Piano duets are not a common sight in most events. One of the reasons is because they require both pianists to put in hours of practice in order to perfect it. So when Paul Barton, a former music teacher, was joined by an elephant while he was playing Scott Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag, it came to him as a pleasant surprise.
Paul was in Elephantstay sanctuary in Bangkok, Thailand and he was providing music therapy for one of the elephants. When a ten-year-old male elephant detoured from his regular evening trip to the river for a bath, Paul encouraged him to join in. The elephant then started using his trunk to play clusters of chords. “I suddenly felt something strange sucking the back of my head and had an unexpected duet partner. I think Peter (the elephant’s name) got it confused with Joplin’s Stoptime Rag,” stated Paul.
Paul also taught eurhythmy – the interpretation of the rhythm of musical compositions – at the Camphill Village Trust in Botton, on the North York Moors, before heading to Thailand. He mentioned that when he played a section of the tune, the elephants twice replied with a trunk squeak on the beat. The 51-year-old is currently a piano teacher in Thailand, but he frequently visits the sanctuary along with his wife. According to a spokeswoman for the sanctuary, Peter is the most popular artist and entertainer among all of the ninety elephants there. “He often squeals with delight when he gets a treat or gets excited playing. In contrast, his painting style is very deliberate and controlled. He favours painting from life, especially flowers, rather than abstract work,” she explained.
Paul, who is also a Royal Academy of Arts graduate, has played the piano to elephants on many occasions. His idea of doing so initially came from reading about a scientific research where his own wife was asked to play for earthworms in a jar on top of her piano. Paul also added that it was an enjoyment to see the elephants’ reactions to different tunes. “I have noticed other animals do react to music when you play the piano – dogs will either come under your piano if you are playing well, or run away if you are playing badly, and elephants are very intelligent animals,” he said. For videos and more, do refer here.
Piano Lessons Singapore offers you the opportunity to pick up the right piano skills. Even animals are able to differentiate a good pianist from a fairly poor one, so make sure that you pick it up from the right teacher. For more information, do refer to our website.