Nimble-fingered recorder virtuoso goes viral playing classical concertos in his car

17 April 2024, 16:20

Man goes viral on TikTok for recorder videos

A recorder revival is taking place on Britain’s roads, and it’s all thanks to one man named Miguel Lawrence.

For most people, the recorder is an instrument you might have played in school, before promptly leaving it behind, whether you moved on to another instrument or an entirely different hobby.

But for those who continue to play the instrument, a lifetime of musical joy lies ahead. Whether it’s a Bach Brandenburg Concerto, or Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven, the recorder has cropped up in some of the world’s most brilliant musical masterpieces.

And one of its many fantastic exponents in 2024 is a musician named Miguel Lawrence, whose videos playing incredibly impressive recorder covers of classical favourites in his car have gone viral (watch a compilation above).

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Strapped in with his seatbelt (safety first) and using his indicator or windscreen wiper as a metronome, Miguel parks up his car to perform impromptu recorder covers, often at the request of his many followers.

From Rossini’s William Tell Overture to a mindblowingly virtuosic cover of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, Miguel’s finger-blurring classical talents know no bounds. He has even taken on the worlds of video games, film music, and sea shanties.

Speaking to Classic FM about his new-found internet fame, Miguel compared the feeling to how he feels “when me or my team scores a goal playing football”.

A look at the comment section on any one of his videos reveals an endless number of requests for Miguel to cover next. “It’s a privilege to have a dedicated audience online,” he said, going on to express his enjoyment in engaging directly with his followers.

Miguel says that his aim is to continue performing as many classical recorder covers as he can, and we wholeheartedly look forward to hearing every single one.