Instruments
Ocarina
Although simple ceramic vessels with finger holes are used as wind instruments in many cultures, the ocarina in a European-American context traces its invention to Italy in the 1860s (although earlier examples certainly existed, they were mostly toys that were not capable of playing the full Western scale). The word itself is Italian for "little goose," and decorative ocarinas have been made in various shapes, avian and otherwise. Among Native Americans of both the Northern and Southern hemispheres ocarinas in elaborate animal shapes are common. Ocarinas are mass-produced for use in school music programs, which is where most people are most likely to encounter them, but fine artisanal instruments are still available. In the classical tradition, composers who have written for the ocarina include Penderecki, Ligeti, Janacek, and Respighi. The list of pop genres that have employed ocarinas is a long one; their gentle sound has suited them particularly for new age recordings.