Michelle Featherstone
Encyclopedia
Michelle Featherstone is a British American singer-songwriter
. Born in Chester
, England
, and raised in Cambridge
, England, Featherstone now resides in Hollywood, California
. She began studying piano
and composing original music at the age of nine. She has received awards from the Royal Academy of Music
for piano and violin
and the Bishops Award for voice.
major and Anthropology
minor at West Chester University of Pennsylvania
in West Chester, Pennsylvania
, she found herself managing the Walt Disney-Tishman Collection of African Art after graduation in a somewhat frustrating role:
After about 18 months at Disney's Imagineering
arm, Featherstone decided that "corporate America" wasn't for her and made the decision to reconnect with her musical roots while working as a waitress in Southern California
. Indeed, it was during one of her waitress jobs that she just happened to play a few songs on the piano while the scheduled performers were on a break, that the audience's reaction was so overwhelmingly positive that she realized that music was something that she needed to seriously pursue.
, FOX's Wonderfalls
and the CW's One Tree Hill
as well as in several independent film projects with Group 101. Another song, "Over You", was featured on Smallville
for the WB network and the newly recorded "I'm There Too" played on the premiere episode of Aaron Spelling
drama Summerland
. Summerland also used "I Will Be Fine" later in the season and "All That I Want" featured in the premiere episode of NBC's Las Vegas
. Her song "Careful" was used on the How I Met Your Mother
episode "As Fast As She Can". A recent showcase of the Sundance Film Festival
introduced Featherstone to several independent filmmakers, some of whom are using her music for upcoming projects. This past year, Featherstone has been working on various music projects in LA and the UK. "Project PI" by Al West features Featherstone singing her song "Please". The album will be released in Europe by the end of this year.
Featherstone is an active participant in the singer-songwriter community of Southern California, and has performed at clubs as diverse as the Whisky a Go Go
, the Hotel Café
, Ghengis Cohen, the Joint and the Temple Bar, to name a few.
She recently recorded a select few songs with producer Evan Biegel of Seasound Studios in North Hollywood
and is collaborating on an electronica
album, due out early next year. New acoustic recordings are an on-going project and a compilation of some of them will be released over the next few months. Her newest single "Rest of My Life" has been featured on ABC's Grey's Anatomy
and a Michelle Featherstone favorite, One Tree Hill in its past season.
She recorded the video "I'm There Too" as part of the soundtrack to the movie Peaceful Warrior
.
and her song Careful was in the 23rd episode of season 4, As Fast As She Can
.
One Tree Hill
(The CW
) has used Michelle Featherstone's music in a number of their episodes.
Smallville
used "Perfect" in the 7th season finale "Artic".
Canon used "We are Man and Wife" in a 2007 television commercial.
Alias
used "Stay" in season two, episode four--'Dead Drop'.
The Hills Featured 'Stay' in Season 2 of the hit MTV Series.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. Born in Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and raised in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, England, Featherstone now resides in Hollywood, California
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
. She began studying piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and composing original music at the age of nine. She has received awards from the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
for piano and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and the Bishops Award for voice.
Beginning
Featherstone didn't initially intend to pursue a career in music. As an Art HistoryArt history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
major and Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
minor at West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a public university located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, about miles west of Philadelphia. It is one of the 14 state universities of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education . West Chester was ranked 69th in the Master's Universities ...
in West Chester, Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania
The Borough of West Chester is the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,461 at the 2010 census.Valley Forge, the Brandywine Battlefield, Longwood Gardens, Marsh Creek State Park, and other historical attractions are near West Chester...
, she found herself managing the Walt Disney-Tishman Collection of African Art after graduation in a somewhat frustrating role:
After about 18 months at Disney's Imagineering
Walt Disney Imagineering
Walt Disney Imagineering is the design and development arm of the Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation and construction of Disney theme parks worldwide...
arm, Featherstone decided that "corporate America" wasn't for her and made the decision to reconnect with her musical roots while working as a waitress in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. Indeed, it was during one of her waitress jobs that she just happened to play a few songs on the piano while the scheduled performers were on a break, that the audience's reaction was so overwhelmingly positive that she realized that music was something that she needed to seriously pursue.
Success
Her songs have garnered attention in both film and television over the past few years. "Stay" has been featured on ABC's AliasAlias (TV series)
Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
, FOX's Wonderfalls
Wonderfalls
Wonderfalls is a comedy-drama television series that was broadcast on the Fox television network in 2004.The show centres on Jaye Tyler , a recent Brown University graduate with a philosophy degree, who holds a dead-end job as a sales clerk at a Niagara Falls gift shop...
and the CW's One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill (TV series)
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
as well as in several independent film projects with Group 101. Another song, "Over You", was featured on Smallville
Smallville (TV series)
Smallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on the DC Comics character Superman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network , premiering on October...
for the WB network and the newly recorded "I'm There Too" played on the premiere episode of Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling was an American film and television producer. As of 2009, Spelling's eponymous production company Spelling Television holds the record as the most prolific television writer, with 218 producer and executive producer credits...
drama Summerland
Summerland (TV series)
Summerland is an American drama television series created by Stephen Tolkin and Lori Loughlin. It is centered on a clothing designer in her 30s, Ava Gregory , raising her niece and nephews after their parents die in a tragic accident...
. Summerland also used "I Will Be Fine" later in the season and "All That I Want" featured in the premiere episode of NBC's Las Vegas
Las Vegas (TV series)
Las Vegas was an American television series broadcast by NBC from September 22, 2003 to February 15, 2008. The show focuses on a team of people working at the ficticional Montecito Resort & Casino dealing with issues that arise within the working environment, ranging from valet parking and...
. Her song "Careful" was used on the How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
episode "As Fast As She Can". A recent showcase of the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
introduced Featherstone to several independent filmmakers, some of whom are using her music for upcoming projects. This past year, Featherstone has been working on various music projects in LA and the UK. "Project PI" by Al West features Featherstone singing her song "Please". The album will be released in Europe by the end of this year.
Featherstone is an active participant in the singer-songwriter community of Southern California, and has performed at clubs as diverse as the Whisky a Go Go
Whisky a Go Go
The Whisky a Go Go is a nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard, on the Sunset Strip.-History:...
, the Hotel Café
Hotel Café
The Hotel Café is a live music venue located off an alley on the Cahuenga Boulevard strip in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California that has become known for helping to establish the careers of new singer-songwriters in the 2000s...
, Ghengis Cohen, the Joint and the Temple Bar, to name a few.
She recently recorded a select few songs with producer Evan Biegel of Seasound Studios in North Hollywood
North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
North Hollywood is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California, along the Tujunga Wash. It is bounded on the south by Moorpark Street and the Ventura Freeway, on the southwest by Burbank Blvd...
and is collaborating on an electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
album, due out early next year. New acoustic recordings are an on-going project and a compilation of some of them will be released over the next few months. Her newest single "Rest of My Life" has been featured on ABC's Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
and a Michelle Featherstone favorite, One Tree Hill in its past season.
She recorded the video "I'm There Too" as part of the soundtrack to the movie Peaceful Warrior
Peaceful Warrior
Peaceful Warrior is a 2006 drama film starring Scott Mechlowicz, Nick Nolte, and Amy Smart. Released on June 2, 2006, it is based on the novel Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman.The film is set in U.C. Berkeley but is shot elsewhere...
.
Use in other Media
How I Met Your Mother featured Featherstone's God Bless the Child in the 18th episode of season 1, Nothing Good Happens After 2 A.M.Nothing Good Happens After 2 A.M.
"Nothing Good Happens After 2 A.M." is the 18th episode in the first season of the television series How I Met Your Mother. It originally aired on April 10, 2006.- Plot :...
and her song Careful was in the 23rd episode of season 4, As Fast As She Can
As Fast As She Can
"As Fast As She Can" is the 23rd episode of the fourth season of How I Met Your Mother and 87th overall. It originally aired on May 11, 2009.-Plot:...
.
One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill (TV series)
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
(The CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
) has used Michelle Featherstone's music in a number of their episodes.
- "Stay"
- Season 1, Episode 21
- "Looking For Love"
- Season 2, Episode 15
- "Back of the Church"
- Season 2, Episode 17
- "Sunday"
- Season 3, Episode 2
- "Go On My Child"
- Season 3, Episode 14
- "God Bless the Child"
- Season 3, Episode 16
- "Coffee & Cigarettes"
- Season 3, Episode 21
- "We Are Man and Wife" (performed by Featherstone in the episode)
- Season 3, Episode 22
- "Looking for Love"
- Season 5, Episode 6
- "Running Down"
- Season 6, Episode 5
Smallville
Smallville (TV series)
Smallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on the DC Comics character Superman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network , premiering on October...
used "Perfect" in the 7th season finale "Artic".
Canon used "We are Man and Wife" in a 2007 television commercial.
Alias
Alias (TV series)
Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
used "Stay" in season two, episode four--'Dead Drop'.
The Hills Featured 'Stay' in Season 2 of the hit MTV Series.