Vanessa Carlton: Being Somebody

If you haven't heard much about Vanessa Carlton, you're about to start. A few short weeks ago, she was a lot like your average 21-year-old -- only she had a record deal on a major label. Her debut Be Not Nobody was in the can, and the singer/songwriter/pianist was eagerly awaiting its release. "I'm counting down the days," she said at the time. Now that the record is in stores, the word is out about this hugely talented -- but amazingly grounded -- artist.

Reared in an artsy household in rural Pennsylvania, Vanessa took to music at an early age: 2! After a family trip to Disneyland, the open-eared toddler plunked out the melody to "It's a Small World" on the piano, and things just took off from there. Vanessa's mom, a piano teacher, helped nurture her daughter's gift by familiarizing her with the work of great classical composers like Mozart and Bach. At the same time, Vanessa was allowed the freedom to play around and make up her own little ditties, which laid the groundwork for her writing the original songs on Be Not Nobody.