David Erick Ramos plays the guitar, the ukulele, the piano, the bass, and percussion. But the thing he’ll forever be known for playing is an ancient wind instrument made popular by the Legend of Zelda video games. If Jimi Hendrix is considered a guitar hero, Ramos is an ocarina icon.

For those who have never heard of the ocarina, Ramos describes it as a clay flute that is most often shaped like a sweet potato. They come in all different sizes and hole configurations. Although the ocarina was created in Italy and slowly traveled all over the world, it never really had its moment in the sun until Nintendo released “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” (arguably the most acclaimed video game ever) in 1998. As both an instrument and a collectible, interest in the ocarina soared, but Ramos was one of the first musicians in the world to capitalize on this surge in popularity.

“I get to work with great artists all over Texas, and they all have the same sensibility, the same personality, and we all have the same sort of musical wheelhouse that we work from,” Reyes says. “Dude, it’s a great world to be in.”

On New Year’s Eve, 2006, he posted a simple webcam video to YouTube of himself playing “Song of Time” on his first ocarina. He knew he was on to something when the video generated a couple thousand hits in a few days and more than 10,000 in just a few weeks. Today, that video has notched more than 10 million views. Ramos has immersed himself in the ocarina universe ever since, and his YouTube portfolio has evolved considerably. About 235,000 people subscribe to his channel, and each video he posts requires roughly a week’s worth of effort between arranging the music, recording and producing the video, and mixing and editing the sound. “It’s pretty grueling,” he says before letting out a big exasperated laugh, but Ramos wouldn’t have it any other way.

David Erick Ramos, Lost Woods Medley (2017)>

Among his hundreds of videos you’ll find ocarina renditions of songs from La La Land, Coco, Twenty One Pilots, and Ed Sheeran, but you’ll mostly come across musical pieces made famous in video games. Video game compositions will forever be his greatest passion. Ramos has already performed for the sound track to the game “Yoku’s Island Express,” but his next life goal is for one of his songs to land in an officially licensed Nintendo game. He calls it his “next life goal” because he already achieved his first one when he joined The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses concert tour. “I can die happy now,” he says. “That game changed my life, so to be part of an official Nintendo event dedicated to it was literally a dream come true.”

As a soloist, Ramos warmed up concert audiences with ocarina sets in the lobby before finally realizing a decade-long dream and performing with the symphony onstage in Houston in 2016. While it was a thrilling experience, his most cherished memories of the symphony tour come from the educational workshops he staged at many of the stops. Ramos absolutely loves teaching people about both the history and the capabilities of the ocarina, and he uses his vast repertoire of ocarinas to get the point across. “When I do presentations, I bring about 200 years of history with me,” he says, noting that his private collection includes ocarinas dating back to the 16th century.

After hosting ocarina workshops at several video game and anime conventions (including San Japan in San Antonio), his burgeoning reputation caught the interest of colleges. He gave a presentation at Duke University and has collaborated with UCLA’s Game Music Ensemble. When students at Appalachian State University started an ocarina septet, they flew Ramos in to coach them on their technique and balance their arrangements. Ramos says he’s determined to prove that the ocarina is not only a fully functional concert instrument but also fun to play. That’s why his YouTube channel features tutorials and informational videos alongside his performances.

His fans show their appreciation in more places than just the comments section. His presentations are usually packed, as were his shows on a 2017 European tour. “More than anything else, it was cool to see that my fan base was real,” he says. “When you’re posting on YouTube, you don’t always know.”

On UTSA

David Erick Ramos studied music business and music theory from 2007 to 2011 while developing skills in the concert choir at UTSA. However, it was music composition class that he cherishes most. “That really helped me understand how deep you can go when composing music,” he says. In that class he wrote a piece called “Budrio,” named after the Italian city where the ocarina was invented, that appeared on his debut album. He credits music faculty member Linda Poetschke and John Silantien for giving him opportunities. “Honestly,” he says, “everything I learned at UTSA, I’ve applied.”

On His Favorite Video Games

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: “Of course!”

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening: “It was the first Zelda title on GameBoy, and the first Zelda game I finished. The premise is collecting musical instruments. Once you collect eight, you have to play an ocarina at the end. It’s a really beautiful ending scene. Any time I was feeling anxiety growing up, I would pull up that song and watch it.”

Crystalis: “It was more popular in Japan, but the soundtrack for that game was a huge inspiration for my music.”