Today we’d like to introduce you to Genevieve LeDoux.
Hi Genevieve, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in California in the 1970s, which was a pretty magical time to be a feral child. We rode our bikes for miles, chased the wind, and stayed out until the streetlights came on. I was always the storyteller in the group. I vividly remember seeing Stand By Me for the first time and immediately identifying with Wil Wheaton’s character, Gordon Lachance. The kid who entertained his friends with stories. That was me. Sometimes to my own detriment. I got into plenty of trouble keeping friends awake at sleepovers, blurring the line between imagination and reality.
Both of my parents were writers, so writing and drawing came very early to me. I believe I wrote my first fully illustrated story at age four. Singing was always there too. Music has always been at the heart of everything I do. My biggest inspirations were David Bowie and Jim Henson, so when those two worlds collided in Labyrinth, it felt like permission. I could do both. Music and story.
My kids say I’ve lived many lives, and they’re not wrong. I was given the freedom as a child to try a lot of things and really explore them. Over the years, I’ve worked as a mitigation specialist on capital defense cases, done community outreach for at-risk youth, spent many years as an interior designer, and eventually landed in children’s television. When that happened, everything clicked.
Star Forest was born out of my own kids’ needs. They were looking for music that sounded like adult music but spoke to kid experiences. I went searching to see who was doing that, and I couldn’t quite find what we were craving, so I started building it myself. The worldbuilding came early.
One night, I stepped into our backyard in Georgia and saw hundreds of fireflies. Having grown up in California, I had never seen anything like it. Our tree-filled yard suddenly felt like a glowing, starry forest. That moment planted the seed. Star Forest began as an imaginative album for kids, but it has grown into something much bigger. A musical universe, a world built around connection, creativity, and belonging.
And it all started with a kid who couldn’t stop telling stories. I now recognize how neurodivergent I am and have always been. I knew there would be other people who understood the metaverse I was building.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road has definitely been bumpy.
I believe deeply in people. I believe that with trust, support, and room to grow, people can do extraordinary things. One of the hardest obstacles has been learning that belief is not always returned in equal measure. Building something meaningful requires alignment, and when trust or accountability breaks down, it can slow everything. Those moments are painful, but they are also clarifying.
This is also an industry in real flux. The rules keep changing, platforms shift, budgets shrink, and expectations grow. Navigating that uncertainty while trying to build something original and values-driven is not for the faint of heart.
On top of that, Star Forest has been self-funded. Betting on yourself means real risk. Financial, emotional, and creative. There are no safety nets and no guarantees. You feel every decision more sharply. But that risk also wakes you up. It keeps you present, engaged, and fiercely committed.
The road hasn’t been smooth, but it has been purposeful. Every obstacle has forced me to get clearer about what matters, who belongs on the journey, and why I’m building this in the first place. And that clarity has been worth the bumps.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a creator, songwriter, and world builder. At the core of my work is the belief that music and story are powerful tools for connection, especially for kids who live in the in-between space. The ones who have outgrown preschool content but are not quite ready for the culture aimed at teens and adults.
I specialize in building musical worlds that treat children as thoughtful, emotionally complex humans. Star Forest is a real band, a narrative universe, and a growing body of work that blends original music, storytelling, animation, and live experiences. Everything begins with music. The songs drive the stories, the characters, and the world itself.
What I am most proud of is that Star Forest is honest. It does not talk down to kids. It makes space for big feelings, curiosity, creativity, and individuality. We write music that parents actually want to listen to and that kids feel seen by. That balance is hard to strike, and it is something I’ve worked very intentionally to protect.
What sets me apart is that this work is deeply personal and fully self-built. I did not reverse-engineer a trend or chase an algorithm. I built the thing my own family needed and trusted that others would recognize themselves in it. My background in everything from capital defense work to interior design to children’s television informs how I approach storytelling. With empathy, structure, and care.
I am also proud that this is a woman-led, self-funded project built from the ground up. Every risk has been intentional. Every win has been earned. Star Forest is not just a brand or a show. It is a place. One that invites kids and families to slow down, tune in, and belong.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Something that often surprises people is that the gentleness and whimsy in my work come from having spent a lot of time in very heavy, real-world spaces.
Before Star Forest, I spent years sitting with people at the very edges of life. I listened to stories shaped by trauma, loss, and systems that had failed them. That work changed how I see humanity. It taught me how important it is to be truly seen, and how rare kindness can be when people feel powerless.
Star Forest is not an escape from reality for me. It is a response to it. The softness, the music, the care taken with emotional honesty are all intentional. They exist because I know how hard the world can be, especially for kids who feel different, sensitive, or misunderstood.
Most people assume the work comes from a place of pure imagination. In truth, it comes from empathy earned the hard way. I create gentle worlds because I know what happens when the world is not gentle at all.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.starforest.rocks
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starforestrocks
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genevieve-ledoux-demars-a4241814
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@starforestrocks
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0C8GCJW2PlpUgoJoTsfAXA
Image Credits
@grammymuseum
@chandrawilliams
