Zelda Fan of the Week: Caroline Soucy: Ocarina Creator With the Skills to Match

Welcome back to our Wednesday Weekly Feature: Zelda Fan of the Week! For those unaware, we take one fan (or a group of them) each week and feature some various things. This could be comics, art, music, or even cosplay… so long as it pertains to The Legend of Zelda. This week, we take a trip into the musical realm of the fanbase with Caroline Soucy, otherwise known simply as Caro.

Caro is an experienced musician and has been a dedicated Zelda and ocarina fan since she first experienced Ocarina of Time. A creator of a great many varieties of replica ocarinas, she has recently undertaken two separate Kickstarter Campaigns in order to further her musical abilities and experiences, as well as provide a unique opportunity to Ocarina of Time fanatics. Her campaign to create a Zelda: Ocarina of Time Replica set (pictured above) has started to garner attention from the Kickstarter community and staff, and we had the good fortune of being able to interview the Canadian artist to get the full details:

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Jeff Edelstein: For those who might not know, could you describe your Kickstarter campaign in your own words?

Caro: As an ocarina maker, I want to make the first Zelda: Ocarina of Time themed full ocarina set featuring 6 kinds of ocarinas: sopranino pendant, soprano transverse, alto transverse pendant, alto transverse, tenor transverse and bass. Kickstarter allows me to raise funds to buy all the expensive materials (precious metal luster can cost up to $100!) and begin the creation of these high quality collector sets.

You sound very knowledgeable about the different kinds of ocarinas! How long have you been making and playing ocarinas?

When I discovered the game Zelda: Ocarina of Time, I fell in love with the beautiful instrument and I absolutely wanted to start ocarina making! I began to play at 13 years old and making ocarinas in 2005 when I was 18 years old. I was especially fond of making pendants with English fingerings and now I’ve been making all kinds of ocarinas for 4 years. I developed molds to have a standardized shape and improve my creation techniques. Additionally playing concert flute and cello for many years has made me good at making sure my instruments have a pleasant sound.

So you have experience with other instruments as well?

Yes. I have played concert flute for about 7 years, and I took private lessons and participated in solo contests. I also played cello for 4 years (I’m self-taught), and I played in University of Sherbrooke’s Orchestra and “Seventh art” Orchestra (“Orchestre du Septième Art”, only playing movie music). I had to stop playing in bands to concentrate on my studies but now I have graduated and I would like to invest myself more in music.

Is this Kickstarter a big part of that push to invest more in your musical abilities?

Yes it is, at least for ocarina making. Since I can’t live off ocarina making, I always re-invest all the gains in materials and musical instruments. It’s a kind of exchange of music for music. I cannot buy all the things I need to make the best looking instruments and better molds, so that’s why I began a Kickstarter project, knowing that the only thing that limits my progression is funds.

Have you ever collaborated or considered collaborating with other musicians who are Zelda fans?

I have not collaborated with Zelda fans before, although I have listened to them for guidance. It could be a great experience; I’m a Zelda fan too after all! I have always been alone in my projects because, sadly, nobody near me is interested to learn more about this instrument. I am more present in the Internet community than in person because in Quebec the ocarina is not a well known musical instrument.

There are certainly a lot of musical fans out there, so I’m sure it’s only a matter of time! You say in a video of yours that you’re looking to expand into the harp. Is this inspired by the Goddess Harp from Ocarina of Time?

I always wanted to learn harp; it’s a calm instrument and a beautiful accompaniment to ocarina while making multitrack videos. In the game Zelda: Ocarina of Time I was amazed by the beautiful sound of the Sheik‘s lyre (at first I also thought it was a harp) so I wanted to have one even more! The video is for my second Kickstarter project, for which I am also selling all the ocarinas I make.

My mistake! I always mix them up. So can we expect to see multitrack videos from you in the future?

Yes of course! I’ll make videos of all of Zelda: Ocarina of Time‘s popular songs using Ocarina, harp voice and cello. I could also add piano and percussion. My first multitrack song was “This Land” from “The Lion King”, which took me about 3 weeks to learn and record. The sound is not good but I’ll use a better microphone to make my next videos.

Wow! We’ll definitely be looking forward to those. Before we go, is there anything you’d like to say to ocarina players, new Legend of Zelda musicians, or fans?

Yes! I want to tell everyone this: Believe in yourself. From video games can come real hidden talents and inspirations for people at every age. Don’t be shy, play Zelda music with your friends or family; this game series is full of beautiful music that everyone loves to hear! Also, ocarina making is for everyone who loves to craft and play music and it IS possible to learn! Just try and maybe you’ll discover a new passion!

Thank you so much for your time and we wish you luck in your campaign!

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For those who would like to learn more about this artist, check out her website and her deviantArt pages. Additionally, photos of her works are below in our gallery. If you’d like to help this amazing project come to fruition, head straight on to her official Kickstarter campaign page!