Bailey Redmond of Knoxville created a music festival to showcase young talent. As a young musician, Bailey had been turned away from events because of her age. Her high school agreed to host the showcase, and she conducted auditions and booked more than a dozen acts. She earned a prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award in 2024 for her The Talent of Tomorrow project.

Gold Award Girl Scouts are rock stars, role models and real-life heroes who address issues they’re passionate about by using everything they’ve learned as a Girl Scout to solve an issue. They plan and implement projects that produce lasting change in the community and beyond. It is the Girl Scouts’ highest honor.

“I picked my Gold Award project because I saw a need in my community to support young musicians and local music culture,” Bailey shared. “Knoxville has a rich music scene, but lacks an outlet for young musicians like me to perform or build connections within the community.”

Bailey set out to work on all aspects of planning and executing a music festival. She recruited volunteers, advertised the event and planned a 12-hour festival with more than 60 musicians and hundreds of attendees. The high school even agreed to make it an annual event.

“My favorite part of this project was talking to local business leaders and musicians to further the impact of my project,” Bailey said. “I learned that music is a real unifier – no matter your background, music can help unite us all.”

Along the way, Bailey was given multiple opportunities to grow and learn, including through adversity and obstacles – which were numerous in planning such a large-scale production. Her perseverance brought her great satisfaction and “seeing the incredible results of my efforts was amazing.”

Bailey’s favorite things to do are performing mandolin, showing exhibition poultry, participating in the National FFA Organization (formerly known as Future Farmers of America), and attending local music events. She loves spending time with her parents who she credits for passing along their incredible music taste. She also enjoys her flock of European exhibition chickens.

She’s a high school senior with plans to attend University of Tennessee to pursue a degree in agribusiness at the Herbert College of Agriculture.

Congratulations, Bailey! Visit girlscoutcsa.org to learn more.