Siam, 1886, and Som's brother, a famous xylophonist, is killed by a competitor, leaving Sorn to take over. After asking his dad to take him to Bangkok to prove his skill, Khun In proved the most adept competitor and Sorn returned home to practice. Presently, he pioneered a unique style and became a musician of the royal palace, marrying Shote, his dream girl and a fellow palace staffer, and finally besting Khun In in a xylophone contest. Som eventually became an important teacher, who promoted traditional Thai music at a time when the traditional culture of developing Thailand was under threat of being subsumed by the influx of European influences.