British musician Paul Barton often plays to the animals in Lopburi, which is in central Thailand, an area known for its populations of wild monkeys. The pianist hopes the music shows bring calm to the animals during the COVID-19 crisis. The disease has caused problems for the monkeys, too. They are hungry. The restrictions on tourism mean fewer people come to see the monkeys and feed them. “We need to make an effort to make sure that they eat properly. And when they eat properly, they will be calmer and will not be aggressive,” said Barton, 59.
Barton has played at four sites in Lopburi, including at an ancient Hindu temple, a store and an old movie theater. The monkeys quickly surrounded Barton when he plays Greensleeves, Beethoven’s Für Elise and Michael Nyman’s Diary of Love. Some of them sat on his chair, while others climbed up his body and touched his head. “A wonderful opportunity to see the wild animals just being themselves,” said Barton, from Yorkshire in northern England.
But Barton kept his attention on his performance, even as a small monkey ran over his hands on the instrument. Other monkeys took control of his music papers. “I was surprised to play the piano and find that they were actually eating the music as I was playing it.” But he added, “I wasn’t going to let those things distract from the project which is to play the music for these wonderful monkeys.”
The monkeys are Barton’s latest animal fans. Past wildlife audiences included elephants living in special protected areas. Barton hopes to raise awareness of the monkeys’ hunger. At the same time, he hopes to study their behavior as they react to classical music.
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