Should I Try A Mountain Ocarina?


Cliff here. I am the webmaster for Mountain Ocarinas, and I personally love Mountain Ocarinas. I also know that they are not the best instruments for everyone. To the best of my ability I want to help you answer the question, "should I try a Mountain Ocarina?" First, the highlights. Then, the details.


Good reasons to NOT choose Mountain Ocarinas:

1. You want a Zelda replica. Mountain Ocarinas are not similar to Zelda style ocarinas in any way, shape or form. You can certainly play Zelda songs, but a Mountain Ocarina will never look like Link's.

2. You want a transverse style ocarina. Mountain Ocarinas currently only makes inline style ocarinas.

3. You want a clay ocarina. Some people want a clay ocarina due to personal preferences. They may like the idea of clay. They might like its "earthy" feel. Everyone has different preferences. Clay is too fragile for Mountain Ocarinas' vision. Mountain Ocarinas only uses "high-tech" materials like polycarbonate, WarmStone, aluminum, and resin-impregnated hardwoods (Dymondwood®). They don't make any clay ocarinas.

4. You don't like the sound of Mountain Ocarinas. Because of the way Mountain Ocarinas are designed, they sound different than many ocarinas. If you've listened to their sound samples and watched their videos and just don't like or prefer their sound, you will not be happy with one.

5. You need a quiet ocarina. If you live in close quarters and need an ocarina that sounds good when played very soft and subdued, Mountain Ocarinas would be a bad choice. If you live in a dormitory-type, close-quarters setting where you usually don't want to be heard by anyone but yourself... MOs would not be the best choice. You can use a MO "silencer" (plastic drinking straw) to practice silently or quietly, but that sound won't be for enjoyment. Only practice.

6. You want a multi-chambered ocarina. Mountain Ocarinas currently doesn't sell multi-chambered ocarinas (double or triple ocarinas).



Good reasons TO choose Mountain Ocarinas:

1. You want to be able to play loud and powerful. You want to play outside without being drowned out by outdoor noise. You want to play with other musicians without needing microphone amplification.

2. You want a durable ocarina that you will not fear breaking. Mountain Ocarinas are TOUGH. And if you do accidentally break your ocarina, it will be replaced for life.

3. You want a palm-sized musical instrument that will fit into your busy lifestyle... instead of the other way around. You want an ocarina that you can take anywhere because you won't ever have to worry about breaking it. And if you do accidentally break your ocarina, it will be replaced. For life.

4. You want to eventually play fast, challenging, and technically difficult music. The instrument won't hold you back. It is concert ready.

5. You want the support from a warm, active community of ocarina enthusiasts. A community ranging from complete newbies to music to professional musicians... and everything in between.

6. You think you want a Mountain Ocarina... but aren't sure. The fact that you can try Mountain Ocarinas for 365 days, with minimal risk... is appealing.

7. You are new to music and want to learn on your own. The Mountain Ocarinas self-learning curriculum is a complete "music-teacher-in-a-box." If you will walk through the step-by-step lessons, you will learn the basics of music (reading music and rhythm) while learning to play the ocarina.

8. You are an experienced musician and you want an ocarina that you can "lean" on and push aggressively... as you would expect from a sax, trumpet, Boehm flute, or most mainstream instruments.

9. They are fun.





5 steps: Should I give Mountain Ocarinas a try?


Step 1: Watch the below 4 videos. If you like the way Mountain Ocarinas sound (when played well), continue to step 2. If no, consider one of the alternative ocarinas or instruments in The Details Page.



Step 2: Is it appealing to you to play an instrument that can go with you anywhere? If yes, continue to step 3. If no, consider one of the alternative ocarinas or instruments in The Details Page.

Step 3: Consider MO's guarantee and return policy. For optional details watch the below 2 videos. Continue to step 4.

1. 365 Days Complete Satisfaction Guarantee. Order any products directly from us (either from this website or over the phone). Try our products for as long as you like... up to one full year. If you decide for any reason that you don't want to keep any of our products, simply contact us by phone or email and let us know. We will cheerfully refund your full purchase price. We will also refund the shipping charges for orders shipped to the U.S.A.

2. Lifetime Breakage Guarantee. If your ocarina is ever accidentally damaged to a point where you can no longer play it, simply return it to us, and we will either fix it or replace it with an ocarina of similar value

Step 4 (optional): Watch the below 2 videos which explain the heart of Mountain Ocarinas. Continue to step 5.

Step 5: Read feedback from unhappy and happy customers: Customer Email: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Step 6: Do you want to try learning/playing Mountain Ocarinas?

Summary

One of the biggest plusses of Mountain Ocarinas is the "go anywhere factor." Here are some excerpts from posts on the MO forum that get at gist of this idea:

Do I want an instrument that resides in a special case, in a special place, where I go to play and practice; or do I want an instrument that I can have with me all the time?

i have guitars for which i've paid over $3,000.... none of which see the light of day except for special performances or recording work... never outside... never in an uncontrolled environment.... i have some flutes which don't go outside... the MO goes everywhere!

In terms of portability, Mountain ocarinas in particular have a great advantage. Although in size they are comparable to other ocarinas of similar range, they are all built to withstand exposure to just about any environment you're like to find yourself in, unless you're a firefighter. Clay ocarinas are portable in size (some of them, anyway), but pretty fragile...

I still play the recorder, but I play the ocarina more, because I always have it with me. Yes, there are some tunes that just don't fit on the ocarina. A lot of tunes can be modified to fit, but some can't. But the range of the ocarina is comparable to the range of the average person's singing voice... so a lot of tunes that can be sung can be played on the ocarina.


At the risk of over-generalizing, I would say that the people who are happiest with their Mountain Ocarinas are those who are enchanted by their sound and love having their ocarina with them... often.

For more information, continue to the details page.



Sincerely,



Cliff

VIDEO: my first youtube video


P.S. How helpful was this page for you? Do you have any sugesstions for improving it? If so, I'd love to hear from you. Email me at: ocarinaman -at- gmail -dot- com