The Sound of Music: Autistic Savant Style

In this installment I want to introduce you to several individuals whose extraordinary talents and contributions have been found in the dimension of sound and especially music.

I was first introduced to the concept of the savant when I happened upon a magazine article titled “Inside the Mind of the Autistic Savant” by Dr. Bernard Rimland, (1979).  A short time later, in 1981, I was surprised by the story of Leslie Lemke on a segment of the popular television program, That’s Incredible.  Also in 1981, MAY’S BOY: An Incredible Story of Love by Shirlee Monty was first published.  Dr. Darold A. Treffert had discovered Leslie in Wisconsin and shared his story through television and later in his book, EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE: Understanding Savant Syndrome, first published in 1989 and later updated in 2006 (pp. 11-14).  However, some three years earlier in 1986 David Henry Feldman, Professor of Developmental Psychology at Tufts University had published NATURE’S GAMBIT: Child Prodigies and the Development of Human Potential.  In an insightful discussion of Leslie (see pp. 114-122) Dr. Feldman presents a compelling story of May’s, Leslie’s mother, devotion to do the very best for this severely handicapped child (he was blind and did not speak or walk) that had been entrusted to her care as a foster parent. Leslie, now in his fifties continues on a limited schedule to delight audiences with his concerts on the piano and his singing, often with improvisations of famous singers.

In  1991, THE SOUND OF A MIRACLE: A Child’s Triumph over Autism by Annabel Stehli told the story of her daughter, Georgiana, and auditory integration training.  This thoroughly researched treatment modality has provided significant treatment for countless children throughout the world. Annabel’s wish to educate and inspire parents to defy and move beyond the terminal diagnoses of the “experts” is carried on by The Georgiana Institute.

The Autism Research Institute has published “The Efficacy of Auditory Integration Training: Summaries and Critiques of 28 reports of research (Jan 1993-May 2001) which concludes that AIT does benefit various population groups, especially autism.  This approach is certainly worth a careful look. (see www.georgianainstitute.org)

Moving forward, in 1996, after the groundbreaking success in creating public awareness of autism and especially savants in 1987, RAIN MAN’s inspiration, Kim Peek is the subject of a book by his father.  In THE REAL RAIN MAN: A Father’s Inspiring Account Kim’s father Fran offers a detailed picture of Kim as only a father would know.  This initial glimpse into the mind of Kim Peek was significantly up dated in June 2002 in an excellent article in SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN (pp. 75-85) “Islands of Genius” by Darold A. Treffert and Gregory L. Wallace.  But another quantum in Kim’s story was reported in the June/July 2006 issue of SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN MIND (pp. 50-55) by Darold A. Treffert and Daniel D. Christensen in “ Inside the Mind of a Savant.”  In this report, the authors examine Kim’s latest area of expertise (he already  has fifteen areas of encyclopedic expertise) –music!  His teacher April Greenan, a Mozart scholar, makes the following observations: Kim’s ability to recall every detail of a composition he has heard—in many cases only once and more than 40 years ago—is astonishing.  The connections he draws between and weaves through compositions, composers’ lives, historical events, movie soundtracks and thousands of facts stored in his database reveal enormous intellectual capacity. (page 55)

I, for one, am eagerly awaiting Kim’s next performance.

No mention of savant musical performance would be adequate, much less complete, without acknowledgment of the contribution of John Davis, Steinway artist.  With “John Davis Plays Blind Tom: The Eighth Wonder” (CD,1999) this contemporary artist has produced “the first commercial recording of the charming and historically-evocative piano music by the Georgia slave sensation, Blind Tom Bethune, one of the most famous, controversial, and highly paid pianists of the mid-to late-nineteenth century. “ (CD cover)  John Davis has now followed this magnificent re-creation in 2008, with “Marshfield Tornado:  John Davis plays Blind Boone.”  (CD) For a complete description of these CDs see www.johndavispianist.com.

In 2000 I directed An International Gathering of Savants at the University of Texas, and John Davis was joined in concert by Tony DeBlois, the latest, and certainly one of the greatest, autistic savant musicians in the world today.  What an amazing concert by these two stunning performers!  I had first been introduced to Tony by The Learning Channel presentation which wove together Tony’s story with that of Richard Wawro, subject of the international, award-winning documentary film WITH EYES WIDE OPEN. Richard is the autistic savant artist from Scotland whom I had worked with for over 20 years.  (Richard was also very knowledgeable in all types of music, pop to classical)  I learned that Tony plays over twenty musical instruments and has had numerous concerts throughout the world.  He has also received many prestigious prizes and honors for his performances. Since my first encounter with him, I have been blessed to be with him and on occasion to present with him.  Most recently I was with him in Chicago before Thanksgiving 2007 at the “Mental Health and the Brain” symposium presented by The Foundation for Human Potential and directed by Andrea Gellin Shindler.  The symposium brought together an amazing array of artists (visual, musical, dance) and scientists for two very full days of sharing. (see andreaFHP@comcast.net for future events)

At the Symposium I was able to obtain a copy of SOME KIND OF GENIUS: The Extraordinary Journey of Musical Savant Tony DeBlois by his mother Janice DeBlois and Antonia Felix (2005). The book traces Tony’s journey from birth at just over 1 lb of weight to his graduation in 1996 magna cum laude from the Berklee College of Music in Boston.  There is also a wonderful, brief account of the CBS Movie of the Week, JOURNEY OF THE HEART, staring Cybill Shepherd as Tony’s mother Janice.  More of Tony’s story may be found on Dr. Treffert’s web site at www.savantsyndrome.com and on his own web site www.tonydeblois.com.

Each of these marvelous musicians (with the possible exception of Blind Tom) was nurtured by an environment of love and trust and a strong belief in the possibility found beneath many layers and obstacles.  Perhaps author Ira Progoff in THE SYMBOLIC AND THE REAL expressed it best when he said,

But this is one of the things that love is called upon to do: to affirm and sustain the seed in a fellow human being even though no tangible evidence has been given of the nature and quality of the seed that is growing there.  Love is needed while the seed is still a potentiality. After it has come forth, the support of love is not nearly so necessary; praise and encouragement are sufficient then.

In this sense, the capacity to love depends upon the capacity to feel the reality of the future before it has tipped its hand, before the seed has disclosed itself, and while there is still no more specific basis for judgment than a feeling that links the depths of one person to the seed depths of another.  Love depends upon the capacity to reach beneath the surface of persons, to feel and touch the seed of life that is hidden there. And love becomes a power when it is capable of evoking that seed and drawing it forth from its hiding place. (pp. 165-166)

There is no doubt in my mind that Leslie Lemke, Georgiana Stehli, Kim Peek, Tony DeBlois, and Richard Wawro were each and every one able to flourish in just such a rich environment of love, praise, encouragement, and affirmation, and the results have certainly been spectacular.