Paul Barton is a pianist from Yorkshire who traded the dales and concert halls for the jungles of Thailand, where he performs for blind and handicapped elephants.
He became a permanent resident in Thailand and set up a recording studio in Bangkok. As so many musicians do, he started his own YouTube channel, where he gives free tutorials to piano students as well as recordings of his own masterful performances of classical music pieces from Beethoven to Schumann.
In 2011 Paul was making a video about the River Kwai for his YouTube channel. While he was in the area, he learned of the nearby Elephant’s World sanctuary created for old, injured or handicapped elephants that had been used for logging. Paul visited and, after falling in love with it, asked the manager if he could return with his piano to play for the elephants. The rest is history.
Paul regularly plays for the elephants. He hopes to bring calm and comfort to these beautiful creatures who have often led tough lives. He finds slow music can calm aggressive bull elephants, and gentle music can bring peace and comfort to blind elephants.
Source: The Music Man
