Rolla Books

A sly fictional account of the good queen's holiday in Jamaica and her improbable adventures there. Lavishly illustrated with whimsical drawings of the black-clad queen kicking up her heels. A delight.

I was intrigued to read an obituary of Routh in the Economist (June 17th, 2008) and wasn't surprised to learn of his reputation as a eternal prankster. He was, it seems, star of the British version of Candid Camera in the UK. In later years he moved to Jamaica and took up painting. The Economist obit described his style thus:

"He painted nuns driving racing cars and flying balloons, the pope windsurfing, Mona Lisa naked or smoking. His favourite subject was the aged Queen Victoria, on an imaginary trip to Jamaica in 1871, doing the hula-hoop or the limbo dance, riding a zebra and driving dodgem cars. He could have found a more prosaic explanation for the missing three months of her reign. But he preferred, as ever, the shock of the absurd, and the sense of the detached voyeur intruding on private space."

Endearing illustrations of a tiny, white veiled Queen Victoria cavorting with courtiers the color of midnight accompany a tongue-in-cheek description of a monarch on a risque holiday adventure. This charming picture book is a wonderful addition for anyone who collects memorabilia from Jamaica.

The author has been studying the concept of inner music for the past two decades. The initial impetus for his work was a personal journal of music memory that he started in the late sixties. He defines inner music in this manner: "If you have ever had the experience of being involved in some activity where you find music simultaneously coming out of you in a variety of ways without consciously putting it there then you will understand exactly what is meant."
There are three sectons in the book. The first section examines the psychological foundations and theories for inner music. The second part of the book presents concepts for analysis. It is also a journal for recording inner music material. It is presented in a step-by-step fashion and is useful for both professionals and lay readers. The purpose of this section is to assist the reader in an awarenes of inner music patterns and into a discovery of their meaning and application. The strength of the book lies in providing a framework for the process of creative discovery of inner music through the "inner work exercises." The author also suggests a method of dream analysis as one way to work further with inner music. He describes a procedure based on the Jungian method of dream interpretation.
The third part of the book explores the relationship between music and the restoration process. One of the final exercises entails creating a personal soundtrack as a method for personal integration.
I recommend this innovative book to professionals and especially to music therapy students. It is a valuable tool in the process of self-discovery through inner music. Studies have shown that we are all capable of experiencing our inner music. This book shows us how to use it creatively to enrich our lives.

- synopsis from TUNING IN, the Newsletter of the American Association for Music Therapy, Summer 1994. Reviewed by Arlene M. Witt