Young@Heart NYC Finds a Home at Henry Street
By Timothy Davis
From left, Yvette Mercesdes, Regina Shopkorn, Afiya Dawson, and Judith Mercado rehearse in the Henry Street headquarters historic dining room.
“It’s pure joy. I always call it pure joy,” says Joan Jeffri, a participant in Young@Heart NYC, a musical performance group for adults age 75 “and better” that launched in 2025 at Henry Street Settlement.
Founded in Massachusetts in 1982, Young@Heart NYC brings together older adults from across the city, including the Lower East Side, to rehearse, perform, and build community through music. As founder and executive director Bob Cilman says, the goal is “to eliminate ageism and shatter stereotypes of growing old through innovative musical performances that inspire and unite diverse communities.” It also combats isolation and creates opportunities for new friendships.
Cilman traces the origins of Young@Heart to his work in the early 1980s, directing a senior meal site in Massachusetts. Though the meals met an important need, he realized older adults were looking for something more. Then, what began as a small community singing group grew into an internationally recognized organization, helping older adults find purpose, connection, and creative expression. Today, that vision has found a home at Henry Street, where Young@Heart NYC is growing and welcoming new members.
“When you’re singing and you’re really connected to what you’re doing, you put your whole life into it”
Many of Young@Heart NYC’s members live on the Lower East Side, with several recruited through Henry Street’s Older Adult Center. For Jeffri, joining the chorus marked a return to something she thought she had lost. After losing hearing in one ear more than 30 years ago, she stopped singing altogether.
“I had not sung for over 30 years and was afraid to start because I couldn’t hear my voice in my head anymore,” Jeffri says.
Today, she is back doing what she loves. “When you’re singing and you’re really connected to what you’re doing, you put your whole life into it,” Jeffri says. “When you put your whole life in it, it gives you returns.”
Singer Joan Jeffri soloes on April 26 in Northampton, Mass., where the New York and Massachusetts Young@Heart contingents met up for the first time.
Pianist, composer, and Young@Heart NYC Director David Nagler has spent decades collaborating with artists across New York’s music scene. His musical background shapes the group’s creative approach, but he says the program is about more than music. “Young@Heart is all about trying new things,” Nagler says, adding that, as the group continues to grow, one of the most rewarding experiences has been watching relationships develop among participants.
“After the first concert—a benefit in March 2026 for a group that advocates for immigrants—you saw the bonds forming, and then all of a sudden they’re friends,” he says.
Young@Heart NYC rehearsing at Henry Street Settlement Headquarters Dining Room
Rather than relying on familiar favorites, founder Bob Cilman intentionally introduces songs many participants have never heard before. “If they just sang songs they love and know, it would be boring and rote,” he says. Learning unfamiliar music keeps participants mentally engaged while giving them the opportunity to interpret songs in ways younger audiences often don’t expect. Most of the pieces they sing are far from old, including rock, punk, R&B, and other modern genres.
“I think people misunderstand that, for older adults, you’re done and there’s nothing to look forward to.” Cilman says. He believes the chorus defies stereotypes about aging. At Henry Street Settlement, Young@Heart NYC offers a different perspective, one where creativity, friendship, and self-expression continue to flourish at every age
For Judith Mercado, who attended Henry Street’s Echo Hill Farm camp as child, music has always been part of life. Today, she leads karaoke and attends celebrations at the Older Adult Center. “This keeps you going,” Mercado says. “It’s something you look forward to and brings up your self-esteem.”
By nourishing older adults’ sense of community and creative expression, the program reflects Henry Street’s enduring commitment to strengthening community, combating isolation, and creating opportunities for people to thrive throughout every stage of life. The group will be among the performers at Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette Street, on October 23 at 7:00 p.m.
