What inspired you to create TroubleChutes?
I was introduced to music composer William Morris, another parent at my daughter’s school who was involved in music. At the same time, teachers were talking about some particularly difficult social dynamics that were affecting the children. William and I were looking for something of mutual interest to write about, and this seemed like a good opportunity to create a song that might be helpful in exploring some of the issues the children were struggling with.
I had previous experience running workshops around songs and lyrics with children at the charity Kids Company, and William had written musicals for children before, so it was an area where we naturally aligned. What began as one song gradually opened up the possibility of something much wider, and that became TroubleChutes.
What can you tell us about your new single “Something Real”?
I remember a teacher at my daughter’s nursery school telling me that she purposefully suggested non-fiction books for some children, particularly those with active imaginations who could become a little overwhelmed by too much fantasy. It stood out to me at the time because it wasn’t something I had consciously thought about before.
It did, however, make sense of something I had instinctively done when reading bedtime stories to my own daughter. I tended to favour books that, although fictional, also had some grounding in reality, such as characters going through situations children of that age might recognise. I was interested in how dialogue within an imaginary space could help a child understand something in reality.
I had this backdrop very much in mind when writing “Something Real”. I was identifying a need both for content that could help children explore the complex issues that arise in their everyday lives, and for an interested adult with whom they could think about them. That can be a powerful combination, allowing children to explore the events of their day and their emotional responses to them in a way that feels accessible and non-shaming.
Of all the songs I have written, I immediately felt this one had something in common with some of the early Elton John songs that I had loved as a child, and I was hoping to capture some of that in the production. For that reason, it was wonderful to be able to work with Stuart Epps, who has a long history of working with Elton John, as well as Henry Thomas, who recognised some things about me as an artist before I had even recognised them myself! Between them, they brought a powerful combination of experience and understanding to the record, and I’m really pleased with the end result.
Why do you think music can be so powerful when it comes to emotions?
Music can communicate something we’re experiencing but may find difficult to articulate. That alone can allow a listener to feel understood and less alone. Once lyrics are added, they can provide actual words and thoughts that help someone make sense of their own experience when the theme resonates with them.
When something external to us gives voice, through music or lyrics, to an internal feeling, that feeling is already being shared and can begin to lose some of its intensity. Music also gives us the opportunity to listen repeatedly, as many times as we need, while we get to grips with an experience and the feelings surrounding it.
There is another level when we sing along or, for musicians, learn to play the song ourselves. The experience becomes embodied as well as heard, giving us another way of expressing and working through what the music has brought to the surface.
How has your work with children shaped the music you create?
Anything that shapes my experiences and worldview also shapes my songwriting. I’ve worked with children from a wide range of backgrounds, with very different personalities, strengths, wounds, gifts, limitations and life circumstances. It has shown me that the complexities of nature and nurture are as alive as ever, and they remain an endless source of fascination to me that inevitably finds its way into my music.
Working with children has also reaffirmed some of the simplest truths about human nature for me. Regardless of all our differences, we benefit from having someone interested and attuned enough to meet us where we are, and to find the way of relating that enables us to engage most naturally. Following a child in that way can help them discover their own strengths, preferences and ways of seeing the world.
Those broader questions about human nature, relationships, love and how we become who we are have certainly found their way into my music in many different forms.
What are you most excited about for TroubleChutes next?
I’m excited to find out how our Ambassador School, St Mary’s, uses TroubleChutes in the autumn term. So far, they have used around four of the songs, and it was lovely to hear that the children wanted more and that they enjoyed the discussions with their teachers.
That’s what I’m most excited to see as TroubleChutes reaches further schools: teachers and children enjoying the resource together, and having some freedom within the school day to connect over music and the conversations that emerge from it. I’d like teachers to feel some of the freedom they once enjoyed to use their own professional judgement with children they know so well. They spend time with them every day, so there is an important opportunity for meaningful relationships that can stay with children for the rest of their lives.
At my own school, our teacher Lydia Ellis spent weeks working on musicals with us. The bond that grew from that shared experience is something we still treasure. I’d love TroubleChutes to create opportunities for some of those experiences between children and their teachers now.
I’m also excited to see whether the television pilot has legs to become a series. I love the idea of a multifaceted programme where children watching can learn from seeing other children explore the topics themselves. Children are naturally curious about what other children think, and I think there is a wonderful opportunity for some role modelling in seeing children and adults discussing subjects of importance together. Particularly post-pandemic, I think that could offer a lot of value. It would also allow schools watching the programme to join in themselves by accessing the TroubleChutes resource for schools. I would love to see that idea realised.
Photo Credit: Marsha Swanson.