• Home
  • Opinion
  • Quizzes
  • Redistricting
  • Sections
  • About Us
  • Voting
  • Events
  • Civic Ed
  • Campaign Finance
  • Directory
  • Election Dissection
  • Fact Check
  • Glossary
  • Independent Voter News
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Subscriptions
  • Log in
Leveraging Our Differences
  • news & opinion
    • Big Picture
      • Civic Ed
      • Ethics
      • Leadership
      • Leveraging big ideas
      • Media
    • Business & Democracy
      • Corporate Responsibility
      • Impact Investment
      • Innovation & Incubation
      • Small Businesses
      • Stakeholder Capitalism
    • Elections
      • Campaign Finance
      • Independent Voter News
      • Redistricting
      • Voting
    • Government
      • Balance of Power
      • Budgeting
      • Congress
      • Judicial
      • Local
      • State
      • White House
    • Justice
      • Accountability
      • Anti-corruption
      • Budget equity
    • Columns
      • Beyond Right and Left
      • Civic Soul
      • Congress at a Crossroads
      • Cross-Partisan Visions
      • Democracy Pie
      • Our Freedom
  • Pop Culture
      • American Heroes
      • Ask Joe
      • Celebrity News
      • Comedy
      • Dance, Theatre & Film
      • Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
      • Faithful & Mindful Living
      • Music, Poetry & Arts
      • Sports
      • Technology
      • Your Take
      • American Heroes
      • Ask Joe
      • Celebrity News
      • Comedy
      • Dance, Theatre & Film
      • Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
      • Faithful & Mindful Living
      • Music, Poetry & Arts
      • Sports
      • Technology
      • Your Take
  • events
  • About
      • Mission
      • Advisory Board
      • Staff
      • Contact Us
Sign Up
  1. Home>
  2. pop culture>

Germany’s Piano Man plays for peace

Our Staff
March 07, 2022
Germany’s Piano Man plays for peace

WOJTEK RADWANSKI
/ Contributor/Getty Images

It is difficult for many of us to cope with the human tragedy that is unfolding in Ukraine as Russia continues its ruthless attack upon innocent civilians.

Yet amidst all of the pain and suffering of war there are occasionally heartwarming, uplifting stories that give us hope.


This is one of those stories.

Davide Martello traveled 17 hours, with his piano, from Germany to Poland so he could perform outside in the cold for refugees as they arrived from Ukraine over the weekend.

“Peace starts here,” says Martello, who believes in peace through music. The Piano Man, as he has become known, has done this before in what he calls his “peace tour.” Martello first became known as the Piano Man of Istanbul's Taksim Square when he took up residence with a baby grand where Turkish anti-government protesters and police clashed in 2013. He was in Afghanistan playing for refugees leaving the country, and in 2020 after the police murder of George Floyd he performed in Minneapolis’ George Floyd Square.

He thinks music is the perfect medium for peace.“Before I die at least I want to do something and everyone loves music,” he says. "It seems unbelievable that the peaceful life of Ukraine could be so senselessly shattered in the 21st century."

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

One Ukranian asylum seeker was so moved that she joined Martello to play “We Are the Champions” by Queen. (Earlier in the week Queen guitarist Brian May took to Instagram to voice his support for Ukraine.)

Of course music alone will not end this senseless war. But sometimes the tragedy of war brings out the best of humanity. This is one of those times and we’d like to hear your uplifting experiences about Ukraine.

Listen to the Piano Man play and see if you feel just a bit of hope during these tough times:

'Piano Man' plays for Ukrainian refugees at Polish borderwww.youtube.com

Please share any stories you may have with us at at pop-culture@fulcrum.us.

From Your Site Articles
  • Video: We the people - The Fulcrum ›
Related Articles Around the Web
  • Piano man plays music as Ukrainian refugees arrive in Poland ›
  • Poland's piano man plays 'Imagine' for refugees from Ukraine ... ›
  • 'Piano man' warms hearts of Ukrainian refugees arriving in Poland ... ›
pop culture

Want to write
for The Fulcrum?

If you have something to say about ways to protect or repair our American democracy, we want to hear from you.

Submit
Get some Leverage Sign up for The Fulcrum Newsletter
Confirm that you are not a bot.
×
Follow
Contributors

Hypocrisy of pro-lifers being anti-LGBTQIA

Steve Corbin

A dangerous loss of trust

William Natbony

Shifting the narrative on homelessness in America

David L. Nevins

Reform in 2023: Leadership worth celebrating

Layla Zaidane

Two technology balancing acts

Dave Anderson

Reform in 2023: It’s time for the civil rights community to embrace independent voters

Jeremy Gruber
latest News

Podcast: Saving democracy from & with AI

Our Staff
18h

Default? Financial crisis? Political theater?

David Butler
19h

Three practical presidential pledges to promote national prosperity

James-Christian B. Blockwood
31 May

Meet the Faces of Democracy: Justin Roebuck

Mia Minkin
31 May

Podcast: Why Is Congressional Oversight Important, and How Can It Be Done Well? (with Elise Bean)

Kevin R. Kosar
Elise J. Bean
30 May

Chipping away at election integrity: Virginia joins red state exodus from ERIC

David J. Toscano
30 May
Videos

Video: Why music? Why now?

David L. Nevins

Video: Honoring Memorial Day

Our Staff

Video: #ListenFirst Friday YOUnify & CPL

Our Staff

Video: What is the toll of racial violence on Black lives?

Our Staff

Video: What's next for migrants seeking asylum after Title 42

Our Staff

Video: An inside look at the campaign to repeal Pennsylvania’s closed primaries

Our Staff
Podcasts

Podcast: Saving democracy from & with AI

Our Staff
18h

Podcast: AI revolution: Disaster or great leap forward?

Our Staff
25 May

Podcast: Can we fix America's financial crises?

Our Staff
23 May

Podcast: Gen Z's fight for democracy

Our Staff
22 May
Recommended
Video: Why music? Why now?

Video: Why music? Why now?

Big Picture
Podcast: Saving democracy from & with AI

Podcast: Saving democracy from & with AI

Technology
Default? Financial crisis? Political theater?

Default? Financial crisis? Political theater?

Budgeting
Three practical presidential pledges to promote national prosperity

Three practical presidential pledges to promote national prosperity

Big Picture
Meet the Faces of Democracy: Justin Roebuck

Meet the Faces of Democracy: Justin Roebuck

State
Podcast: Why Is Congressional Oversight Important, and How Can It Be Done Well? (with Elise Bean)

Podcast: Why Is Congressional Oversight Important, and How Can It Be Done Well? (with Elise Bean)

Test Unlisted