The Oarina: Sunds of History

Have you ever wondered what the world's oldest musical instrument is ? Scientists believe the ocarina, a small, hollow flute shaped like an egg. Some are 4000 years old. Historians believe that the ocarina traveled along ancient trade routes with the Chinese into Southeast Asia and Europe 1000 years ago.

Every ocarina has a few small holes for the fingers and a big one for the mouth. The earliest ocarinas found in China were made of stone, wood, bone, shell, and gourd. They were often decorated with special designs of animals and humans. In museums, you can see ocarinas shaped like dogs, cows, horeses, and even turtles!

Ocarinas looked like animals because ancient people's lives were closely tied to nature. Possibly the first songs were made by people trying to imitate the sounds around them. Scientists believe that in ancient times, people would play the ocarina at important ceremonies. Sometimes old villagers would tell stories of magical animals and forests. While telling theses stories, they would also sing, dance and play the ocarina.

The ocarina may be the most popular instrument in the history of music. Anyone can pick it up and produce pleasing sounds within a few minutes. In fact, people from all over the world still make and play this little flute. The ocarina to pacify their enemies and win wars!

Any object that old certainly has stories and myths associated with it. The ocarina has myths of great masters who used its sweet sounds to tame wild beasts and monsters. There are also stories of great musicians who played the ocarina to pacify their enemies and win wars!

Though the ocarina is a simple thing, it can really make your imagination fly. If you play an ocarina today, you might be making exactly the same sound another person played long, long ago. It is almost as if you are "playing" history or traveling through time. How cool is that?

vocabulary:

1. produce 2. structure 3.master 4. enemy 5. exactly 6. imitate

my thinking:

This article talks about the history of ocarina. I love music so that I think the ocarina's voice beautiful. According to the article, I really realize the ocarina so special it is. It's not only to be a fish but to be like a Taiwan island. The ocarina can play beautiful's voice and it can carry easily. We can also learn it easily. Therefore, I know how magical the ocarina is!