Ludwig van Beethoven was one of the greatest composers of all time. Yet by the time he was writing his last few masterpieces he was completely deaf. Beethoven wasn’t born deaf. He gradually lost all his hearing from the age of 30 onwards. He first had an inkling something was wrong when he began to hear buzzing noises in his ears. He was only 26 at the time.
Thai Elephant Orchestra
In northern Thailand, a group of 16 musicians have formed a unique orchestra. They play different types of music, from traditional Thai songs to Beethoven. They also create their own songs, and sometimes improvise in live performances. They don’t always pay attention to their conductor, though. And they’re a bit too heavy at times on the percussion instruments. But that doesn’t matter to their audiences. These musicians are elephants.