Five years ago, MENC member David Heintz wrestled with limitations common for many rural music educators—insufficient resources and geographical isolation. One idea he had was to find a financially feasible way to provide students with exposure and experience to instruments. "I wanted to get instruments in students' hands," he said.

Having a workshop in his garage, Heintz decided to build an instrument that would meet his needs. He convinced the school district to spring for some mouthpieces and got to work. His first creations were a series of improvised instruments little more than soda bottles for flute practice.

Then one fateful day, he was giving a private lesson while his home's plumbing was being worked on. Heintz noticed that the clarinet mouthpiece he was holding matched a length of pipe. He returned to his workshop with a fresh perspective and redoubled his efforts.

The details required a lot of trial and error. The brass fitting was uncomfortable and the reed needed a jury rig of resin and rubberbands to stay in place. The result was a "crude but very functional" clarinet and flute hybrid. His next step was to cut off a trombone mouthpiece and add it to the other side of the pipe. the design would go through many phases until he worked out the bugs.

The result could act within a limited range of notes as most every brass or woodwind instrument save the double reed. He named the instrument the Clarflupet®.

An unusual discovery, but how might this Clarflupet be applied? Find out in part 2.

David Heintz teaches instrumental music lessons and directs bands for the Haverhill Cooperative School District in New Hampshire.

Coming in two weeks: A Magical Instrument, Part 2

— Paul Fergus, February 13, 2009, © MENC: The National Association for Music Education (www.menc.org)