Dave Solider, founder of the Thai Elephant Orchestra, is an accomplished violinist, guitarist, and composer/arranger. In 2000, he and conservationist Richard Lair, who is the Director of the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre (TECC) in Lampung, Northern Thailand, hypothesized that elephants could be taught to play music. After all, elephants like Luuk Pong, were already known for their painting.
Elephants are social creatures and they like to listen to music. Their mahouts (trainers and caretakers of domesticated elephants) often sing or play music for them as they travel through the jungle. The elephants are calmer and happier when they are exposed to music.
At the TECC, they set out to develop elephant-sized instruments. They wanted authentic natural Thai sounds and developed slit drums, a gong, marimba-like instruments called renaats, woodwinds, bass drums, a synthesizer, and a kaen, a type of mouth organ. They wanted their instruments to be comfortable for the elephants, to withstand jungle heat and monsoons, and to be low maintenance.
All in all, about forty different instruments were tried. The xylophone-like renaat was the most successful instrument. The elephants were afraid of the gong at first, but came to like it, and they enjoy using the kaen.
The elephants are taught some arrangements, but they largely make their own music. They will tap out a steady beat, and often want to continue playing after their mahout has taken the mallet from their trunk. They will pick the mallet back up and keep making music.
The elephants began giving twice daily concerts at the TECC where they live. The elephants have performed Beethoven's Sixth Symphony with more than one school band.
In 2001, the first CD was released by Mulatta Records, entitled simply Thai Elephant Orchestra. In 2004, the second CD, Elephonic Rhapsodies, was released. A third CD is in the works.
The elephants enjoy playing the instruments, and the money earned from the daily concerts helps to support the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre. A Century ago, the elephant population numbered about 100,000; today, the population is under 5,000. The Centre is working to increase the population of these amazing animals once again.