I always had the same problem with the recorder. Never could stand the sound of that instrument. I got a tenor recorder, and that helped a little, but not much. A friend suggested (this was 20 years ago) that I play with a group. Have you ever heard a group (bunch? Flock? consort?) of recorders playing badly together? I barely survived the evening. I can see why everyone went into Beethoven (joke).

yours, Peter T.