Amazing freedom…

a dream come true

When Julie Lavender Le Doux moved with her family from Southern California, to New England in 2003, she never anticipated that her greatest artistic and personal journey would begin only after settling into their pre-revolutionary era farm. This journey forced her to face debilitating fear, leading her into a multi-faceted creative odyssey that expanded beyond music into the realms of visual art and children’s literature, particularly with the launch of her captivating kids books, The Amazings Series.

From Fear to Wonder

Julie began her unexpected journey into writing at a time of painful shaking, during which she heard the words, “Mrs. Amazing and The Seed,” but had no idea what they meant. “It was only when I jumped headlong onto an empty page and began to write that I discovered just who Mrs. Amazing was and why she needed a seed,” Julie recalls.

From this genesis grew a groundbreaking book that created a harvest of healing for Julie and many others. Since then, Julie’s storytelling has multiplied exponentially. In 2024, she released the first books in The Amazings Series, a fiction collection for kids aged 10-14. This series takes readers on a fantastical journey with a quirky family as they defy enormous societal pressures and stand against “The Gray Side” with power from the supernatural realm of Wonder.

As fruitful as this has been, Julie didn’t begin her creative journey as an author. Initially after moving to their New Hampshire farm, she and her husband prioritized homeschooling their children while her deepest dream of performing and recording music was overshadowed by the performance anxiety that took center stage in her life. Still, her beloved guitars and grand piano were given prime placement in the historic, converted barn overlooking their DreamFarm which served as her family’s art and music studio. “I would sit at the piano and look out at the rolling fields,” she says, “and dream of turning the barn into a performance space—a place where I might conquer my fears and bless others.”

Barnstorm Brainstorm

A decision to share that space, and the music she made in it, with a few new neighbors proved pivotal. Julie knew it was time to finally overcome the paralyzing stage fright she had kept hidden. She turned a small dinner party into an artistic salon, inviting guests to share their art while she performed her original music. With her son as emcee and a handmade sign proclaiming the space “The Jazz Barn,” Julie thrilled her friends—and herself—with an intimate set of songs. This event blossomed into more community performances, sowing the seeds for her ongoing recovery and the launch of her invitation-only jazz-and-art events in the barn. These happenings led to her collaborating with musicians from around the world, causing her to emerge as a southern New Hampshire jazz impresario. 

When the buzz around these exclusive events caught the attention of a Concord, NH, radio station, Julie was approached about broadcasting DreamFarm performances, which eventually led to the creation of DreamFarm Radio. This nationally syndicated radio program, launched in 2012, reaches hundreds of thousands of listeners each week with the live performances and interviews of diverse jazz musicians from around the world.

Taking the Reins in the Studio

Julie’s journey into fear-free performing also motivated her to add a very intimate and personal album to her discography. Interior Design featured her solo acoustic performances along with several guest artists and proved to be another pivotal step on her road to fear-free living. Following this victory, she launched into two ambitious themed projects combining her original music and paintings.

Her groundbreaking CD, The Siddur Project, sets ancient biblical prayers to jazz-influenced music, creating a multi-layered recording for spirit and soul. The project features some of the East Coast’s finest jazz musicians, with paintings by Julie that vividly reflect the songs. Together, art, music, poetry, and prayer blend seamlessly to engage her audience on multiple levels.

Her most recent recording, Rising: A Modern Cantata for the World to Come, is a full-scale jazz cantata that combines enchanting musical vistas with unexpected melodies and contagious grooves. Arranged by Grammy-nominated jazz orchestra arranger, composer, and saxophonist Kim Richmond, and featuring the artistry of four-time Grammy award-winning cellist, Eugene Friesen, Rising is a hip, new approach to the classical cantata form.

Julie is currently developing Presence Jazz, a fresh synergy of original jazz music and artisan worship, with album releases scheduled to begin in 2025. Find out more about Julie’s recordings at julielavender.com and listen to her current albums on Spotify.

Touching Dreams and Unleashing Amazing New Stories

As a visual artist, Julie finds inventive ways to integrate her original paintings with her music, writing, and coaching. Having overcome debilitating, dream-crushing fear, Julie is passionate about unlocking the dreams of others, speaking publicly as well as offering personal mentoring. “Fear-free living  is a life skill that can be learned,” Julie shares. “I hope to inspire and empower people to conquer trauma where it hits home in the most intimate and personal of ways. I have a passion to help others find the courage to share their gifts with the world and fulfill their designer dreams.”

And Julie’s quest to bring families into the world of true Wonder has just begun! The Amazings Series is unfolding into a ten-book collection of hilarious, heart-pumping, heroic, hell-vanquishing kids book adventures starting in the fall of 2024.

These days, Julie Lavender Le Doux is not afraid to be amazing.