GO KID MUSIC - AL START

Hailing from Brighton UK, acoustic singer-songwriter Al Start has made quite a name for herself on the vibrant UK music scene. Both as a solo performer and with her fantastic folk-happy acoustic band. 

With great musicality and powerful performances, this Brighton Institute of Modern Music (BIMM) graduate has toured extensively across the UK and USA. From London’s UCL Bloomsbury and Mean Fiddler, to Glasgow’s mighty Barrowland via Liverpool’s Cavern Club back to Brighton Dome...across to New York’s Rockwood Music Hall...

She played in pubs, clubs, at music venues, festivals, international events, conferences, in hotels, restaurants, busked in the street and even sang on a yacht!

These years of live experience taught Al a great deal about how to engage and entertain an audience and she honed her performance skills.

“Some girls are just born to perform.” DIVA 

In 2007 Al took a side-step into children’s music. Combining 25 year’s experience of working with children with her personable live performances, this has been the most exciting and rewarding career move to date. Collaborating with and writing for the likes of Glyndebourne Opera, national music charities Rhythmix, Sing Up & The Dome, touring festivals, venues and schools. She leads singing assemblies, runs music & songwriting workshops and even teaches ukulele. Al has found a whole new enthusiastic audience.. here's what they say:

“The songs have great tunes”     

 “I like that the songs are different from other songs”   

“She puts funny bits in!”     

“I like it because it’s nice when everyone sings together”       

“Singing Assembly is really exciting, it wakes me up!” 

In 2015 she set up children’s music company Go Kid Music whilst studying business on Natwest’s Entrepreneur Accelerator. This led to developing GKM’s online platform with digital music clubs and courses for schools and families. Al’s children’s songs are well crafted, full of sign language, humour and are creating a buzz across the UK and beyond. 

 “We really like the range of songs; the children like the signs and are amazed by her voice. Songs are very appropriate, fun and very exciting for the children. 10 out of 10 for effort and enthusiasm, Al!”  - Reception Teacher

Al has worked on some exciting projects with Glyndebourne Opera House, the Young Offenders Service, Young Carers, Brighton Dome & Festival, Brighton and Hove Museum and Art Gallery, Rhythmix children's music charity, Vocal Force and the national schools singing organisation Sing Up.

She has even had her songs, Creepy Castle and Let's Harvest included in Sing Up's nationally distributed schools magazine and song bank. They were so popular Sing Up have commissioned five further songs; What Makes a Family?, Living it up in Greece, Geography Song and Hey, Little Frog and most recently, In Every Way a song to say thanks and goodbye to teachers and schools.

Inclusion is at the heart of everything at Go Kid Music. Al is known for ‘sing and sign for big kids'! Her educational songs are providing schools with exceptional creative learning resources, enabling them to bring singing and music-making into everyday teaching. 

Al’s 2 primary school songbooks “Sing! Play! Learn! with Go Kid Music” were published by international publisher HarperCollins (Collins Music). Packed with original songs for a wide range of popular cross- curriculum topics, with a DVD rom of interactive videos with all the teaching resources, videos and audio. The songbooks were awarded Finalists in the Music & Drama Education Awards.

In 2019 Al wrote the songs for touring children's show “Not Today Celeste” based on Liza Stevens' book of the same name. The theme is mental health and teaches children about this difficult subject using exquisitely made puppets of a dog (Celeste) and her owner Rupert who begins to change. The show funded by Arts Council of England toured all primary schools in Brighton, then later many schools in wider Sussex.

With a superb back-catalogue of children’s albums, 2020 saw her 10th studio album release, ROBOT. Al is breaking stereotypes in children’s music and her skilful writing style appeals to music-lovers of all ages. Upbeat acoustic meets melodic songwriter - imagine Jack Johnson and Aimee Mann’s cool baby! In the USA this kind of music is called "Kindie" - Kids-Indie - independent musicians making their fantastic music for families, this is where Al's music fits!

Exciting collaborations and projects over the last few years have included writing songs and making signed videos for published children's authors to accompany their books. “Ask First Monkey” by Clare Juliette Bell & Abigail Tompkins, “The Gecko and the Echo” by Rachel Bright & Jim Field. 

In 2024 we were awarded the PaCC (Parents & Carers' Council)  Award for Excellence in the Charity and Voluntary Sector for our inclusive music and events. This was a meaningful award as we strive to make all our work inclusive.

Al joined 'Ravi's Dream Team' in 2024 and entered Britain's Got Talent! We won Alisha Dixon's Golden Buzzer and made it through to the live semi-finals claiming 2nd place! An incredible experience!

Al's next album, “Totally Excellent Songs for Children” was released in early 2025 - in a new format - we created a full colour musical activity book that featured all the lyrics plus an activity for each song. QR codes linked to the audio and videos, interactive digital activities and an online gallery that children could add artwork to.

2026 - The Lost Woods Project (National Lottery Heritage Funded) engaged Al to work with primary and college students with learning disabilities to produce two amazing songs and videos for their education outreach. This involved trips to ancient woodlands and learning from their environmentalists, then turning this knowledge into songs to educate and entice families and young people to enjoy and re-engage with the woods. 

Al is currently writing the songs for Sabotage Theatre's “Captain Christmas” touring show - an Arts Council funded project.

The Go Kid Music Club regular live events have been so popular that Al is taking it further afield to town in Sussex, and 2027 sees some very exciting projects in collaboration with youth and children's organisations across the South East. 

Go Kid Music © 2026