The mountains of Kanchanaburi were alive with the sound of classical music thanks to pianist Paul Barton.

The talented musician lugged his instrument up the steep climb for a very special audience: old, injured, and handicapped elephants. Barton chose the soothing sounds of Beethoven’s Pathétique Sonata and made sure to note that it wasn’t ivories he was tickling. In fact, as an anti-ivory advocate, he explains that the brutally obtained material hasn’t been used to manufacture piano keys in years.

Barton had a particular bond to the blind elephant named Plara, who you can see directly behind the piano. The gentle giant seems to ignore his food in order to more intently listen to the music. 

Sadly, Plara passed away a few months after this video was taken, but thanks to Barton he was at least able to have a pleasant experience beforehand. His legacy will also help to bring attention to the plight of poaching for future generations of elephants.

You can find more videos of Barton performing for his big buddies on his YouTube and Facebook pages. 

Read more: http://viralnova.com/beethoven-elephants/