. “That has done so much for those of us who are older, and so many might be having memory problems,” Garfin says. “But by golly, if you wanna get up and sing, you’re gonna learn those words — and we do. I think it’s just been an enormous help to every one of us to have to do that.”

Did you know?

75% of people aged 50 to 80 report that music helps them relieve stress or relax, and 65% say it helps their mental health or mood. 
SOURCE: UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN NATIONAL POLL

Stayin’ alive and kickin’

Alive & Kickin was formed in 2010 to support seniors ages 60 and older. The group’s goal is to redefine what it means to grow older, giving members ways to express themselves through song and find their voice. From Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga to Billy Joel and The Beatles, the music they sing spans generations. The touring ensemble travels to every corner of the state to perform, connecting with audiences of all ages.

“We go out to assisted living centers, to senior buildings, to private parties. We have sung at breweries for fundraisers and at restaurants. It’s just joyous,” Garfin says. “People who can’t get out, we go to them.” Every summer the ensemble, now at over 30 members, performs an annual show for the community. Dressed in glamorous costumes and accompanied by a live band, members rock out to classic hits and modern favorites. Garfin notes that the audience often dances and sings along.

“When you see audience members enjoying the show and smiling, that’s the reward,” she says.
 

Healing Through Music

Music therapy is a common treatment used for a variety of health conditions. It often involves making or listening to music with a music therapist, according to the Cleveland Clinic. This treatment may help participants improve coordination, lower stress levels, strengthen communication and more.

Creating community

Garfin attended the University of Iowa. On her first day at the school, she met her husband. A pediatric dentist by day, he was also a musician and often played in the orchestra for shows Garfin appeared in.

The two were married for nearly four decades before he passed away 31 years ago.

After her husband passed, Garfin took a break from performing. It was when she found Alive & Kickin that her passion was reignited. For 15 years now, she has formed meaningful friendships that extend outside the group. Group members often spend time doing other activities, enjoying things like hiking and traveling to shows together.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) points out that strong social connections, like the ones formed in Alive & Kickin, can improve health and wellness. The benefits include lower stress levels, better sleep and even living a longer life.

Older adults are at a higher risk for loneliness and social isolation. Being part of an organization, group or club with shared interests helps create a sense of belonging and support.

Finding community can look different for everyone. It could mean joining a club at your local senior center, volunteering, playing in a senior sports league or singing with a group like Alive & Kickin. The CDC says even small efforts to create social connections can have a positive impact on your life.

Active at any age

Today, Garfin lives in Plymouth with her six companions — a rescue dog and five talking parrots. When she’s not at rehearsals, she stays busy working at a bakery part-time.

She is a mother, grandmother and great grandmother. After becoming a grandmother, Garfin went back to school to become a licensed American Sign Language interpreter. She spent years working as an interpreter in hospitals and clinics, and she now volunteers as one for the city of Plymouth.
 

The Power of Pets

Garfin has six pets — a dog and five parrots. Seniors who have pets tend to experience slower cognitive decline than those who don’t. SOURCE: HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL

One of the biggest lessons she’s learned over the years is that no mat- ter what your passions or interests are, there is always a place where you belong. Garfin has found her place. “You’re never too old. If you want to do it, just get up and do it,” she says. 

Garfin is grateful to have found something that brings happiness both to her and to others. “Singing is healthy for the individual doing the singing, and I think it’s very healthy for the people who are watching and listening as well,” she explains. “Like I said, it brings joy. Music is a language of its own.”