PIANIST PROVIDES JOY TO BLIND ELEPHANTS BY PLAYING INCREDIBLE TUNES

Although we frequently experience intense emotions when we listen to music, there is evidence that certain animals may experience similar feelings. Paul Barton, a concert pianist with classical training, relocated to Thailand to teach, but quickly found an unexpected and appreciative audience in elephants. He currently regularly performs for blind elephants at Kanchanaburi's Elephant World, a rescue sanctuary.

Barton frequently posts videos of his outdoor concerts to YouTube, where he has amassed a sizable fan base of nearly 800,000. His movies show heartwarming, private moments with the elephants he entertains, who frequently appear to find solace in the music. The gentle giants even seem to cry at times. Elephants are very social and emotional creatures, even though they don't cry as people do. They react to sadness and discomfort by making vocalisations and displaying bodily symptoms, such as moist eyes. Elephants also express themselves through their ears, which are frequently held motionless when they are attentive and engaged. Barton frequently records this behaviour in his recordings.

Barton narrates the tragic tales of the elephants he performs for on his YouTube channel, including Mongkol, a logging elephant who is 61 years old. He discloses that he spent his time in captivity moving trees across the Thai forest. "He lost his right eye and tusk in this cruel logging operation, and his body shape is distorted from hard effort."

After being saved and given a new home at Elephant's World, Mongkol can now spend his remaining years by the River Kwai in freedom and tranquillity. "I found that Mongkol is a really delicate, sensitive elephant who loves music, especially this slow movement by Beethoven, which I play to him occasionally in the day and night," Barton continues.

Another ardent admirer of Barton's music is a female elephant by the name of Ampan. She is 80 years old, which is roughly ten years longer than the average lifespan of an elephant in the wild. A video of Barton playing "Clair de Lune" by Claude Debussy shows a kind Ampan standing close to Barton and his piano, joyfully enjoying each note. On YouTube, many people are always pointing out how amazing these interactions between two distinct animals are. "It makes me so glad to know that somewhere in the world, instead of murdering them, elephants are so loved that there is a guy who lives solely to sit and entertain them on a piano," one user commented.

"I'm sure the pianist felt it was a joy to play the piano for this wonderful creature," said another, highlighting the reciprocal nature of the relationship. This may be the most significant crowd Barton has ever performed for.