The Solfege philosophy

“Music is like fragrance, colour, air, water, fire – it does not discriminate nor does it have any religion” – Arun Apte

The Solfege philosophy is reflected in our logo:

Sol refers to the positive life-giving energy of the sun – positivity breeds positivity!

Sol is the fifth degree of the chromatic musical scale. The interval between Do and Sol is the most harmonic in music – it is indeed harmony within oneself that Solfege Music Therapy seeks to promote.

Sol as a musical note (swara) corresponds to and resonates with the fifth subtle energy centre within our subtle body. The qualities of this energy centre is supplied by Vishuddhi chakra in the form of the power of communication. The development and enhancement of the power of communication and connecting through music in central to the Solfege philosophy. In addition to conventional and current proven music therapy methods Solfege Music Therapy has been informed and shaped by principles from within the Indian classical musical system. As part of its unique services SMT offers group or individual sessions in ‘Indian Vocal Music Therapy’.

Solfege is technically speaking a pedagogical solmization technique for learning music by ear which also teaches how to discern pitch relationships. This is possibly an under-rated and less popular method for learning music, which relies on our sense of hearing rather than our sense sight. In earlier times and in other cultures this natural and innate method of developing musical skills was more prevalent, such as for example in India, where music is generally learnt via aural memorisation rather notated music. Here ‘sargam’ is the equivalent term for solfege. Such aurally developed musical skills lend themselves towards free improvisation and spontaneous music creation, which allows a person to tap more directly into intrinsic musical creativity. This breaks down the inhibiting barriers of classical musical training, which can potentially stifle participation in music and particularly for therapeutic purposes.

Yin/ Yang literally means ‘light and shadow’ – we all embody both of these opposite but equal qualities, and different degrees between these polar extremes make up our whole being (the circle/world). By being highly empathetically attuned the music therapist can assess where a client is positioned within this spectrum, and can then musically ‘meet’ him/her in the particular position, whilst gently and therapeutically guiding them towards balance or a specific and desired outcome. Music itself generates many moods or ‘rasa’ which can be utilized in this process. This also relates to the ISO principle in music therapy, where clients’ moods can be met, attuned to and affirmed, before moving the music in a new and specific prescriptive direction.

If we find ourselves in the shadow of the past, music therapy can move us towards the light; if we are experiencing anxiety about the future, music therapy can direct us back to the present moment and towards a balanced perception of reality.