IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO GET TO PARADISE.

VOXFUTURA is the brainchild project of Lesley Gent, native of Youngstown, Ohio, who was once described by those who know her best as the "Singer Who Doesn't Sing", largely due to her shyness when asked to do so.

 

“If you want to know me, REALLY know me, consult my songs,” the singer/songwriter has said of her artistic expression. A self-declared Nice Girl/Provocateur and Xennial Songstress, Lesley identifies heavily with the latter portion of the Generation X cohort (Xennials), as well as with her Aries zodiacal solar placement, the Warrior and Dreamer archetypes, Libertarian values, and the importance of pursuing self-actualization while advocating for justice and compassion for all Mankind.

At an early age, Lesley fell hard for the great voices and songs. Though chronically timid, she internally committed herself to mastering the pursuit of both in her own unique way. A solid student from elementary to university, academics alone were never quite enough; they could never tell the whole story. She needed the music. She began to study flute, piccolo, and piano in school while secretly writing...and working on her voice.

After high school and university, Lesley performed in a wide range of musical theater productions, never fully abandoning the classical training which had grounded her musicianship so well. As a singer/actress, she performed leading roles in productions of Mozart's The Magic Flute, Bellini's La Sonnambula, Chess, Carousel, Evita, and Beauty and The Beast, to name a few. During this time, she was fortunate to meet friends who would become artistic partners and help her re-discover a role she had long since forgotten: the role of songwriter.

Somewhere between Youngstown, Zelienople, PA, and Miami Beach, VF was born.

Even while serving as a high school music teacher and private coach by day, Lesley began to pursue work as a vocalist on the side. In 2019, she served as Solo Vocalist with The Richard Vanderburg [Big] Band for a charity gala in Coral Gables. While performing with Richard, she met jazz musician Steve Lee, who invited her to work with the as well as the Miami Jazz Catz, who play in Miami as well as the Florida Keys.

In spring of 2021, Lesley joined The Bango Bangos, an all-female rock band based in South Florida and founded by Star Search participant and Jimmy Buffet collaborator Astrid Voxx. The group enjoys a robust schedule of events, playing for area venues almost every weekend. Lesley was recruited by virtuoso percussionist Tom Gress to join the dual-sided tribute band Jaded (Aerosmith) with Shake It Up! (The Cars) and has been playing Keyboards for the group since August 2023. She plans to join its sister band, The MTVJ’s later this fall, taking on co-Lead Vocal duties in addition to continuing on Keyboards. Lesley also joined a weekly trio project, Trifekta, at the suggestion of Astrid Voxx and Guitar/Vocalist Clint Ettore and is  is gearing up for a Lead Singer debut with local rock band The Last Mile, an eclectic musical ensemble showcasing a wide variety of classic rock, alternative, synthpop, and Top 40 hits.

VF plans to release a collection of her original songs later this year, likely in a dance-pop/dark-pop format. 

At first glance, the outwardly polite VF seems to be a most basic cutout of the next-door-neighbor sort, but a deeper exploration reveals a complex life and character which has been marked by a constant battle of two seemingly disparate identities: the obedient, subservient good girl and the somewhat manic - but truly original - artist/performer. Fully aware of the universal magnitude of the collective Hero's Journey (and how others may well relate), she offers her voice and writing as documentation of – and hopefully, inspiration for – the road ahead.