User:6gs3ds/Al Start

Al Start

Al Start (Born Alison Claire Start - changed 2003) is a British indie-acoustic singer-songwriter, published author and performer with extensive touring and recording experience. Specializing in children’s music since 2006. Creative Director of Go Kid Music, a social enterprise specializing in children’s music for inclusive education and live family events.

DOB: Born Epsom, Surrey UK 22/01/1969

Instruments played: Vocals, Acoustic/electric Guitar, Tenor Guitar, Ukulele, Percussion, Bass, Keys, programming and music production. Genres covered: acoustic roots, singer-songwriter, indie, “Kindie”, rock, pop, folk Occupations: Playworker; Play Co-ordinator, Brighton Council; Freelance trainer (childcare/childminding/playwork); Lecturer (p/t) University of Brighton - Playwork FdA/Teacher FdA); Freelance music practitioner primary schools/Glyndebourne Opera education/ Young Offenders service/ Rhythmix/ Brighton Dome; Peripatetic music tutor Brighton & Hove; Researcher (songwriter in residence) Brighton & Hove Museum & Art Gallery; Touring singer-songwriter; Songwriter/composer.

Years of released music (since 1990)

When She Calls (1990) EP, When She Calls band, formerly PMT!

Lammas (2001, Lone Coyote Records) album released with Al’s sister Cheryl Start & band, Toucan "The perfect warm summer soundtrack to a love affair on the beach in Brighton." Pink Paper

Sea of Stars (2003, Lone Coyote) solo EP (Written at Brighton Institute of Modern Music - BIMM)

Blame in On - track on compilation album “How to Mend a Broken Pier” (2003, Major Minor Music/BMG)

GO (2005, Lone Coyote) first solo album: "Reminiscent of The Beatles in their White Album period… Go also channels the drowsy ghost of Kirsty MacColl. Slick, well-produced and sexy as hell, this is modern music with a heart." Rainbow Network

Excellent Songs for Children (2007) first children’s album

• Excellent Songs for Children (vol 2) (2009) folk-roots children’s album Al Start & the Beastie Band

• I Heart History (2008) folk roots solo album produced for Brighton & Hove Museum research project and exhibition “On the Pull” while on 6 month research residency

Excellent Songs for Children Songbook & CD (2009). A full colour songbook illustrated by Shanni Collins.

• Excellent Rock'n'Roll for Children (2010) rockabilly children’s album with live band featuring Americana singer-songwriter Danni Nicholls

• Gorrid the Horrid Book & CD (2010) Based on Al's original song, a full colour children’s storybook illustrated by Chloe Batchelor

Gorrid the Horrid & The Missing Ingredient (2011) soundtrack CD of the stage show by Al Start & co-writer Nicola Bloom

A Pirate Adventure (2012) soundtrack from the stage show by Al Start & Nicola Bloom

Excellent Songs 4 Children (2013) Al Start & the Beastie Band

Three Excellent Little Pigs - A Musical Story (2014) Narrated version of the stage show by Al Start and featuring Nicola Bloom and Fran Malone

Excellent Songs for Children vols 1,2,3 (2015) re-released/re-packaged with additional tracks on Go Kid Records

Sing! Play! Learn! with Go Kid Music (2019, Collins Music) two songbooks; key stage 1 & key stage 2 with collections of educational songs for primary cross-curricular topics including a DVD rom with signed teaching videos, audio and interactive resources.

Robot (2020, Go Kid Records) solo album

Early Life: parent info Father John Start, Mother Monica Start (nee Packham, died 1975) two sisters Catherine and Cheryl. Father remarried 1979 to Mary Start (nee Berens) step-siblings: Glynn, Julie, Roger.

Early life: Lived in Stoneleigh, Ewell until mothers’ death then moved to Ashtead, Surrey to live with with paternal grandparents Iris and Frank for 3 years.

After father re-married the new blended family moved to another property and grandparents lived close by. Early life was traumatic and challenging, losing a parent, moving house, then the strains of a new step-family. Music quickly became Al’s go-to support and companion.

First Song Having “made up” songs from a very young age, at 13 Al discovered her late mothers’ guitar in the loft so she taught herself chords and began to immediately compose and arrange songs. This became her main love and with friends from a local theatre youth group (Young Stagers, Thorndike Theatre) she wrote songs to accompany stage shows, songs for concerts and events as well as building a large catalogue of original compositions. (press attached)

Early Influences On a summer holiday to Pontins holiday camp, Al won the talent contest with an original song and featured in the local press winning a free weekend to enter (unsuccessfully!) the national semi-finals (attached pic)

Teenage years saw sneaked trips to busk up in London in the Underground train stations like South Kensington with Al’s best friend and vocal harmoniser. They developed a style that Al still favours with layered harmonies, acoustic guitar and flavours of early influences Simon & Garfunkel, Beatles, Joan Armatrading, Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac, Carpenters.

At age 15 Al was involved in a (non-serious) road traffic accident and her father claimed compensation, Al was determined to buy a new guitar with the money but was made to wait until she was 18. On her 18th birthday she marched her father to the nearest guitar shop and bought her first “proper” steel strung guitar and case.

Education: secondary, college, professional, etc, areas of study Secondary school (Therfield Comprehensive, Leatherhead) 1981-1985. High points were taking the lead role in Annie Get Your Gun, (see image) continuing with songwriting in her spare time. However, Al felt intimidated and unable to take music as an exam option as it had a classical focus. Al took drama instead and gained an A in art.

Leaving school at 16, she got a place at the local art college (Epsom School of Art & Design: 1985-87) studying a BTEC in 3D craft design. During these years she began to play her songs in public at Open Mic events, and gained more live experience.

In 1987 at age 18 she made a move to Brighton having gained a coveted place at the then Brighton Polytechnic (now University of Brighton) on a mixed media art degree (Wood/Metal/Plastics/Ceramics).

This was where she could finally be herself as a young gay woman. She found a community on the LGBT scene which had a strong live music focus. Brighton was a vibrant city with open mic events every night of the week, student bars, live music and comedy, and a wealth of opportunities for young songwriter/musicians.

Al played at as many live events as possible, started to gain a following. She played at Brighton Pride and later became an advocate for women’s performance and equal representation at Pride events where she felt lesbians were routinely side-lined and under-represented in favour of gay men’s drag/cabaret.

Acts and Bands: Apart from solo shows Al linked with several other musicians over the next few years: Deborah Shurvell, (The Cheer Up Mollys) Linda Game (The Fold, Contraband) formed a trio “When She Calls” and became a popular Brighton act.

First Release They released a 5 track EP in 1990 (on cassette) which was Al’s first experience of recording in a studio. She recalls the magic of being able to multi-track vocals and create layers of harmonies - something that was impossible to do at home with only limited technology and finance. They also released a CD “Again” ten years later featuring the original remastered tracks as well as 3 new songs.

Also a notable collaboration was with songwriter/jazz/blues guitarist Nicky Mitchell - The two became a popular duo (eventually known as Reckless Daughters) singing at bars/restaurants/pubs and earn much-needed cash. From regularly busking in the Brighton Laines, to evening bar gigs the duo quickly became known as the “Indigo Girls of Brighton”. Their close harmonies, wide repertoire of cover versions (including Indigo Girls, Joni Mitchell, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Michelle Shocked, Melissa Etheridge etc) and strong original songs penned by both made them a firm favourite on the music scene, regulars at Pride events and women’s performance nights.

Lumps & Bumps in the Road: At age 21 having just graduated from University of Brighton (then, Brighton Polytechnic) Al found a lump in her neck. After months of testing this turned out to be cancer of the thyroid (Papillary Carcinoma)..

Initially at the Royal Sussex, Brighton but following a convoluted move to Guys Hospital, London - after Al bravely insisted she was a “professional singer” the lump was dissected from her vocal chords in an 8 hour operation that ultimately saved her voice.

For the following 9 years Al was treated with further surgery and bouts of radiotherapy and isolated in hospital, she was on and off thyroxine medication and very unwell. This caused many career-boosting music opportunities to be sadly left behind (an opportunity to appear live on MTV among them) and the duo split acrimoniously.

These years were difficult - financially, socially, romantically and musically. Al kept an art studio at Blue Cat House and made metal sculptures and pieces to sell at craft fairs. For work she did DIY and painting & decorating using her practical skills. She also began working part-time for the Brighton Council Play Service as a play worker at holiday play schemes and even drove the double-decker Play Bus around the county delivering children’s activities.

New Start At 30 years old in 1999 Start had her last round of radiotherapy and feeling a new freedom decided to follow her dream and focus on music. She let the art studio go, formed a duo with her sister Cheryl Start (Toucan) and aimed to record a co-written album within the year.

Lammas was released on Lone Coyote Records in 2000 with their 5 piece band (Al & Cheryl Start - vocals/acoustic guitar, Steve Bryant - electric guitars, Mark Gregory - bass, Bill Melis - drums) (See attached press)

The band toured for a couple of years, then in 2002 Al applied for a contemporary music course at the new Brighton Institute of Modern Music (BIMM). During this year her original composition “Blame it On” (recorded at Metway Studios, Brighton) was selected by BMG A&R dept for the “How to Mend a Broken Pier” (Major Minor Music) compilation album by BIMM. Notably she was chosen to attend a residential songwriting retreat with Squeeze songwriter and frontman, Chris Difford.

Co-writing and writing to brief were two new skills Start discovered and developed on this and the following 3 year’s retreats that she was invited back to. She co-wrote with many notable writers and artists including Helen Boulding (Alex Parks), Matt Deighton (Oasis/Mother Earth), John Hammond-Hagan (Liberty X), Jill Sobule and Matthew Jay just before his tragic death.

As Al became more driven to have a music career the band split and once again solo, Al released an EP “Sea of Stars” (Lone Coyote Records, 2003) followed by her first solo album, “GO” in 2005 also on Brighton label, Lone Coyote.

“like kd lang’s looks and sounds colliding with Joni Mitchell’s lyrical storytelling” Indie-Music.com

Tours & Traction Playing live shows around the UK, Start made connections with many of her contemporaries including Glaswegian songstress, Horse McDonald. Al was invited to open for Horse on her 2004 “Coveted” Tour across the UK including Ireland and Scotland. This was an incredible opportunity to not only play to a national, huge audience; but to perform on stage at some of the country’s most iconic venues:

Venues included The ULC Birmingham; Big Note, Dublin; The Cavern Club & Carling Academy, Liverpool; Queens Hall, Edinburgh; The Barrowland, Glasgow; Brighton Centre & Brighton Dome, St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

With touring experience under her belt, she met Huddersfield-based (then solo) songwriter Belinda O’Hooley (now O’Hooley & Tidow folk duo) while both performing at Pride. The two hit it off and their solo performances complemented each other so well, they set off on tour together.

2004 - Coveted Tour, opening for Horse McDonald 2005 - (June) Girlsworld Tour (Start/O’Hooley with Australian singer-songwriter Nat Ripepi) 2005 - (Nov/Dec) Winter Tour, UK (Start/O’Hooley) 2006 - (June) Mini-Adventure Tour, UK (Start/O’Hooley) 2006 - Solo UK/USA Tour

After a year of planning, Start set off for East Coast America in 2006 to start the first leg of a US/UK solo tour. This was an epic adventure and costly undertaking.

During Start’s UK leg of the tour, she was supported at High Barn, Suffolk by a young songwriter called Ed Sheeran. The pair hit it off and signed albums for each other (see pic attached)

More work with children followed and Al was asked to sing at St.Lukes Primary school. Begrudgingly she obliged but decided to write an original song “The Creepy Castle”. The next few years were a turning point as her children’s songwriting really took off. There was a new eager audience waiting.

I Love History In 2008 Al won a grant-funded residency as a researcher/songwriter in Brighton Museum & Art Gallery. As part of local history exhibition “On the Pull” 6 researchers investigated different aspects of love/relationships linked in some way to Brighton.

Al ’s focus was ‘hidden histories’ and ‘forbidden love’. After 6 months’ research Al produced an alum entitled “I Heart History” and played 3 live concerts in the museum itself as part of the exhibition.

Each song on the album is based on a place, person, event or story linked with Brighton’s illustrious, colourful history.

Start has subsequently performed a mix of spoken and musical presentations based on the songs and findings with visuals taken from the historical events.

Children’s Songs Also that year she recorded a collection of children’s songs she’d been writing to keep up with demand. Excellent Songs for Children was snapped up and live performances demanded.

With her 5 piece live folk-roots band they sold out venues across Sussex as more and more families discovered the songs. Soon children’s music began to take centre stage.

They played arts festivals, children’s/family events, packed out venues and even sold out 3 consecutive gigs on one day at the Komedia Brighton.

Initially as a “freelancer” Al was also invited to teach children the songs at primary schools around the South East. Using Makaton sign language the songs were “proper well-written songs” but the themes were totally aimed at primary school age children. They were often educational as well as catchy and fun to sing and sign.

Business Head In 2014 Al applied for E-Spark - an Entrepreneurial Business Accelerator supported by NatWest bank. She started her non-profit children’s music company, Go Kid Music in 2015 to enable more children access to quality music and create inclusive educational music resources for primary/special school children. She launched her online school music membership in 2017 and

Awards 2006: “Stickleback” from album GO gets “Honourable Mention” in Billboard World Song Contest

2013: ‘So Many Ways’ co-written with Nat Ripepi: WON BEST SONG in the Easy Listening Category at the INDIE MUSIC CHANNEL Awards, America

2016: Best 60 Second Pitch Award #GoDoAcceler8 - NatWest Accelerator https://www.platinummediagroup.co.uk/platinum-business-magazine/2016/05/entrepreneurial-spark-acceler8-to-success/

2019: 	Al’s 2 Children’s Educational Songbooks published by Collins, “Sing, Learn, Play with Go Kid Music” (Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2) are named Finalist for Music, Drama and Education Awards

2019: Best Children’s Music Production Company 2019 - Southern England - Southern Enterprise Awards https://www.sme-news.co.uk/winners/go-kid-music/

2021: 	Funky Kids Radio People’s Choice Award “Children’s Artist of the Year, Europe” 		Runner Up

2021: Funky Kids Radio “Global Album of the Year” - 3rd place for album, ROBOT 2021: Funky Kids Radio “Global Album of the Year” - finalist, “Hedgehog Hero” as part of 		“As One World” album

2023: Best Educational Music Company, Sussex - Southern Enterprise Awards https://www.sme-news.co.uk/winners/go-kid-music-2/

Other activities: film or television, philanthropic:

Ravi’s Dream - A Million Dreams charity single (2023) part of Ravi’s Dream Team releasing the single and raising awareness and funds for Brain Tumour Charities in the UK

Britain’s Got Talent season 17, 2024, ITV - singing and signing as part of Ravi’s Dream Team as contestants in the global talent show hosted by Ant & Dec with judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli.

Personal life: current living in? Since? Family? Currently lives in Brighton (since 1987) with her partner, Cheryl, their daughter and two naughty cats.

Collaborations/Commissions/Stage Productions:

Dialogue, Documentary - USA community arts project 2008 (songs included in soundtrack: Tongue-tied/Wating for Life) https://frickandhammons.com/pages/dialogue-documentary-the-music

A Pirate Adventure Show (2010) - Wrote original musical stage show with Nicola Bloom. Komedia & Old Market Theatre Brighton: various Festivals, Schools and Venues throughout South East; Brighton Fringe Festival 2010

Gorrid the Horrid & The Missing Ingredient (2011) - co-wrote (Nicola Bloom) and produced original children’s musical production Komedia, Brighton Fringe Festival 2011, South East Tour - October 2013

The Secret Stairway - Herringbone Arts (2014) - Theatre Royal Brighton, songwriter, 		composer & puppeteer for short run of ‘under-the-stage’ performances

What Makes a Family (2014, song & signed video commission, Sing Up) https://www.singup.org/free-resources/what-makes-a-family

Living it up in Greece (2015, Sing Up) song commission for primary history topic

Three Excellent Little Pigs (2015) - Writer, composer, puppet-maker/puppeteer and director. The Brunswick & The Old Market Theatre Brighton. Puppet show with original songs & soundtrack.

The Geography Song (2016, Sing Up) song commission for continents primary geography

Just Right (2016) - Musical puppet show with original songs soundtrack. Co-writer, composer, maker/puppeteer & producer. Co-written with Fran Malone & Nicola Bloom. The Old Market, Brighton.

Hey, Little Frog! - (2017, Sing Up) song commission for butterfly/frog life-cycle

Not Today, Celeste - music and songs commissioned (and performed throughout tour 2019-2020) for touring puppet show by author/illustrator Liza Stevens for Arts Council England and Jessica Kingsley Publishing https://lizastevens.wixsite.com/celeste/the-show

Everyone’s Learning Together - (school song commission 2018) encompassing learning attitudes and school values

Never Give Up - (school song commission 2019) school song for Deanshanger Primary, Milton Keynes

In Every Way (2020, song & signed video commission, Sing Up) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl8FiZhhD2I

Little Angel Puppet Theatre (2021) - song commission and film sound design for ‘Tam’s Gift’ made-for-film puppet production by Joni-Rae Carrack

Hansel & Gretel’s Opera (2022) Walthamstow Royal Opera House Create and Sing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7HQ3sd_QKM

The Gecko & The Echo - (2022), song & signed video commission for Hachette Children’s Publishing for the story book of the same name by Rachel Bright & Jim Field - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMnHQGQg1Ok

Ask First, Monkey! - (2023), song & signed video commissioned by author Clare Juliet Bell for children’s storybook of the same name by Jessica Kingsley Publishing 2020.

Hannah Brakenbury (comedy collaboration, 2023) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbwtTAC1ceQ