norma pfaff

Norma Pfaff’s music celebrates happiness in a well-considered minor key.

“When I moved to Colorado nine years ago, I found a musical haven,

or should I say it found me” the Indiana native explains.

Norma played her first open mic at the legendary Oskar Blues in Lyons. She sang a Gillian Welch song, and was thrilled to be asked to participate in a Gillian Welch tribute a few weeks later. That first leap on stage, with its happy encore, jump-started her ongoing passion for singing and songwriting.

Rounding out her list of musical idols and influences: Bob Dylan and Linda Ronstadt, who inspired Norma to bend her rule of holding singer-songwriters above chanteuses.

Ronstadt’s cover of the J.D. Souther song, “Faithless Love,” is a particular favorite and inspiration, for Ronstadt’s vocal range and Souther’s lyric, “raindrops falling on a broken rose.”

The idea of beautiful sadness influences Norma Pfaff’s original songs as well.

“When I was writing ‘Hanging on a Prayer’” she explains, “I wanted to write something spiritual...something with a little darkness to it.”

Her plans for the future?   More originals.   More great covers to be uncovered.

“Music’s always been with me,” she says. “This is where I start.”

-Sharon Glassman