Janie Rezner, Mendocino CA

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Information about Janie Rezner...

The ocarina is not difficult to play. I have sold them to accomplished musicians and to folks who have never before played an instrument. Playing the ocarina is a wonderful way to become a musician.

A musician friend who lost her ability to play the flute because of arthritis, purchased several of my ocarinas.  She attends retreats often held at Mt. Madonna, a retreat center on a mountain top just below San Francisco, and plays her ocarinas. She recently wrote: "My playing has gotten even richer, and most were ecstatic at the results. I love it as much as everyone else, especially because every time I play it is a surprise to me as well."

Another artist plays HER ocarina in her garden every evening to the birds sitting in a line on the telephone wire high above, in a beautiful rural setting next to the sea.

Prices range from $350 to $800. Click to listen to the ocarina and for information on how to purchase.

The ocarina is a vessel flute, hand-built and sculpted. The front two chambers play a full scale, the back chamber plays two notes and is played with the heel of the hand. The three chambers come together into a single mouthpiece. A chamber is formed by putting two pinch pots together, forming an egg shape. While the clay is still wet, an aperture is formed on one end of the egg, with a sharp slant on one side wall. Another small piece of clay with a thin windway through it is fastened above the aperture, placed so that air blown through the windway will hit the blade. This creates the sound. Tuning is an integral part of creating a beautiful- sounding instrument. I tune as I'm making it; however, I can't blow too much on wet clay, or the airway will collapse. Once finished, I burnish the surface to a smooth finish.