HEY, OCARINA: An ocarina is traditionally a handheld wind instrument that was most commonly used in Chinese music and then had a recent popularity explosion when it was featured in Nintendo's "Legend of Zelda" games.

Its connection to St. Louis would seem tenuous at best if it weren't for Dennis Yeh, director of STL Ocarina and the man responsible for commissioning what he describes as the largest ocarina in the world.

The instrument, which is based in St. Louis, was manufactured from clay. It weighs 28 pounds, is 38-inches long and is hollow but could hold 42 gallons of liquid, according to Yeh.

"No one has been able to successfully produce something like this before. We see it as a challenge," Yeh said. "We sponsored this project right from the start because we wanted to solidify our position as the industry leader."

Yeh said he designed the finish for the ocarina, and Heather Scott, an STL Ocarina performer and instructor with the St. Louis School of Music, consulted on the key positions.

Most ocarina players cover holes in the instrument with their fingers to play it, but the giant ocarina requires saxophone-style keys. Yeh said the instrument is so large it must be held on a stand to be played and produces a sound that is different from the tradition ocarina.

Yeh said STL Ocarina was established in 2005 to help revive interest in ocarina playing. He said he plans to use the big ocarina in performances and will sell it if a buyer is found. Yeh added that the company's ocarinas have been used in performances by major symphony orchestras, including the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the New World Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony and the Chicago Symphony.