Medhat Mamdouh, an Egyptian, brought a recorder, a small wooden instrument, to the America’s Got Talent (AGT) stage. The judges seemed skeptical of and even hostile toward the instrument, especially Simon Cowell, which many people identify with music education in schools. After Simon claimed that he “hates recorders” because he had to play one in school, the panel even mocked the lack of famous recorder players throughout history. Unfazed, Medhat laid the foundation for one of the most unexpected musical surprises in the show’s history by coolly explaining that he would be using the recorder to play an original composition.
The event took an incredible turn as Medhat began with a traditional, melodic melody on the recorder. He suddenly transformed the simple instrument and his performance into a complex, multi-layered musical performance. He simultaneously played the bright, flowing melody of the recorder and expert-level, rhythmic beatboxing. Using his tongue and the instrument, Medhat skillfully blended traditional Middle Eastern music with contemporary urban sounds to create a comprehensive, dynamic soundtrack. The aural illusion created by combining the beatbox with a simple recorder surprised the judges.
The panel was won over by his intelligence and ingenuity. Because the instrument did not traumatize her, Sofia Vergara appreciated the concert and the Middle Eastern feel. Howie Mandel described the shift as “surprising” and admitted that Medhat had taken a sometimes-maligned instrument and made it “trendy.” Most astonishingly, Simon Cowell, who despises the recorder, was forced to admit that the performance was both “good” and “unexpected,” saying, “I’m actually going to say yes!” Four booming “yeses” at once validated Medhat’s audacious goal of starting his own show in Vegas.
