The recorder is often seen as the daggy instrument you first played at primary school.
But a small group of 50-somethings are doing all they can to change the reputation of the well-known instrument.
Each Friday in the middle of Brisbane’s CBD, the women come together to play recorders of all shapes and sizes.
As someone who has lived next door to primary school aged children who were very conscientious about practising their recorder, I feel this quote deep in my soul:
"I thought recorders were simple enough especially since they play them in primary schools.
“Little did I know, it’s easy to make a note, it’s not easy to play well.”
Stupid little thing, but in highschool I played in a woodwind ensemble playing bassoon. My friend composed an arrangement of aud lang sine or whatever it’s called for the ensemble for a Christmas concert, and he threw in an 8 bar section where we swapped over to recorders. It was both funny and pretty cool. Sounded great in the hand of good woodwind players.
I haven’t touched a recorder in decades. But I play the clarinet and saxophone, and a little while ago on a lark I picked up a tin whistle.
Do cheap recorders in the hands of non-recorder woodwind players sound considerably better than cheap tin whistles in the hands of non-tin whistle woodwind players? Because that tin whistle sounded awful in my hands.
I’m going to go ahead and say yes. Never heard a tin whistle, but recorders sounded decent with light pressure and a mind for intonation. Kids just blast them and don’t even know what intonation is hahaha
I can almost guarantee you that’s not true..
It’s similar to a recorder, but smaller and with a much brighter tone, so possibly harder to get the best sound out of.