A Review of Marsha Swanson – ‘Something Real’
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Twenty-plus years in the making…
That is the timeline behind TroubleChutes, the creative universe that ‘Something Real’ is now introducing to the world, and it is a timeline that reflects not procrastination or hesitation but the opposite: the slow, careful, determined accumulation of a vision that grew from a lifelong interest in songwriting, psychology and education into something that now spans music, publishing, illustration, animation, television and a whole-school emotional literacy resource published by Karnac Books and informed by Swanson’s extensive work across education, emotional wellbeing and therapeutic support.
The closest reference point Swanson cites for the project’s origins is Carole King’s Really Rosie, created with Maurice Sendak: a combination of emotionally honest songs and imaginative illustration that captivated her as a child and planted the seed of wanting to create something with the same artistic integrity for today’s children. TroubleChutes is what that seed grew into.
At its heart is a belief that music can help children explore complex feelings without telling them what to think or how to feel. Not instruction, not intervention in the conventional sense, but imagination and story and song creating a safe space for recognition and reflection and conversation. The educational resource, piloted in partnership with Oasis following an invitation from the late Camila Batmanghelidjh, with whom Swanson had previously worked at Kids Company, was later highlighted by The Guardian for producing significant improvements in pupils’ SATs results alongside increased motivation and confidence. These are not soft outcomes. They are measurable, meaningful and hard-won.
The song itself benefits from a production team that signals the seriousness of the ambition. Stuart Epps, whose credits include Elton John, Led Zeppelin and Chris Rea, contributes additional production and mastering. Henry Thomas, best known for BBC Rockschool, appears as a musician and presenter. Pianist Clifford Slapper, alongside musicians from Near Life Experience including Martyn Barker and Tony Qunta, gives the recording warmth and depth and the feel of a genuinely collaborative creative act.
Psychotherapist Susie Orbach has praised Swanson for bringing emotional literacy to songs while warming our hearts. Professor Brett Kahr describes her as both a talented composer and singer and a compassionate person who knows how to alleviate human distress.
‘Something Real’ is exactly that: something real. In every sense of the phrase.
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