20 Years of Ocarina Design: A Journey of Exploration

For nearly two decades, ocarina design has been one of the driving forces behind our journey at STL Ocarina. Looking back today, it is incredible to see how much the instrument, the community, and our own philosophy have evolved over the years.

When people see a finished ocarina, they often only see the final product. What they do not always see are the countless experiments, revisions, and questions behind each design. Every instrument represents a process of discovery. Sometimes the changes were technical. Sometimes they were artistic. And sometimes they completely changed the way we thought about the ocarina itself.

This article is not simply a timeline of products. It is a reflection on the ideas, challenges, and creative decisions that shaped our approach to ocarina design over the years.

Before we ever designed our own instruments, we spent several years selling ocarinas created by other artists and companies. Many of those makers remain important partners to this day. During those early years, we learned a tremendous amount simply by talking with customers and understanding what players wanted that was not yet widely available.

As time went on, certain patterns began to emerge. Players wanted more variety. Some wanted instruments that felt more comfortable in the hands. Others wanted more reliable tuning or a better balance between high and low notes.

These conversations slowly pushed us toward creating our own instruments.

Around 2007, we began experimenting with our first original designs. Looking back now, many of these early instruments were modest in appearance, but they became the foundation for everything that followed.

At the time, we were still figuring out what direction we wanted to take. Some designs explored different shapes and proportions. Others focused on ergonomics and finger placement. We even experimented with an inline ocarina because we were curious how changing the layout might affect the playing experience.

Every experiment taught us something new.

The earliest stage of ocarina design was not about perfection. It was about learning.

Even small adjustments to the shape of an instrument could completely change how it responded. Finger hole placement, chamber proportions, mouthpiece angles, and airflow all influenced the overall playing experience.

We also realized that some notes on the ocarina could still be difficult to control consistently, especially at the highest and lowest parts of the range. This became one of the major technical challenges we wanted to improve through future ocarina design.

As the years progressed, our priorities began to shift. Instead of simply experimenting with ideas, we became increasingly focused on solving specific problems.

At that time, we believed the ocarina still had a great deal of untapped potential. Beautiful tone alone was not enough. We wanted instruments that felt balanced, reliable, and comfortable to play across the entire range.

This period became heavily focused on functionality. We spent years refining tuning accuracy, breath balance, ergonomics, and reliability. Our goal was to make the instrument feel more natural and easier to control without sacrificing musical expression.

One important collaboration during this period came through our work with Ocarevolution. Together, we developed instruments with wider pitch ranges, giving players access to more musical possibilities on a single ocarina.

In 2012, we also introduced our first bass ocarina. This opened the door to a deeper voice within the ocarina family and expanded the instrument’s role in ensemble playing.

Another notable development was the Chameleon Ocarina, which included an adjustable tuning system. Our philosophy was simple. If the ocarina was going to perform alongside other instruments, musicians needed a practical way to fine tune pitch when necessary.

This era of ocarina design was shaped by problem solving and functionality.

Around 2016, our thinking began to change again.

Until that point, much of our attention had been focused on improving performance and solving technical challenges. But eventually we began asking a different question:

Could the ocarina also become a work of art?

This idea led to one of the most visually creative periods in our history of ocarina design. We still cared deeply about tuning and playability, but visual expression also became a central part of the design process.

One of the clearest examples of this philosophy was the Element Ocarina series. This collection featured seven instruments inspired by elements found in nature. Each design explored a unique visual identity through shape, texture, and surface treatment.

We also introduced instruments such as the Dragon and Phoenix Ocarinas, where the bodies of the instruments featured flowing curves and highly detailed artistic carving.

At the same time, the Legend Ocarina series experimented with different finishes and surface textures, pushing the visual side of the instrument even further.

Yet even during this artistic era, technical innovation continued. Instruments such as the Ivy Double Harmony Ocarina represented some of the more advanced developments from this period.

For us, this chapter proved that ocarina design did not have to choose between functionality and artistic expression. The two could evolve together.

In recent years, our exploration has continued in entirely new directions.

One major area of focus has been the shape of the instrument itself. Traditionally, most 12-hole ocarinas follow a recognizable silhouette that has remained relatively consistent for many years.

But we began wondering how much freedom the form itself could have.

Designs such as the Winter and Lunar Ocarinas were created to explore this idea. Rather than strictly following traditional outlines, these instruments allowed shape and visual identity to become part of the artistic expression.

The Lunar Ocarina also explored a new musical direction. It was designed in E-flat major, a key we had not previously offered in a 12-hole ocarina. In this way, the instrument was not only visually different, but also helped fill a gap in our product line.

At the same time, our exploration expanded into materials.

For centuries, ceramic remained the standard material for ocarinas. Later, plastic became widely used for beginner instruments because of its durability and accessibility.

Today, we are also exploring wood and metal.

Each material behaves very differently. Wood resonates differently from ceramic. Metal changes the feel, response, and construction process entirely. These differences create new challenges that require completely different approaches to ocarina design.

Learning how to work with these materials has been both exciting and difficult. Every material introduces new technical problems, but it also reveals new creative possibilities.

The future of ocarina design is still unfolding.

This instrument existed long before we began designing them, and it will continue evolving long after us. What we have done over the past two decades is simply explore one small part of what the ocarina can become.

Every design began with a question. How can the instrument feel more comfortable? How can it sound better? What new shapes, materials, and artistic ideas might still be possible?

And the truth is, we are still asking those questions today.

The future of ocarina design will not be shaped by one company alone. It will continue to evolve through musicians, artists, makers, and the growing community surrounding this remarkable instrument.

We would also like to thank all the artists, engineers, partners, employees, and musicians who have contributed to this journey over the years. Designing an ocarina is never the work of a single person. Every instrument reflects the creativity and dedication of many people working together.

The story of the ocarina is still being written.