Graham Lyons's 20 years' experience as a clarinet teacher gave him the overwhelming conviction that the way the standard clarinet was designed was anything but child-friendly. It was too heavy and its holes were too large for young children. The standard clarinet comes out of its case in five pieces, which have to be carefully assembled - a disincentive to practise. Furthermore it can not withstand the lack of care that children often give their possessions. A large proportion of school clarinets were always at the repairers. What was needed was a clarinet for children, designed without these obstacles to progress. After all, the whole point of the music lesson is to inspire and motivate children with a love of music, not put them through an obstacle course.

The result was the Lyons C Clarinet: lighter, easier to manage, ready to play straight out of its case and resistant to rough treatment.

Well, actually it wasn't all that simple! The research and engineering excellence required to produce the Lyons C Clarinet kept a team of dedicated musicians and engineers hard at work for four years. Read an interview with Graham Lyons below to get an insight into the hard work and inspiration that resulted in the Lyons C Clarinet.