Melinda Caroll (born April 4, 1952, Jacksonville, Florida) is a singer, composer, record producer, recording artist, and lifetime Member of Girl Scouts USA. She has created and produced music for Girl Scouts since 1989.
Melinda founded When We Shine Foundation in 2016, and besides Executive Director duties, she works as a Music Arts Director & Teaching Artist in Maui Public Schools.
For over 40 years, Caroll has performed live before hundreds of thousands of Girl Scouts and has played for distinguished guests including members of the United States Congress, Secretary of State, Colin Powell and members of the President's cabinet when her song, Every Girl, Everywhere, debuted at the Girl Scouts' 90th Birthday celebration Gala at the National Building Museum in Washington DC on March 12, 2002. In 2012, her composition Ignite was chosen as theme song for the 100th Anniversary Celebration of Girl Scouts USA.
Caroll is a lifetime member of Girl Scouts USA. She resides in Maui.
Melinda founded When We Shine Foundation (WWSF) in 2016, a non-profit network of multimedia artists. Since then, besides Executive Director duties, she works as a Music Arts Director & Teaching Artist in Maui Public Schools. She and David Kauahikaua record and professionally co-produce the songs. They have been music partners, writing and producing songs together since 1980.
As WWSF Music Teaching Artist, Melinda works with public schools to create music residencies to co-write songs and music with children with a specific environmental theme, teaching students to become the creators of their own art - not just consumers. In 2018, Caroll led the children of Pà Âmaikaûi Elementary School in Kahului, Hawaii through the entire process of creating a CD called Songs for Change.
She is also Choir Director to Elementary Grade Students grades 2-5, currently teaching at Kula Elementary School.
Caroll sang background vocals on comedian Frank De Lima's song "Glen Miyashiro," which appeared on De Lima's 1989 album Supa-Shaka. Her voice was also heard on the version of "Glen Miyashiro" that was used in De Lima's 1991 video The Best of De Lima too!!.
One Warm Coat started out in 1992 as a Thanksgiving Weekend coat drive in San Francisco. Since then, more than 1 million coats have been donated in thousands of local communities across North America. The "warm coats" theme came about when Caroll was asked by One Warm Coat to create a theme song about the charitable project.