Claudia Robin Gunn

I am a mum of two who loves writing music for my family and other families who appreciate smiles, silliness, being kind to nature and each other. I have always lived a musical life, growing up in a family of singing, with my mother (who sang in a band), and my dad (who loved to spin records while building our house), plus plenty of sisters and cousins to learn singing in harmony. Fun fact - in our family we always sing the happy birthday song three times, in three different ways! I'm the founder of the Little Wild Music label in Auckland, New Zealand and I started writing songs for kids nearly twenty years ago, for my baby sister, and when my own babies arrived. I was already a songwriter, making music with friends in an electro soul band called Substax, and motherhood simply introduced a new musical adventure, with so many opportunities to find and create musical fun to learn and grow with along the way. I've won some awards, and made 8 albums so far with my ninth on the way this year. I love to collaborate with fellow artists, and I'm also an artist as my side hobby. My 'day' job has aways been working in television and video as an editor and creative producer, and I love that now with my kids label, I get to combine audio and art together into one beautiful package. I have had an album out on YOTO for a few years already, only available in the northern hemisphere (Sing Through the Year - A Little Wild Childhood) and I'm so excited for more families here at home in New Zealand and Australia to embrace audio first content through this amazing platform.

The album Firefly is a social emotional themed album all about life lessons, and finding silver linings. I wanted to make some music that was a real heart album, focused on feelings, and friendship.

Creating this project involved a collaboration with producer Dean Jones at No Parking Studio (NY), who also features through the album on backing vocals, playing nearly all the instruments, and co writing on the title track. I had assistance from NZ On Air funding, recording my work in my home studio, and sharing files with Dean in the US. Many late night moments needed to find time zones in common! It also features my US friends Suzi Shelton and Little Miss Ann on 'Colours'. It took a few years to bring all these songs to life, working remotely between NZ and NY, and this album won the Tūi for Best Children's Artist in 2024 at home in New Zealand.

Sing for the Earth and Sing for the Sea are two sister albums, treasuries really (with 25 and 24 songs each respectively) bringing real life stories of marine biology and earth conservation to life in music. I wanted kids to discover more of the wonderful and surprising things we can learn from nature, and also ways to help protect biodiversity around us.

I was lucky to create these projects with help from Creative NZ, in collaboration with producer Tom Fox who plays all the instruments, artist Elise De Silva who created the cover art, and scientist Dr Melissa Gunn (my sister) who researched and write science notes and educator activities for an accompanying songbook we made as part of this bigger effort. They are also part of a series, following on from my album Sing Through the Year - A Little Wild Childhood, which also had a songbook, and was themed on seasons, nature and the rhythms of childhood.

I hope kids discover some new favourite creatures, learn to be brave and sing with their own voice and become inspired to explore the world around them, make friends, be kind and maybe think up their own songs too!

Yoto is very kid-centered and easy-to-use, allowing children to be in control of what they listen to and when. Because it's content is specifically for kids, my children's music feels like it has found the perfect home and platform for young listeners to access it in a fun way. I also really love the digital images that appear for each song, making it easy for young listeners to know what the song is about!

I am currently writing a family-friendly musical about my own experience learning an instrument and becoming a musician which will have an accompanying soundtrack (due for release in 2026) that will be available on all major streaming services.