BackgroundWhile music participation benefits older adults, engagement is often limited by age-related decline in respiratory function (Sharma & Goodwin, 2006; Janssens, Pache & Nicod, 1999), which can hinder breath control in wind performance. Additional barriers include complex digital music interfaces (Creech, 2019; Charness & Boot, 2009) and dominant narratives that prioritize therapy over creativity (Estes, Biggs & Phillipson, 2003; Laes, 2023). This study addresses these physiological, technological, and cultural constraints by exploring digital approaches to making breath-based instruments both inclusive and expressive, including the design and prototyping of a working system. Breath is intuitive, hands-free, and well-suited to older adults, with significant potential for shaping musical phrasing and emotional nuance(Cara & Mitrovic, 2024; Sakaguchi & Aiba, 2016; Thomasson & Sundberg, 2001). Its link to emotion regulation further supports its use in enabling emotionally resonant musical experiences (Philippot et al., 2002; Lehrer & Gevirtz, 2014).Aim and FocusThis study designs and evaluates a breath-controlled electronic wind instrument tailored for older adults. The system includes ergonomic mouthpieces to accommodate varied physical needs and interaction preferences. At its core is a minimalist multimodal feedback system that reduces sensory load through three key strategies: integrating visual (color, graphics, brightness), haptic (wearable vibration), and auditory (tones or voice) cues to provide subtle yet perceptible feedback; using adaptive breath scaling to suit individual capacity; synchronizing visual-haptic-auditory mapping to reduce cognitive load and cross-modal confusion.Therefore,the study addresses two main aims: adaptive breath control and multimodal feedback design, to enable expressive and low-effort musical interaction for older adults.Method and ApproachA dual-method approach combines co-design (Sanders & Stappers, 2008)—engaging older adults as equal partners—and research-through-design (Zimmerman, Forlizzi & Evenson, 2007), using iterative prototyping to generate insights. The resulting modular toolkit includes a breath-sensing mouthpiece, lip-pressure sensor, and haptic wristband. In phase 1, older adults define and test preset feedback levels. In phase 2, older adults test different degrees of breath sensitivity, pressure sensitivity, and multimodal feedback—including haptic, visual, and auditory cues—across expressive musical tasks. Evaluation covers usability (System Usability Scale; Brooke, 1996), workload (NASA Task Load Index; Hart & Staveland, 1988), flow (Flow State Scale; Jackson & Marsh, 1996), personal preference, and sensor-based accuracy.Conclusion and ImplicationsThis research explores a practical pathway to empower older adults as active music-makers, championing their creative potential through accessible technology. Its minimalist design fosters an accessible and low-burden model for ongoing engagement, offering key insights for cultivating inclusive musical communities across the lifespan.