Born in Florida, Mindi Abair spent much of her early life on the road with her father’s band, The Entertainers. She came from musical roots. Her father, Lance Abair, played saxophone and keyboards, and her grandmother was an opera singer, a coloratura soprano.

When asked about their childhoods and musical influences, many artists look back on a certain album or song they heard, or certain moment of epiphany where their future came clear. “Not me,” says Abair. “Between watching my father onstage and spending time with my grandmother who was an opera singer, music was always around me. My parents gave in to my constant banging on the piano with lessons at age five, and when I was able to choose a band instrument in fourth grade, I copied my father and went straight for the saxophone. Music was always my normal. I never considered doing anything else. And by the time someone told me it was odd for a girl to play a saxophone, it was too late.”

Paolo Nutini is a Scottish Singer-Songwriter from Paisley, Scotland. Nutini took singing lessons for three and half years, but was expecting to follow his father into the family fish and chip restaurant business. He was first encouraged to sing by his music-loving grandfather, Jackie, and a teacher at his school, St Andrews Academy, who recognized his talent. His big chance came when he attended a concert staged for fellow hometowner, Scottish pianist and singer David Sneddon’s at the beginning of 2003. Sneddon was delayed, and as the winner of an impromptu pop quiz, Nutini was given the chance to perform a couple of songs on stage during the wait.

“I've been surrounded by food and music my entire life. My family has run the fish and chip shop in my hometown (Paisley, Scotland) for generations. And there was always music playing in the house. Since the beginning, my whole family has been supportive of my music. But it was my Nonno [grandfather] who first encouraged me to sing and now I sing in his honor.”

There's no doubt that fluke opportunities often make careers. Such is the case for Charleston, S.C. -born Chad Wolf. Putting himself in Los Angeles in an attempt to launch a career in music, Wolf finally landed an internship with Songwriter Diane Warren and later turned a house-sitting gig into a relationship with Swedish pop production genius Max Martin. Using all of the advice Warren offered, the singer/guitarist honed his songwriting in Stockholm under Martin's guidance. It was there that he pulled together guitarists Jim Almgren Gandara and Rickard Gransson, keyboardist Johan Carlsson, bassist Erik Singer and drummer Max Grahn to form Carolina Liar. The band's debut album, Coming to Terms came out in June 2008 with popular single, "I'm Not Over," which was utilized in commercials for the ABC series Eli Stone and included in the Ashton Kutcher/Cameron Diaz film What Happens in Vegas.

“When I was in school my twice a week music classes were the one thing I looked forward to. Mr. Capps was somehow able to incorporate all of my other subjects into his classes. Every song or piece that we studied had math, history, literature, and was the one class that brought everything in school together. Without the music programs in my public school it would have taken me years to incorporate all those subjects into real life.
His classes were one of the only reasons I went to school.”

- Chad Wolf of Carolina Liar

Originally from Kansas City, Kansas, she’s been called “a different kind of diva” by Vogue magazine and “a true visionary… one of the most important signings of my career” by Sean “Diddy” Combs. For singer, Songwriter Janelle Monáe, however, the momentum remains the same as it’s been since before her GRAMMY®-nominated debut album, EP Metropolis, Suite I: The Chase, captured the imaginations of fans and fellow artists. As she stands by her first full-length album, The ArchAndroid, her focus remains on stirring your soul, moving your feet and simply, creating good music.

“Music has such a big influence on the way we think, what we do and dream of. Growing up as a kid, music can be such a positive way to express yourself and come together. It’s become a goal of mine, to bring as many people as possible together with my music”