It’s never too late to return to something you love — just ask TransLink busker Melody Kruppa.

She was watching YouTube when she came across a video of pianist Brendan Kavanagh, or better known as Dr. K to fans. He was playing inside St. Pancras railway station in London, England on the public piano, which was donated by Elton John.

“Gosh, that music busker was so good,” Melody recalls thinking to herself. “Can I get back into playing music again?”

The answer was, yes, you can! Melody is back to playing the piano in her 40s!

After practicing a remixed version of the song for two years, Melody flew to London hoping to play with the famous internet personality Dr. K… and she did!

Performing the duet of her dreams solidified Melody’s journey in using music to inspire others when times are tough.

“I saw how positively Dr. K’s music affected passersby, lifting their moods, so I decided to buy a digital piano and take it to the streets of New Westminster,” she says.

Melody performs as part of the TransLink Busker Program, a platform that has brought live music to Metro Vancouver’s transit system since 1986.

To listen to Melody’s music, you can catch her live at her home SkyTrain station of New Westminster!

Q: Which station do you like performing at the most and why?

A: I like performing at Granville Station the best because the train sounds are muffled, and I like seeing people’s faces go from neutral to smiling one after the other as they come off the escalator (plus its warm in winter and cool in summer at Granville!).

Q: If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

A: If I could have a superpower, it would be to read music effortlessly as I currently can barely decode the staff!

Q: What’s your favourite memory while busking in the program?

A: My favorite memory is the day a lady came up to me and said that she had been depressed in bed and forced herself to get up and get dressed. After she saw me playing and we talked a bit about mental health, she was feeling grateful that she got up and left the house.

Q: What’s something people don’t know about you?

A: Not everyone knows this, but I was a Zulu bride and was married in a Zulu village in South Africa!

Q: How do you want people to engage with you while busking?

A: When people see me busking, I’m happy whenever anyone acknowledges my playing whether it’s through a smile, a thumbs up, a long impromptu conversation or when they say yes to my invitation to play my piano! I especially appreciate when I can share my story about how music helped me with my mental health by breaking down the stigma around being open about it. When others share their triumphs and challenges with me, I consider that an honor and a gift.

Q: Anything fresh you’re working on that transit riders should check out?

A: I’m the queen of half-finished songs so I do have several new ones on the go, but my most exciting project is my plan to visit Thailand and play piano for the elephants in the sanctuary next year for my 50^th birthday. I’m not sure if I can make it happen but I will try by contacting my muse family “The Bartons” who live in Bangkok [a muse family to Melody means a group of people who are the source of inspiration for her as a creative artist]. Not only does the Barton family play piano for the sanctuary elephants but they also rescue animals, and they support the Burmese refuges called the Karan People who live just over the border in Thailand.