Amick was born in Reno, Nevada, the daughter of Judy, a medical office manager, and Bill Amick, a musician. Amick's parents are German; the name Mädchen (pronounced [ˈmɛːtçən] ), which means "girl" or "maiden" in German, was chosen by her parents because they wanted an unusual name. As a young girl, Amick was encouraged by her parents to follow her creative instincts. She learned to play the piano, bass, violin and guitar and took lessons in tap, ballet, jazz and modern dance. In 1987, at the ag