All Of It with Alison Stewart — "Ingrid Michaelson Performs Live!"

Aired: March 30, 2026
Host: Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Guest: Ingrid Michaelson

Overview

In this engaging episode, Alison Stewart welcomes acclaimed singer-songwriter and Staten Island native Ingrid Michaelson to the WNYC studios for an intimate conversation and two live performances. The discussion explores Michaelson’s storied career, her creative evolution from pop singer to Broadway composer, her deep connection to her New York roots, and the emotional underpinnings of her latest concert, Ingrid Michaelson and the Time and Space Between Us, part of Lincoln Center's American Songbook series. Listeners are treated to live renditions of "The Way I Am" and "Can't Help Falling in Love," along with candid reflections on artistic growth, collaboration, and the power of music as inheritance.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Live Performance: "The Way I Am"

[02:39–04:59]

• Ingrid performs her hit "The Way I Am," expressing live-on-air nerves which she channels into a heartfelt, stripped-down rendition.
• She vocalizes her anxiety about performing solo on live radio, noting the challenge but also her gratitude for such opportunities.
• After the performance, Ingrid discusses how focusing on gratitude and presence helped calm her nerves during the song.

Notable Quote:

“I was so nervous at first. And then I really was thinking about what we were talking about, and I smiled and it calmed me down. I just closed my eyes and I smiled and I thought, who gets to do what I’m doing right now?”
— Ingrid Michaelson ([05:15])

Artistic Evolution & Avoiding a Single Path

[05:58–08:20]

• Alison recognizes Ingrid's expansive career beyond her early "cute ukulele songs," noting her refusal to be categorized.
• Ingrid describes her willful nature; she’s always resisted being told “who I am” and seeks to diversify her “artistic portfolio.”
• Her pivot to writing for musical theater was rooted in her love of the genre, her willingness to face anxiety, and the value of taking creative risks.

Notable Quote:

“I’ve always been very willful and I don’t like being told what to do and I don’t like being told who I am…for better or for worse, it does push me to diversify my artistic portfolio, so to speak.”
— Ingrid Michaelson ([06:16])

Staten Island Roots & Family Influence

[08:20–11:45]

• Ingrid affectionately mimics the Staten Island accent and reminisces about her upbringing, her late mother’s role at Staten Island Museum, and the borough’s hidden cultural gems.
• Recalls formative memories of taking ferry rides for music lessons, her resistance to piano at age three, and the positive impact of early music education.
• Shares that her father was a composer and credits her parents for her musical journey.

Notable Quote:

“I think every kid should take a few years of piano… it opens up a whole avenue of life that you would never have before.”
— Ingrid Michaelson ([10:59])

Transition to Broadway & The Notebook

[12:12–17:04]

• Ingrid recounts her path to composing for The Notebook musical, initially misreading a casual suggestion as a job offer and then securing the role after submitting multiple songs.
• Explains similarities and differences between writing for herself and for theater, with the latter requiring more narrative specificity and responsiveness to directors’ feedback.
• Discusses the shift in her songwriting since entering the musical theater world, blending storytelling and personal themes.

Notable Quote:

“With musicals, you gotta start getting specific. You’re telling story, you’re pushing story forward...I feel like I’ve unlocked a new part of my brain and part of my writing brain.”
— Ingrid Michaelson ([15:52])

Collaboration vs. Solo Creation

[17:04–18:35]

• Ingrid reveals that, after writing both lyrics and music solo for The Notebook, she now aspires to collaborate on future theater projects for creative synergy and support.
• Stresses the value of having a “teammate” to bounce around ideas, lessen the pressure, and enrich the creative process.

Notable Quote:

“I know I can do it. And now I want to team up with somebody and do it again, but I want to have a teammate. Life’s better with someone else.”
— Ingrid Michaelson ([17:27])

The Power of Interpretation & Curating Her Concert

[18:35–24:45]

• Details the “Time and Space Between Us” concert, highlighting a roster of Broadway friends joining her, all of whom immediately agreed to participate.
• Expresses her joy in hearing her songs performed “better” by other vocalists, likening it to a “superhero version” of her own work.
• Outlines her curated approach for the Lincoln Center show: exploring themes of love, family, time, and artistic inheritance, often presenting songs in new keys/styles and involving stories between numbers.

Notable Quote:

“There’s something incredible about writing songs out of your range, out of your limitations, and watching somebody else execute it perfectly because I’m getting my music across...but it just sounds better.”
— Ingrid Michaelson ([20:22])

Emotional Preparation & Family Legacies

[24:45–28:30]

• Ingrid reminisces about attending concerts at David Geffen Hall with her family, including singing Handel’s Messiah together each year.
• Expresses both nerves and excitement about performing in the very same venue, reflecting on the full-circle moment from childhood to headliner.
• Shares her emotional technique for performing deeply personal songs, using what she calls the “cement heart” method to manage stage tears until after the performance.

Notable Quote:

“I thought, if I’m ever going to perform this song, I got to do it at Lincoln Center...some of them are digging quite deep emotionally.”
— Ingrid Michaelson ([27:34])

Live Performance: "Can't Help Falling in Love"

[28:45–32:40]

• Ingrid shares a personal story about singing “Can’t Help Falling in Love” as a waitress at a Staten Island wedding and how the song became a staple in her set.
• Delivers a soulful live piano version, connecting her longstanding love of this classic to the episode’s themes of love and legacy.

Notable Quote:

“This song—I’ve played it so many times I feel like it’s mine.”
— Ingrid Michaelson ([28:52])

Notable Quotes Recap

• “Who gets to do what I’m doing right now?” — Ingrid Michaelson ([05:15])
• “I've always been very willful...for better or for worse, it does push me to diversify my artistic portfolio.” — Ingrid Michaelson ([06:16])
• “I think every kid should take a few years of piano…it gives you this hallway that you wouldn’t have to walk down.” — Ingrid Michaelson ([10:59])
• “With musicals, you gotta start getting specific...I feel like I’ve unlocked a new part of my writing brain.” — Ingrid Michaelson ([15:52])
• “Life’s better with someone else.” — Ingrid Michaelson ([17:27])
• “It’s like a superhero version of me...collaboration, I think, that’s my favorite thing.” — Ingrid Michaelson ([20:22])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:39] — “The Way I Am” (live performance)
• [04:59] — Discussion: nerves, gratitude, and performance
• [06:16] — On resisting categorization and diversifying as an artist
• [10:59] — The value of music education for children
• [12:37] — Songwriting process for The Notebook musical
• [15:52] — On narrative specificity in musicals and creative growth
• [17:27] — The importance of collaboration
• [18:52] — Broadway friends joining the Lincoln Center concert
• [20:22] — The thrill of others interpreting her music
• [27:34] — Emotional preparations for the concert
• [28:45] — “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (live performance)

Conclusion

This episode is a rich tapestry of music, memory, and creative insight, showcasing Ingrid Michaelson’s openhearted approach to art, her embrace of collaboration, and her ongoing journey as a conduit between personal history and shared cultural experience. Her live performances, candid storytelling, and reflections on legacy will resonate not just with fans, but with anyone curious about the emotional process behind both timeless pop songs and the new American songbook.