Surrounded by the lush, tranquil greenery of the Thai rainforest at night, Paul Barton forewent the usual settings of a concert hall or music practice room for his rendition of Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata.’ Music Man fans won’t be able to believe their eyes when they see who his audience consisted of too. Instead of a sold-out concert audience or even eavesdropping family members, the only listener in attendance at Paul’s recital was an enormous Indian elephant named Mongkol.
A rescue elephant recovering from a traumatic past as a logging elephant, Mongkol has been brought to Elephants World to live out the rest of his days. Since his visits to the sanctuary, Paul has discovered that his music has a profoundly calming effect on the animals. The video of him playing to Mongkol has reached over 8.8M views, as viewers leave comments of high praise, such as “I thoroughly believe that you are doing more good for these wonderful creatures than you or we will ever know.”
As Paul played, Mongkol gently flapped his ears – a well-known sign of contentment in elephants. But it wasn’t just the elephant who found solace in the music. Watching the video, I, too, felt an overwhelming sense of peace. Not only did I find Paul’s beautiful rendition of the piece to be extremely soothing, but the majestic sight of Mongkol standing beside him, surrounded by the serene beauty of the Thai forest, was enough to take my breath away and fill me with appreciation.
For our Music Man fans who were equally as moved as I was by this touching scene, need not fear if they want to see more, because Paul’s channel is filled with videos of him playing to the elephants. One of his most popular videos shows him playing Debussy’s ‘Clair de Lune’ to an 80-year-old elephant named Ampan. She can also be seen flapping her ears in joy as Paul plays. In a moving moment before he sits at the piano, Paul can be seen stroking her trunk, highlighting the bond between the two.
While Paul has made a name for himself with his amazing videos playing piano to elephants, he also shares videos playing to cats, dogs, monkeys, as well as his young daughter. Ultimately, Paul’s videos are a beautiful reminder that music has the ability to unite us all in peace and harmony, whether we’re young, old, human, or another species altogether.
Paul Barton’s captivating performance in the heart of the Thai rainforest goes beyond mere musicality; it offers a healing connection between humans and animals. This profound concert with Mongkol, the rescued elephant, has touched the hearts of millions. For those inspired to explore more of Paul’s incredible work and learn about Elephants World, your journey starts with the links provided below.