Star violinist visits school in flood zone David Garrett hands over instruments at Peter-Joerres-Gymnasium
Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler · Star violinist David Garrett visited the Peter-Joerres-Gymnasium in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler. There he helped the Big Band to unload a van full of donated instruments. The flood had destroyed the band's equipment.
For the young musicians of the Big Band of the Peter-Joerres-Gymnasium (PJG) there was a big surprise just before Christmas. RTL reporter Wolfram Kons brought them a whole van full of new instruments and technical equipment. The musicians had lost all their equipment during the night of the flood. "It was all stored here on the ground floor," music teacher Jürgen Bunse pointed to an empty and gutted former music room. He, like his pupils, was delighted about the large donation from the RTL telethon. About 30,000 euros were used from the large donation to help the Big Band rebuild.
Kons also brought along a very special helper for the handover on Monday: star violinist David Garrett. The 41-year-old was surprised by the devastation that still prevails in the Ahr valley and that has also hit the school with full force. Garrett quickly got into conversation with the music students, with whom he was allowed to unload the van from a large music store. They told him about the night of the flood and the consequences in the weeks and months afterwards. But they also reported that music gives them distraction from the thoughts of what happened and thus plays a big role in processing the traumas. For many of them, it is also a great help that there are now instruments for the big band again.
The technology around the band also fell victim to the flood. After unloading, the students showed their celebrity guest the destroyed school grounds and also went with him to the Ahr river, which was so peaceful on that day. At the end of the visit, David Garrett unpacked his violin and played a few Christmas carols with the children.
Original text: Thomas Weber. Translation: Mareike Graepel
