In October 2024, a devastating flood in Massanassa, a suburb of Valencia, nearly destroyed the local music center. The building was flooded, instruments and archives were ruined, and the school was left without a roof over its head. For the small community of musicians, it was a true disaster—they lost not only their property, but also the chance to keep teaching children music.
A year later, unexpected support came from Hollywood. Johnny Depp, the renowned actor and musician, decided to help the affected group. His charity foundation allocated $65,000 to restore the center. For local residents, this was a major event: many couldn’t believe that their plight would resonate with a global celebrity.
The center’s management shared that they learned about Depp’s intention to help back in the summer. It turned out that a former staff member contacted the actor’s foundation, and then a mediator got involved to speed up the donation process. According to the center’s representatives, Depp may have found out about the tragedy thanks to film shoots in Spain and posts on social media.
The funds raised are planned to be used for restoring classrooms and purchasing new instruments. However, the center notes that this amount will only cover part of the work. The most expensive item is soundproofing the rooms, which is essential for holding classes. The total amount needed exceeds half a million euros, so the team continues to seek additional sources of funding.
Despite the challenges, the school has not ceased its activities. Just three months after the flood, classes resumed—temporarily held in the local church building. Currently, around a hundred children are studying at the music school, and the staff hopes that with the help of new donations, they will be able to fully restore the school’s original infrastructure.
