Music
Mel is a passionate, creative and deeply relational music educator, choir leader and composer with over twenty years’ experience working with children, young people and adults. At the heart of her practice is an unshakeable belief that music belongs to everyone, and that it offers a natural way to connect, regulate, communicate and express what can’t always be put into words. Mel’s professional path has taken her through community arts work, mainstream secondary music teaching, and specialist roles in residential and SEMH school settings. She holds a degree in Music and an MA in Special Educational Needs, and her approach is shaped by years of listening closely to the people she works with. She is known for meeting individuals where they are, responding sensitively to emotional and sensory needs, and building trust through music. She believes deeply in the power of singing together, starting from birth, and before. Growing research — and Mel’s lived experience — shows that shared music-making builds community, supports mental health and wellbeing, and helps people feel less alone. Everything she does is guided by a simple intention: to make good music that people can enjoy, together, and that makes life feel a little more spacious, connected and alive.
Womens' Singing Retreats
"Mel’s nurturing singing retreats offer an uplifting way to step away from busy lives and be immersed in the wonderful and varied songs she teaches us."
Next retreat: 3-5 July 2026
Sing Your Heart Out Stroud
Womens' Choir
Mel Golding leads a well-established women’s choir in Stroud, Sing Your Heart Out Stroud, which she has been nurturing since 2013. Open to all women, the choir is rooted in warmth, welcome and belonging rather than performance pressure. Each week, Mel creates a space where people can arrive as they are, find their voice at their own pace, and experience the simple, powerful joy of singing together.
Playcircle
Mel sings and performs with Playcircle; an Early Years collective that brings together creative sensory play, music, singing and movement in weekly sessions, camps and events that are inspiring, enriching and meaningful to both the child and care giver.
Mother Folkers
Mother Folkers are a group of musicians who began making music together for Playcircle. They are the band that appears on the Playcircle albums and eventually, they branched out into gigs for grown ups. Mother Folkers are Chloe Kempton (Vocals), Mel Golding (Guitar, vocals), Wendy Gibson (Piano, vocals), Jess Mitchell (Vocals), Oonagh Davies (Cello), Emily Hall (Violin), Archie Marsh (Bass guitar). The band plays original songs, lullabies for grown ups, and the odd cover of a nineties banger for old time's sake. More info on future performances to come.
The Caw
The Caw is a new Stroud based choir of semi-professional choral creators. Their collaborative approach sees acclaimed performers lining up alongside enthusiastic amateurs. The “core Caw” comprises a group of female composers and musicians including Melanie Golding, Emily Hall, Misha Law, Asha McCarthy, Sophie Sterckx and Sophie Winter.
Songs
Mel writes and composes original songs for performance, education and community settings. Whether writing for a room full of singers or a listening audience, Mel is drawn to songs that people can live with — music that comforts, uplifts, and quietly strengthens the fabric of everyday life.