David Sulzer's Wild World of Music

Luk Kop didn't seem to have the makings of a musical prodigy. He didn't hum made-up tunes to himself as a youngster or shake his head when someone sang flat. He didn't build instruments out of sticks and gourds or blow trumpet solos as a five-year-old. He had a brief moment of fame as a child actor, in the Disney film "Operation Dumbo Drop," but grew into a sullen and ungainly teen. When the composer and instrumentalist Dave Soldier first met him, in Thailand, in 2000, Luk Kop spent most of his time eating grass and hanging around with the other elephants.