Why We All Learned To Play The Recorder

When we were kids, we all had music class. And before we got to choose the instruments we wanted to play in school, we were required to play the recorder. I was never really great at playing this plastic instrument. The sound is resonating in my mind, as I write this. I was always jealous of my fellow music mates who got a white one, which was not a common color in my school. Mine was a murky brown and the tab at the mouthpiece was the white color, I wished my whole recorder was.

For those that don’t know or never were required to learn the recorder, it is a woodwind musical instrument in the group known as internal duct flutes—flutes with a whistle mouthpiece. It had a thumb-hole for the upper hand and seven finger-holes: three for the upper hand and four for the lower. It was an instrument we were required to take in grade school and it was apparently a way to get us children encouraged and excited about playing an instrument longterm.

The fun of annoying our friends and parents was when we would blow these flute-related instruments harder than “normal” making a very loud, shrill and penetrating sound. Anytime we practiced, this shrilling noise was bar for the course because we intentionally made it all the time!

Good times! Great memories! But, I hope I never have to see, let alone play, another recorder again! As I am sure my parents feel the same! That sound I made with mine was awful!! When you see the video below (click link), you’ll totally get it!

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ALSO READ: NOSTALGIC MEMORIES FROM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL