When a simple idea meets two stubborn and visionary minds, something extraordinary can be born. That’s how ODLA came to life — a keyboard with a raised, clickable staff, now patented internationally and adopted by schools, transcribers, and musicians all over Italy (and beyond). But let’s start from the beginning.
Renato Pace and Alessandro Pace — father and son, both musicians — are no strangers to the world of music education. They have experienced music not only as an art form, but also as a language, an educational tool, and a bridge for inclusion. ODLA was born precisely from two different yet parallel generational experiences.
In his early years teaching in public schools, starting in 2016, Alessandro often found himself working as a special education teacher. His direct experience with students with special educational needs revealed how essential it is to have tools that are suitable, simple, and — above all — accessible. Because music, which should unite us, often runs into technical or structural barriers.
Meanwhile, Renato was collaborating with a blind composer from Palermo, helping him transcribe his scores using a computer. It sounds simple — if it weren’t for one issue: the most common music notation software is anything but friendly to the visually impaired. The two began to wonder: why should writing music — a right and joy for anyone — be so complicated for someone with a visual disability?
That question became an idea. And the idea became a project. What if there were a physical, raised staff — what if you could touch a traditional music stave and insert notes into a digital score simply by clicking on the lines and spaces?
That’s how ODLA was born: a hardware device entirely developed in Italy, featuring a true Raised Staff and, in its special version for special needs, equipped with a customizable voice guide. A device that allows anyone — sighted or not — to write music in an intuitive, fast way, without learning complex new codes or facing major technological barriers. But there’s more.
Over time, ODLA has proven to be much more than a tool for the visually impaired. Its multisensory approach has also been effective for students with dyslexia (SLD), ADHD, or high – functioning autism. Why? Because ODLA doesn’t oversimplify music — it makes it logical, tactile, and accessible. It’s an inclusive and innovative tool that enables everyone, regardless of ability, to use the traditional staff to transcribe and create music.
Today, ODLA is used in many Italian schools: by music teachers, special education teachers, professional transcribers, students with specific learning needs, and music enthusiasts looking to explore composition in a new way.
Renato and Alessandro firmly believe that music is a powerful tool for educational inclusion. And ODLA is the practical proof: when ingenuity meets heart, music can truly speak to everyone.
