When British musician Paul Barton performs in Lopburi lately, his energetic listeners react wildly. Some pull his hair or jump on his piano. Others steal his music. These behaviors are normal; however, these crowds are truly wild—wild monkeys to be exact, who are Barton's latest animal fans. Past wildlife audiences included elephants and deer living in special protected areas. He also once played to cows to please them to get more milk.
Barton plays often to the animals in Lopburi, an area known for wild macaque monkeys. The pianist hopes the music shows bring calmness to the animals, which often suffer hunger during the hard time and become aggressive(好斗的).The limited tourism means fewer people come to see the monkeys and feed them.“On the one hand, we need to make an effort to make sure that they eat correctly. On the other hand, we should try to calm these wild animals down,” said Barton, 59, a Thailand man.
Barton has played at four places in Lopburi, including an ancient Hindu temple, a store and an old movie theater. The animals quickly surround Barton when he plays music. Some of the creatures sit on his chair, while others climb up his body and touch his head. However, Barton keeps his attention on his performance, even when some animals run over his hands on the instrument and other animals take control of his music papers. Barton is happy to find they are curious about him and the piano and enjoy the music as he is playing it.