Joy Ciaffoni (left) and Angie Anderson (right) of The Cousins Duo deliver a lively set at German Park. (Photo by Amy Zents.)

NEW ULM — Angie Anderson of New Ulm and her cousin Joy Ciaffoni of Moorhead performed as The Cousins Duo Thursday at German Park.

The show was part of New Ulm’s Summer Concert in the Park series. The duo performed in the concert series last year as a last-minute replacement for a group that was forced to cancel. This year The Cousins signed up to perform at the start of the year.

They played a mix of Anderson’s original songs and covers during Thursday performance. Audience members danced and some children joined with percussion instruments.

Anderson and Ciaffoni are cousins and longtime close friends. They formed their band to perform their music together.

“Besides being cousins, Joy and I have also been close friends throughout our lives,” Anderson said. “Music is something that we have both been passionate about.”

Ciaffoni said of their partnership, “We are the best of friends.”

The two live four hours apart but schedule weekend rehearsals when possible. Ciaffoni has performed with other groups in the past and often takes lead vocals in the duo. Anderson frequently adds harmonies. They switch roles on some songs. Ciaffoni contributes percussion.

Anderson creates the melodies. The cousins collaborate on song ideas. Ciaffoni offers input on lyrics and wording.

The Cousins performed Anderson originals: “Dance With Me,” “Greeting Card Blues,” “Shiver Me Timbers,” “The Creepy Song,” “Cockeyed Optimist,” “You Send Me,” “Beautiful Music,” “A Little Piece of Heaven” and “I Don’t Really Know.”

Covers included “Jamaica Farewell” and “Angelina” by Harry Belafonte, “Straight Up” by Paula Abdul, “Down at the Lah De Dah” by Jimmy Buffett, and “The Lemonade Song” by Pink Martini. 

Their song, “Greeting Card Blues” grew out of conversations between them.

Anderson started writing songs in 2019. She began after her 15-year-old son, Micah, died from rhabdomyosarcoma in August 2019. He received the diagnosis in December 2018. The cancer is an aggressive soft tissue type that mainly affects children. Micah spent most of his time at home between hospital stays and treatments.

“The songwriting became a way for me to process my grief and work through some of my emotions,” Anderson said. 

Many songs address love, loss and hope. She also writes lighter material. Examples include “Shiver Me Timbers,” “The Creepy Song” and “Greeting Card Blues.”

She recently wrote “Memory Collector,” which she is recording. The song reflects on items and memories connected to Micah. 

Anderson said she enjoyed the audience participation.

“I loved it when audience members got up to dance and came up to play some percussion instruments with us,” she said. “It was fun to be able to interact and make a connection through our music.”

She recalled earlier visits to the park concerts with her children.

“I used to take my kids to these concerts in the park when they were young and it was so much fun to be on the other side this time, performing our music,” she said.

Anderson released the album “A Little Piece of Heaven” in September 2025. It includes many of her earlier works. She also has the CD “Dragonfly”, which collects ten singles. She releases a new single on the first of each month on major streaming platforms. “I have been releasing a new single a month for the past year and plan to continue releasing new music on the main music streaming platforms on the 1st of each month,” she said.

The Cousins released the album “Sweet and Salty” in 2023. It features several of the originals performed at German Park, including “Dance With Me.”

The Cousins plan a recording project this fall. They will record more originals and some covers.

“The Cousins are planning to begin a small recording project in the near future, recording more originals and a few covers,” Anderson said. “We don’t currently have any gigs on the calendar but hope to schedule more soon.”

Anderson returns to German Park, Thursday with Kelly Coyle. Their duo performs acoustic folk songs along with some of Anderson’s originals.

“Kelly and I are more of an acoustic folk duo, performing a mix of old and modern folk songs in addition to my original music,” she said. “Many of our songs are emotional and sentimental in nature, providing a more mellow, relaxed listening experience.”

Coyle adds guitar solos to the songs. The pair has performed together for about a year.

Anderson said performing in community settings supports her goals.

“Performing at German Park was a highlight for us,” she said. “We love sharing our music with others and enjoy performing in places where the music is the main attraction. One of my personal goals is to share my songs with others, and this was the perfect opportunity to do that.”

Ciaffoni shared her thoughts on the evening.

“It’s always a pleasure performing at the park in New Ulm. People come out with their family, friends, and lawn chairs for a bit of community and entertainment on a beautiful summer evening.”

The Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council supports the Concert in the Park series along with KNUJ and New Ulm Park and Rec.