Writer

‘Beyond Music Workshops – A Composer and a Community’

It’s nearly two years since my chapter was published by Routledge. Before the work I’m doing with vocal improvisation changes out of all recognition — and becomes a new integrated ecology — I thought it would be good to finally publish the text on my website – that is the full version of the completed text.

As it’s a living practice, the work, both VTC and TIC!, continues to develop independently; new forms within the formless are articulated in fresh ways, and a new relationship to leadership is always on the cusp of its own becoming. But the chapter stands (with the amendments I had to make post the publication rush to the deadline). This PDF is that standing-still-moment where the text does enough to accurately reflect forms and flavours of the practices.

Something new is round the corner, I sense. An integration of practices, as I’ve been calling it to my newsletter readers. So before the whole thing potentially changes form, it feels right to hold the bones of the ‘leadership journey’ here, on the website. As I say in the post-amble on the Bandcamp audiobook – I wrote the chapter from the brief the editors asked for— a reflection on leadership. If that brief had not been a given, I might have approached the whole thing from a totally different perspective. (Don’t ask me to think what that might have been. Agh..).

Jenni’s chapter, titled above, was published in 2024 in The Routledge Global Companion to Women and Musical Leadership, the Nineteenth Century and Beyond, Editors Dr. Laura Hamer (Open University) and Dr. Helen Julia Minors (York, St Johns University). To purchase the complete book, see the link above for hardback and online digital with all the live links. Paperback will be published in due course.

Audiobook of the chapter, read by the author, main text, no footnotes.

‘A Composer and Community – Beyond Music Workshops‘ – has been made into an audiobook, read by Jenni. It was serialised on Mailchimp and Substack through the first half of 2025 and then published as a complete audiobook on Bandcamp on April 20th 2025.

“This is a beautiful ‘word composition’ that totally immerses the listener!” Ines

“It was not only a fascinating listen, but calming as well.” Wallee

“This is amazing. Wonderful to hear the clarity of your beautiful and calming voice. It is a joy to hear and compelling. Brava!” Gina

“Like fresh made ice cream – lovely hearing your voice reading your own words, , it somehow brings me closer to you…” Livia

“Beautifully read and soothing to listen to. Gives it another dimension.” Kate

“By listening to your beautiful delivery I absorbed what you were saying with so much more intensity than if I were just reading the words. Your description of the moment your world cracked open, and later the story of the two sisters dealing with grief through singing moved me to tears. You are so right, our Western culture does not offer an open, acceptable path to express the pain.” Angela

“…just wanted to say thank you, and how grounding and encouraging it felt to listen to you. A great reminder and refresher” Tuula, 2023 apprentice.

“This is a fascinating chapter in which we are given an in-depth insight into the creative process of an innovative composer, performer and leader. It is multi-levelled, dense with meaning and full of creative treasure. It draws on art forms other than music, particularly theatre and movement. It will therefore be of interest not just to musicians but to many creative practitioners, as well as to arts therapists, psychotherapists, teachers, university lecturers and those interested in leadership.  It is worth re-visiting particular areas of interest and allowing your curiosity to guide you through the chapter, instead of feeling constrained by reading it in the order in which it is written. In this way the relationship of the reader to the text reflects the creative process of Roditi’s own approach.” 

Dr Mandy Carr, former senior lecturer in creative arts therapies, clinical supervisor, dramatherapist and author. Extract above from 3-page review, March 2025.