- [Announcer] It's plastic; it's most likely beige;
and it sounds like this:
(recorder music)
Chances are if you grew up in the United States
you've played a recorder.
It was a non-negotiable part
of your elementary school education,
and for that, you can thank this guy, Carl Orff,
a passionate German composer.
(dramatic classical music)
Originally, the recorder was hand-crafted,
wooden, and made for the highest of society.
Even Vivaldi and Bach wrote pieces for the recorder.
It doesn't rely on a reed or strings, just breath.
(recorder playing)
It's in the flute family.
In the 1960s, the recorder started being produced
out of plastic — cheap plastic.
(recorder playing)
So, how did it become the clumsy,
awkward sound, we all used to play?
(recorders playing)
That's where Orff comes in.
He saw the recorder as an easy way
to get kids to start playing music.
The logic was simple.
The recorder relies on rhythm rather than memorization.
If you can sing, you most likely can play it.
(recorders playing)
Orff had the best of intentions,
to inspire the next generation of musicians,
and even though they can sometimes be annoying,
our hats are off to you, sir,
for changing the course of music education
for generations to come.
(recorders playing)