Singer-songwriter and accomplished attorney Ingrid Chiemi Schroffner ’95 released her fourth lyric book titled Something In That Space, this year. The book is composed of five song collections and explores the importance of human connection and the inevitability of change beyond our control.
Schroffner has been drawn to music from a young age, singing different tunes and jingles for as long as she can remember. She participated in University Chorale during her undergraduate years at Boston College, and the Wandr’ing Mistrials a cappella group in her time at BC Law. She began her journey as an independent artist in 2003, performing in small venues while hosting and producing at the Asian American Lawyers of Massachusetts Legal Line Television Program. She released her first book, Karma Bank to Following by Listening, in 2021 and has been writing ever since.
“My music and songs are to pass along insights, whether visual or by sound.”
Ingrid Chiemi Schroffner ’95
Each song in all of Schroffner’s books is paired with a corresponding photograph or illustration, creating a multi-sensory experience for readers. “My music and songs are to pass along insights, whether visual or by sound,” Schroffner said. “I believe some folks are more attuned to that experience visually, with the photo or art posted with the song and the text of the lyrics, so I’ve made my work available as both posted songs and in books to address as many as possible who might have something resonate with them for their own individual insights.”
In addition to Schroffner’s commitment to music, she maintains a career in law. She worked as Assistant General Counsel, was elevated to Associate General Counsel and then Acting Deputy General Counsel at with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services until 2020. She now serves as Senior Associate Attorney at UMass Chan Medical School. She’s received numerous honors and awards, including induction into the Circle of Excellence for Top Women of Law in 2022, and being named a Top Woman of Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly in 2013.
All net proceeds from Something In That Space sales will be donated to the Fred T. Korematsu Institute, an organization spreading awareness of the incarceration of Japanese people during WWII.
Learn more about her musical work here.
