Staten Island native Ingrid Michaelson was born into a house of all things artistic. Following in the eclectic footsteps of her mother, a sculptor, and her father, a classical composer, Ingrid began piano lessons at only four years old. Her songwriting career began after college while touring the country in a national theater troupe and spending all her free time composing the songs that would eventually make it onto her current CD, Girls and Boys. An entrepreneur as well as a talented musician, Ingrid released Girls and Boys on her own Cabin 24 Records. A mere three months after the CD release, Ingrid won a national songwriting award, sponsored by West Virginia’s Mountainstage. In November 2006 an unexpected phone call catapulted her career forward. The music supervisor from Grey’s Anatomy wanted to use the song “Breakable” from Ingrid’s CD in an upcoming episode. Three more Grey’s Anatomy placements immediately followed, including a coveted spot in the season finale, as well as more national TV shows and commercials. Following the exposure on Grey’s Anatomy, Ingrid’s career as an independent artist immediately hit the fast track and she began to achieve milestones previously unheard of for an artist not signed to a major label.