The Mouth Piano was created to accomplish two central goals: to open more doors for musical expression and to provide a fun and interactive physical therapy experience. We created the Mouth Piano for a patient at the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center whose cerebral palsy renders his hands ineffective for playing traditional musical instruments. The patient is undergoing speech therapy that includes tongue exercises and instruction in tongue placement for sound formation. These characteristics made him an ideal candidate for the Mouth Piano, as he would benefit from both the artistic expression and the therapeutic value of exercising his tongue.

The Mouth Piano is an insert that is operated solely by using a series of tongue switches. There are eight switches, each of which correspond to one distinct note and together form a complete octave. Just as a traditional pianist is able to select individual notes or slur them by running his or her fingers across keys, the Mouth Piano musician is able to play melodies by activating individual switches as well as create free-flowing sound by sliding his or her tongue across switches in a fluid manner. The Mouth Piano also provides the opportunity for musical duets or ensembles if more than one person is equipped with an insert and MIDI synthesizer.

The Mouth Piano is connected to a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) synthesizer, which provides the audio output. To make this connection, there are two insulated wires that stem from the mouth insert and wrap to the back of the user's head. The interface was designed to fit securely over the user's top teeth and stay in place without assistance. The safety and health of users was a primary concern during the design process, thus we explored ways to waterproof our switches and use alternatives to solder.