Music

Therapy For Aspergers

Music is widely accepted as a therapeutic outlet for those trying to cope or
those suffering from a mental disability. Sherlock Holmes qualifies in both of these
categories. Holmes is trying to cope with the idea of the two people closest to him
leaving as well as his slight case autism. His partner in crime is moving on with his
life by planning to marry a lady and move out of the shared apartment. Irene Adler
is the only female that Holmes has ever shown any interest in or affection towards,
however, she is always on the run and isnt a stable source of support. These are the
parts where music comes into play and is something that Holmes inadvertently
relies on to express himself. The scenes where he is seen playing his violin
throughout the movie correspond with scenes that he is troubled and or dealing
with a tough case where the answer isnt obvious. Music is an outlet that helps
Holmes through tough situations and makes sense of what is going on around him.
He uses it as an outlet for expressing himself; one is his healthier ones at that, the
idea that Holmes has Aspergers contributes to his interest in music and affects his
relationships.

Watson and Holmes have a very close relationship. Holmes has the tendency
to not let people get close to him. However, Watson is fortunate enough to be friends
with Holmes as well as a fellow musician. Their individual styles compliment one
another and reveal much about their personalities and even their past. Holmes was
not trained traditionally. This is revealed in how Holmes holds the violin as well as
the detail that he cannot read sheet music (Mundy 2). Holmes is gifted enough to
learn everything by ear and plays by his own rules. There are no restrictions on him
because he doesnt have to follow a prearranged composition. Watson is his
accompaniment, just like he would be in real life on a case. He serves as support to
Holmes in both music and in general. This support is crucial for Holmes despite the
fact that he believes he doesnt need human interaction. If Holmes doesnt find
something mentally stimulating he doesnt want to waste time on it. This
characteristic of Holmes is attributed to Aspergers; those suffering from this
syndrome usually require constant entertainment in order to stay engaged (King 1).
Music is often used as a method of therapy for people who suffer from the slightest
mental disability to those suffering from a variety of more serious cases.

Holmes difficulty with interpersonal relationships is another one of his
qualities that supports the idea that he has Aspergers. Aspergers patients tend to
have difficulty connecting with others, their ability to keep up conversations and
participate in social situations is not a skill that they are strong (King 1). Holmes
doesnt always rub people the right way, he doesnt make friends with his other
colleagues since he tends to offend them or blow them off. He is quite blunt and
doesnt always filter what he is thinking. This is evident when Holmes agrees to go
to dinner with Watson and his fianc Mary Morstan. During dinner Morstan makes
the mistake of asking Holmes to analyze her just to see what he is able to deduct
based on her appearance and demeanor. The discussion ends with Holmes getting a
glass of wine thrown at him, Morstan leaving, and Watson having to chase after her

since she was upset. Holmes definitely did not filter what he was thinking and didnt
necessarily take into consideration Morstans feelings. Even though Holmes was
absolutely correct in his evaluation, the manner in which he went about presenting
the information was hurtful towards Morstan. The fact that Holmes doesnt notice
he is offending Morstan is another characteristic that supports the idea that Holmes
has Aspergers. People with Aspergers lack social empathy and social awareness,
this is clear while interacting with Morstan. Aspergers patients are sometimes out
of touch with the feelings of others, more specifically who they are interacting with
(Albrecht 1). Holmes is a prime example of a person who is completely unaware.


Although Watson is affected by Holmes condition because it hurts those
around him, Watson sticks with Holmes and is able to interact with him in such a
way that Holmes not only responds, but responds positively. Watson is able to brush
off Holmes blunt words and does not take them to heart. He understands that
Holmes is simply too smart for his own good and just oblivious to his offensive
words so therefore doesnt mean them. This is when Holmes turns to music though,
when he is upset and feeling frustrated (Mundy 3). These are time when he is
unhappy with Watson or a case and doesnt know how to express it. Watson simply
takes his role as accompaniment and helps Holmes cope. The way Holmes
transposes his music into different keys and from instruments different from his
own is one way he works through things. It is a challenge that he knows he can
overcome so it makes him feel better (Gold 1). As mentioned above Holmes was not
traditionally trained. This detail shows that music is a therapeutic release since
Holmes was able to discover it all on his own and he did not abandon that hobby.
Holmes being a scientist of sorts takes interest in things that can be rationalized and
explained. Music contradicts this interest. Music is something that can be
interpreted and influenced by emotion. Emotion is not something Holmes and
people with Aspergers are in touch with or can relate too (King 2).

Holmes plays his violin when he doesnt know what he is feeling or how he is
supposed to feel. His fear of being abandoned by Watson is one of the main things
that causes him to escape to music. He is able to focus on that and block out what
else may be around him. Holmes ability to focus all of his attention on one aspect of
the environment around him is very valuable when solving a case or just simply
trying to figure out what is going on in his head during an emotionally demanding
problem (King 1). When Holmes is tricked into going to dinner with Watson and
Morston, Holmes actually shows up early for the event because he is unaware of
who is going to show. Holmes waits at their table while he waits for Watson and
Morston. Meanwhile Holmes focuses in on all the sounds in the entire room, the
conversations and the classical music that is playing in the background. The
speaking, ticking, clanking, and classical can all be combined into the music of the
room, something that Holmes can try and organize and figure out, basically a
distraction. He takes the time to listen to every component and takes each sound
into consideration. Sadly Watson and Morston interrupt this process and Holmes is
forced back into reality to now deal with Watson leaving him again.

The music in the background fades once Holmes begins the process of
examining Morston and judging her. Holmes identified something to keep him
occupied, he has a case to solve, who, what and why is Morston with Watson and is
she good enough for him. This shows that Holmes is most comfortable when his
brain has something to work through. Whether it is music or something interesting
that he has never seen before, his mind quiets and allows him to focus on that new
problem. Music helps Holmes deal with society since he isnt all that good at
handling it and interacting with people within it.

Music is therapeutic; it is a nonthreatening source that can have a soothing
affect on an individual (Gold 1). If Holmes was feeling overwhelmed by a situation or
emotions he would turn to music or his surroundings for comfort. Holmes
relationship with music is very similar to his relationship with Watson. Actually, the
relationship is intertwined. Both of these, music and Watson, provide support for
Holmes when he is feeling overwhelmed or concerned. Watson provides the human
interaction that Holmes needs even though he claims to not. Music on the other
hand is an integral part of Holmes life and the movie as a whole. It provides him
with an outlet to escape and express himself since he doesnt know how. Both
concepts, the human interaction and the musical outlet, are comforting to people
with Aspergers (Gold 2). In relation to the movie, music is not just the soundtrack it
helps to show how Holmes is feeling and what he is focusing on, as well as adds
emphasis to the more action packed parts of the film.

Aspergers syndrome provides Holmes with many defining characteristics
and personality traits. They make him very unique, more importantly they influence
his relationship with music. Music is important to Holmes even if he doesnt readily
admit it; it is an outlet for him to express himself when he is feeling anxious or
overwhelmed by a situation or case. Aspergers makes Holmes a very talented
detective. It also influences his musical ability and causes him to be a very skilled
musician.

Works Cited
Albrecht, Karl. Did Sherlock Holmes Have Asperger Syndrome? | Psychology Today.
Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness Find a Therapist. 13 Oct. 2011.
Web. 16 Feb. 2012.
Gold, C., T. Wigram, and C. Elefant. Music Therapy for Autistic Spectrum Disorder.
Wiley Online Library. Cochran Corporation, 2010. Web. 16 Feb. 2012.
King, Lorna J. Autism, PDD-NOS & Aspergers Fact Sheets | Introduction to Auditory
Integration Training and Music Therapy as Sensory Integration Interventions.
Autism, Aspergers Syndrome, PDD-NOS and Related Disorders: Fact Sheets to
Help Parents. Web. 16 Feb. 2012.
Mundy, Oliver. Sherlock Holmes and Music: A Slight Monograph. Rochester: Camden
House, 2011. Print.