Pianist Offers Melodic Relief to Visually Impaired Rescue Elephants at Thailand Sanctuary
Music has a unique ability to evoke powerful emotions within us, and there’s evidence that certain animals may experience similar feelings when they listen. Classically trained concert pianist Paul Barton relocated to Thailand to teach, only to find an unexpected and appreciative audience among elephants. He now regularly performs for blind elephants at Elephant’s World, a rescue sanctuary located in Kanchanaburi.
Barton often shares his outdoor performances on YouTube, where he has attracted a large following of nearly 800,000 subscribers. His videos capture heartfelt, intimate interactions between him and the elephants he serenades, who often seem to find solace in the melodies. In some instances, these gentle giants even appear to weep. While elephants may not shed tears in the same way humans do, they are profoundly emotional and social creatures. They express grief and distress through vocalizations and physical cues, including eyes that may seem teary. Additionally, elephants employ their ears to communicate, frequently holding them still when they are concentrating and listening intently—an action that is often documented in Barton’s footage.
On his YouTube channel, Barton tells the poignant stories of the elephants he plays for, including 61-year-old Mongkol, a former working elephant. “His life, confined in captivity, was spent dragging logs in the forests of Thailand,” he shares. “His body has been shaped by strenuous labor, and he lost his right eye and tusk due to this harsh logging industry.”
Mongkol was rescued and found a new home at Elephant’s World, where he can spend his remaining years in tranquility and freedom along the River Kwai. Barton notes, “I learned that Mongkol is an exceptionally gentle, sensitive elephant who delights in music, particularly this slow movement by Beethoven which I play for him occasionally during the day and night.”
Another devoted admirer of Barton’s music is a female elephant named Ampan. At 80 years old, she has significantly outlived the average elephant lifespan in the wild by about a decade. In a video featuring Barton playing Claude Debussy’s “Clair de Lune,” the gentle Ampan is shown joyfully savoring each note, standing close to Barton and his piano.
Many YouTube viewers continually highlight how astonishing these interactions between two different species truly are. One person commented, “It fills me with happiness to know that, somewhere in the world, instead of being harmed, elephants are so cherished that there is a man who dedicates his time to entertain them on a piano.” Another pointed out that the bond is mutual: “I’m certain the pianist considers it a privilege to perform for this magnificent creature.” For Barton, this may very well be the most significant audience he has ever had the pleasure of performing for.
Explore some of the pianist’s videos below and find even more by subscribing to Paul Barton on YouTube.
Classically trained concert pianist Paul Barton regularly performs for blind elephants at Elephant’s World, a rescue sanctuary in Thailand.
His videos capture heartfelt, intimate interactions between him and the elephants he plays for, who often seem to find solace in the melodies.
Paul Barton: Website | Facebook | YouTube
Source: Beethoven “Moonlight Sonata” for Old Elephant
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