"The chirpy singer/songwriter/pianist Vanessa Carlton is full of talent and bursting at the seams with notoriety, but it took more than an overnight miracle for the young musician to break onto the music scene for good. Carlton has gained recognition for her bright single ""A Thousand Miles,"" and she has continued to stay in the forefront of alternative pop/rock music ever since.Carlton grew up in a small Pennsylvania town, completely enthralled with all types of music from the very beginning of her life. A trip to Disney World at age two left Carlton mesmerized with ""It's A Small World,"" and the young musical prodigy could even recognize the melody on the family piano at home afterward. Her mother often played classical pieces on the piano in Carlton's youth, and this led to Carlton's own fascination with the keyboard device. By age eight, the pianistic virtuoso had composed her first piece on the piano, but musical aspirations were put on hold at age 14 when she was accepted into the prestigious School of American Ballet in New York. Living in the famous Lincoln Center while attending the school, Carlton was among the top of her elite ballet class but felt trapped with the strictness of ballet dancing. Finding solace in the piano, Carlton started playing music in her dorm, continuing to write songs along the way.Eventually, Vanessa Carlton escaped the confinement of ballet for her love of music, waitressing in Lower Manhattan and living in Hell's Kitchen while trying to record a worthy demo to send producers. Continuing on with her musical aspirations, Carlton played at open mic nights around the city before finally catching the attention of a record exec, and finally in 2002 the incredible musician struck fame with her debut single ""A Thousand Miles."" The single was a smash success with the MTV crowd, and ever since then Carlton has continued to write and record hit albums and songs."