# Playing Piano for Blind Elephants atop a Mountain

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-piano-for-blind-elephants-atop-a-mountain/604307>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [November 28, 2011, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-piano-for-blind-elephants-atop-a-mountain/604307 "2011-11-28T02:55:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-piano-for-blind-elephants-atop-a-mountain/604307/1 "2011-11-28T02:55:25Z")

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Story [here](http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/weird/paul-barton-hauls-a-piano-up-thailand-mountain-to-play-beethoven-to-blind-elephants-at-kanchanaburi-reserve/story-e6frev20-1226207570324). Paul Barton hauled a piano up a mountain in our Kanchanaburi province – to the west of Bangkok on the Burmese border and site of the real River Kwai as in _The Bridge over_ – and played Beethoven for a group of blind elephants. It was a 50th birthday present to himself and to raise money for them. He hopes to organize a full concert sometime soon.

Good on ya, Paul!

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-piano-for-blind-elephants-atop-a-mountain/604307/2 "2011-11-28T03:12:28Z")

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Why would there be so many blind elephants? Or are these just a few, out of a huge population? And was there any indication that the elephants enjoyed the music?

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**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-piano-for-blind-elephants-atop-a-mountain/604307/3 "2011-11-28T03:19:27Z")

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Elephants’ eyesight is relatively poor to begin with. Often, elephant stampedes are started by something popping up suddenly in their vision that you’d’ve thought could have been seen coming. Then it gets worse as they age.

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**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-piano-for-blind-elephants-atop-a-mountain/604307/4 "2011-11-28T04:18:00Z")

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There’s a little better story [here](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2065827/Now-let-just-tinkle-ivories-British-pianist-plays-piano-blind-elephants-Thai-mountain.html).

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**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2011, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/playing-piano-for-blind-elephants-atop-a-mountain/604307/5 "2011-11-28T13:17:00Z")

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Was Yag-Kosha there? With his blind elephant head he would’ve appreciated the music.