PianoDisc has developed a product that makes playing the piano a reality for pianists who have lost the use of their legs.

With the Pedal Adapter System, a musician with limited--or no--leg mobility can maneuver piano pedals necessary for sustain, on and off, says PianoDisc spokesman Tom Lagomarsino.  Moreover, the system offers several switch designs to accommodate a variety of physical conditions.

For instance, one design places a hand-operated push button under the keybed, while a second approach features a mercury switch mounted in a headband and activated by a slight movement of the pianist's head.

Switches that produce pedal function also can be activated by moving a hip, bending an elbow or wrist, or even tilting the chin, Lagomarsino explains.  The switch also can be installed at various locations on a piano or the piano bench.

The genesis of the Pedal Adapter System grew from the problems of a California paraplegic...and pianist...Susan Etter in 1996.  Etter, who lost the use of her legs in a near-fatal car accident, wanted to resume her lifelong passion for piano playing, and went looking for a product that would help.

Numerous phone calls to local music stores, however, yielded nothing.  No one offered--or even knew of--a product designed to aid handicapped pianists.

Then, Etter turned to Bill Spurlock, a local piano technician, who searched the Internet for answers and, at one point, even tried to develop a product himself.   However, all his efforts failed.

It was at this point that Spurlock approached the people at PianoDisc, based in Sacramento, Calif.  PianoDisc engineers responded immediately to Etter's problem, telling her that creating a solution would be relatively simple.  The only question they had was why they never thought of doing it.

By adapting several electronic components of the PianoDisc system, the engineering staff created a prototype of the Pedal Adapter System in a matter of weeks.  Then, the system was given to Etter and Spurlock for testing.

"The first time I tried it, I couldn't believe it," Etter recalls.   "It worked.  I almost cried.  I think any pianist can understand how I felt.  I guess you could say I've had to relearn pedaling--to transfer the impulse to move my foot to moving my head instead.  But it's coming along.  The main thing is, I can do it now, and I'm so grateful."

With a patent pending on the system, PianoDisc's parent company--Music Systems Research, based in Sacramento, Calif.--has included the Pedal Adapter System in its line of new products, which was introduced recently at the National Association of Music Merchants show in Los Angeles.

The Pedal Adapter System is available through special order by calling PianoDisc at 800/566-3472.