From the beginning of their long history, musical instruments were crafted from whatever naturally occurring materials existed – animal skins, bones or horn, pieces of wood or stone. It is widely thought that these early instruments might have played a practical role – blowing a horn to signal a successful kill on a hunt perhaps, or beating a drum to communicate across distances. As the human race evolved, so too did the way in which music, and indeed art, developed. The crafting of drums and simple flutes grew ever more sophisticated, and these are thought to have been used in specific rituals; in different parts of the world, communities devised new and traditional instruments independently of each other.

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