At first glance, it seems the Beethoven example was just a vaguely out of place story to help set a particular theme, but I think using Beethoven, in particular as opposed to any other example/person, MIGHT have been a nod to Cass and her scene with the ghost and ax. Beethoven was/became, of course, profoundly deaf.…

yes! Actually, it really ties in nicely with his choice to use Beethoven as an example at the front of the episode(I like to think these both were nods to each other). After Beethoven lost his hearing, he famously used vibrations of the instruments-even taking the legs off his piano and playing while sitting on the…