Doo Dah Parade in California!

Songbird Ocarina has asked me to help recruit some Los Angeles area ocarinists for an upcoming event that should be awesome. Here's the specific details:

Performing as the Songbird Robot Brigade, you will have the opportunity to play the first Electric Songbirds, amplified ocarinas utilizing iphone technology.

• When: Saturday April 28th, 11AM
• Where: Pasadena, CA
• Must be available for prior rehearsals, and create a costume.
• Must be able to bring your own or borrow an iphone or ipod touch.
• More info about parade: http://pasadenadoodahparade.info

Let us know that you are interested and we will be emailing you the schedule, and the music for the three songs being played.

If interested, please send an email to songbirdocarina@gmail.com ASAP! -David

Songs for My First Album

These are all of the original pieces I've published on Youtube. Do you think they should all be on my first album? Would it be well balanced as is or should I write a few more pieces? (Note: none of these songs are complete...they are all ideas that need to be fleshed out a little more).



















Not listed:

OcTalk Jig
Festival Di Budrio (unpublished)

Winners of my "Five Years on Youtube" Contest!

~ Grand Prize Winner ~

"My favorite video is probably your "Storm's End" video. It was the first video that I thought that i wanted an ocarina. It was kind of you to write your own composition for storm victims. I watch it to inspire my self to make my own compositions. The Muse fitted perfectly with the song. It was played beautifully. Thanks for all the videos you've given us and for giving all your viewers the inspiration to raise the awareness of the ocarina! I now have three, because of you." - SlythR45

~ My Top 5 Favorite Comments ~

"hhhmm.... hard to choose a favorite video...oh! i know!
i pick that one video where you were playing that one song on that ocarina
yup, that one was definitely my favorite" -MajorasMask219

"All though it is very difficult to decide which videos is the absolute best since they all are great, I'm going to choose your rendition of "I Don't Want to Live on the Moon" played on the STL Horn. It was great to hear (and later learn), reminding me of why I have always loved that song, and to hold onto my dreams. It was wonderfully executed and truly shows the beauty and power of the ocarina, as well as your talent. To this day, it still brings tears to my eyes and rekindles my spirit." -zombiejlt1

"My favorite video is probably your "Storm's End" video. It was the first video that I thought that i wanted an ocarina. It was kind of you to write your own composition for storm victims. I watch it to inspire my self to make my own compositions. The Muse fitted perfectly with the song. It was played beautifully. Thanks for all the videos you've given us and for giving all your viewers the inspiration to raise the awareness of the ocarina! I now have three, because of you." - SlythR45

I've been subscribed to you since your 2nd year and, every video was better then the the one before. Besides being a HUGE Zelda fan your the reason I learned to play the ocarina because you showed that you can play almost any song on the ocarina. You have had so many great videos that I have loved! It is hard to choose a favorite...But id have to go with your Ballad Of the Windfish. That was the first Zelda song I ever heard and When I saw you play it..It was just a Beautiful rendition of it." - gornuf324

"I'm way asking Chad for you to join the orchestra, not only because it would be the greatest thing ever for it to come near me with an ocarina in it, but because you deserve to play with them, and how much joy you've brought to me. My favorite video/moment (which was INCREDIBLY hard to pick!) is probably 'Off To Italy' because it shows how much we fans appreciate you and how much you deserve for us to chip in and give you a gift in favor of all the fantastic gifts you've given us. Thanks David!" - wee1owen12


~ Runner Ups ~

"David, my favorite video by you above all has to be not only the first video I've seen by you, but the first video I've seen of a real ocarina being played: Song of Time. Ever since I was little I've wanted to play some kind of flute, I just wasn't sure what. I did everything from playing with the "pan flute" function on my brother's keyboard to buying a cheap wooden flute from an art museum gift shop for a dollar. And that video was my aha moment. Yes, ocarinas are real!" - flutterpony

"Ballad of the Windfish! I love how it starts soft then beautifully builds. The lake location was a perfect spot. That slow tilt up to the sky with the birds flying around is amazing. It also was the vid that introduced me to your channel. WOOT!
& the original Links Awakening was the 1st Zelda game I ever played and I remember Id talk to Marin just listen to her sing. Id sometimes fall asleep to it. Ive listen to other versions but none come close to yours. And that Double Ocarina is so AWESOME!" - zerozordon620

"it has been five years and you have made videos 203 videos, yet my favorite video has the be your first upload and the rare first and only non ocarina video 'cute kitten'" - Noobirdoc

"I sat here for a while trying to decide which of your videos I liked the best. Sadly I couldn't decide D: But I couldn't decide for a rather good reason. I enjoy all the music you have shared with us over the years and I plan to continue into the future, I myself have never actually seen an Ocarina IRL so whenever I see you've posted a new video I jump for joy :D Now I'm off to subscribe to your other two channels so that I can hear some more delightful music :D" - dragonsmoyer

"Hey David! My favorite video of yours is probably your cover of "Nothing but the Blood." I know this isn't an ocarina video but it was still an amazing cover. I am a Christian and when I first subscribed to your channel I didn't know you were until I saw that video. It was really exciting for me to find someone on YouTube with that much talent, extremely awesome videos and a love for God! Congratulations on 5 years!!! Keep em coming (:" - realgone23

"Hi Docjazz4:)I have several favorites:
-Victory Celebration(Star Wars VI ending)-it sounds amazingly great,really inspiring and it gives me a feeling of a jungle-bird-like effects and awesome percussion
-Shop Theme(Ocarina of Time)-it's a great tune,your playing is amazing and the video is so funnyXD
-Opening Theme(Ocarina of Time)-I can just see so much emotion in the playing here!
-Blue Bird (Naruto)-a very creative arrangement of the song
-My favorite JazzTune
-The Blarney Stone
no chars left" - stamaniorec

"The Song of Time: I actually have a personal connection to this video. This video is what got me into ocarinas and convinced me to buy one. Not too long after that, I got the ocarina and I spent every free moment I had playing every song I could get my hands on. Now, in a year, I have performed in front of several crowds and have even convinced my band teacher to allow me to play it in the concerts. Because of this I have also chosen my career to be in music, and all because I found this video." - WolfPrincessTwilight

"Dear David,
The video that is my favourite would have to be Never Far Away (David's Song) It brought a tear to my eye with the emotion written in that peice. Thank you so much David. Ever since I found you on youtube, my life has been changed in so many ways! A year or so ago, all I was interested in was video games. And now I play around 10+ different instruments! David, thank you for doing what you do." - Coleton33Music

"I would say the star wars episode VI ending cause you epicly did a 1 man orchestra and the song was better than the one in the orriginal movie xD,I t also showed me that even if you already now how to play an instrument doesnt meen you have to use only THAT instrument.
And so began the learning on how to edit videos with a basic soundtrack and the rest is up to the person in the video...and his clones xD" - IgorOgamer

"My favorite video has to be "OcTalk: choosing your first ocarina" becouse that was the first time I ever saw an ocarina and that was the video that changed my life. After I saw that I wanted nothing more than my own ocarina so I went door to door asking people if they would crack an egg over my head for a doller. after a while I had enuff to get a cheap plastic ocarina off ebay for ten bucks but it broke and along with it my heart broke too. but for my birthday I got a beter (still plastic) STL" - TheGamekid4444

How to Fix Broken Ocarinas

A few years ago, I bought an old ocarina off ebay that was cracked on the seam line (middle of the ocarina).



I was kind've bummed, but I got these two awesome tips from Barry Hall, a ceramic instrument maker and author of the book, "From Mud to Music".

First, clean out the crack with a can of compressed air. For gluing, there are
2 options I would suggest:

1. cyanoacrylate (super glue) - this is really thin and would penetrate probably
better than any other glue. It will be permanent.

2. for a reversible option, use polyvinyl acetate (PVA) aka white glue (like
elmers). You can thin it with water to the right consistency so it will
penetrate the crack. It holds ceramic very well. However, if you want to reverse
it, just soak in water and it will release. It would probably give a more
attractive result because you can wash the excess off the exterior of the
ocarina. The super glue is more difficult (almost impossible) to clean off, and
it's shiny. But you might want to touch up the paint job anyway.

Either way, you want to be sure you completely seal the crack airtight. Might be
difficult with either scenario. You might consider also putting a sealant on the
interior to help seal the crack. This could be diluted white glue. Also
possibly a polyurethane wood sealer. You can also use diluted yellow (wood)
glue, which is also water soluble (but only with hot water). Be aware that
sealing the interior could subtly change the tone, but frankly it might improve
and focus the tone.

The elmer's glue actually worked for me! If you use these two tips, please post your results in the comments to help others who are going through a similar situation.

Five Years on Youtube: How It All Started

As of December 31st, 2011, I have been on youtube for five years. Five years ago was when all this craziness started. A good kind of craziness.

A few weeks before that, I had received a brand new 12 hole ocarina in the mail. I don't now why I wanted it, or why I was constantly checking ebay for more listings of Spencer's ocarinas. But I did. And even when I kept losing auction after auction, I still kept coming back, determined to win that Zelda replica. I came really close to winning on November 6, 2006 and later that afternoon, I received a "second chance offer" from Spencer....and I went into shock *_* I leaped at the chance to get this ocarina for $255.00 ($263.45 with Shipping, which was a little more than I had budgeted for, lol). Five days later, I received this email: 

"Hello,

Thank you for your purchase and prompt payment.  Unfortunately, there was a slight delay in the shipment of your ocarina because it was damaged right after your purchase.  While packing it, I knocked it onto the cement floor and chipped the mouthpiece.  I have had to construct another one to send you, and it will be complete and shipped out Monday.  I apologize for this inconvenience. 

Thank you for your patience.

Spencer

Spencer's Ocarinas"

Once again, my zelda ocarina was broken, the first being my Songbird Sweet Potato several years prior ;_; About two weeks later, the ocarina finally arrived and I was stoked. I played it almost as much as my first ocarina and even though I was still learning how to play it, I had my first on-stage ocarina performance several weeks later for a Christmas party! It didn't go very well, but it was still fun, haha.

When my mom had found out how much I paid for the ocarina, she told me "If you're going to pay that much for an instrument, you better find a way to share it with the world!" I think she was half-joking, but it made me think. On August 26, 2006, I had opened an account on Youtube.com, which was WAY different from the Youtube we have today (google didn't acquire Youtube until November of that year). I decided to do a search for ocarinas on Youtube, and this is what I found...

There were actually several other videos, but I can't seem to find them :/ Needless to say, there wasn't much going on on the American Youtube other than Zelda tunes (Mountain Ocarinas were doing their own thing, lol) and I didn't find a single video about 12 hole ocarinas in the West. So, even though I was a little scared to put myself out there on the web for privacy issues, I posted my first ocarina video:

I was super excited and VERY nervous about the reception it would get. Within days I received my first few comments!

After that, I was posting videos every few weeks and my subscribers began to grow slowly, but steadily. Today, I have 201 videos, 72,859 Subscribers, and almost 33 million total views on my videos! Playing ocarina and posting videos have changed my life in so many ways and I hope to go a little more into detail of how over the next few weeks. Thanks for reading! - David