Her stage is the underground railway platform.
The singer Melody Blessing sings German folk songs in Berlin’s underground stations. On the joy of singing – and the power of imperfection.
It all began after a singing workshop. On the way home, I was euphoric. I got off at a particularly nice-looking underground station in Berlin and decided to record what I had just learned on my phone. No ambition, no expectations. The video was actually meant to be my last social media post. I wanted to refocus on letters and emails. But that very video went viral.
I can tell from the sound of a station whether an old or a new train is arriving.
I’ve now recorded around a hundred videos at Berlin underground stations. I can tell from the sound of a station whether an old or a new train is arriving. I experience the city differently, too. A lot of places in Berlin are not only historically or visually impressive, they’re acoustically fascinating as well. When I feel a space has a distinctive acoustic quality, I start to sing.
My performances reach a lot of people on a daily basis. The feedback is often emotional – both online and directly on the platforms. One of the most striking experiences I had was on the Museumsinsel. A photographer spontaneously let his underground train go so he could do a shoot with me. He said the music had made a lasting impression on him.
Most people stop briefly and listen. Many move on and thank me in passing. Some tell me their stories. One man was visibly moved when I sang a traditional folk song. He said he had last heard it as a child. Then suddenly the words of every verse came back to him. His grandmother had taught him the song decades earlier. Moments like that are only possible through music.
In the future, I want to enable these experiences in other places as well. In palaces. In abandoned indoor swimming pools. Ideally together with a symphony orchestra.
My main concern is to cure perfectionism. For years, I was hesitant about putting out studio recordings and produced music videos because they didn’t seem good enough to me. Now I’m practising being kinder to myself. I publish unfinished work. I leave imperfection as it is. If people listen to my music and like it, I hope they can let go of some of their own perfectionism too.
About: Melody Blessing
Melody Blessing is a Berlin-based singer who is known for her a cappella performances in underground stations. She sings classical music and her own pop songs, and she has a particular affinity for lyrical German folk songs.
