Once Upon A Musical Life

Death and Deductibles

In this episode, take a candid (and slightly sarcastic) look at what it means to get older and a lot less tolerant. At some point, your time and energy just become too valuable. We also get into the quieter side of loss, the friendships that fade, the family dynamics that shift, and the weird grief of missing people who are still very much alive. It’s about figuring out what relationships are worth the effort and which ones you’re allowed to outgrow. We reflect on how we were raised, what we’ve carried with us, and whether it’s possible to build something healthier with siblings before it's too late. And of course, our bodies have entered the chat. From perimenopause to menopause, we cover the realities, the surprises, and why taking care of ourselves is no longer optional. Navigating healthcare is its own adventure, where hitting your deductible and out-of-pocket max starts to feel like a personal achievement. We also touch on burnout, work, and the fine art of quiet quitting, aka protecting your energy without completely giving up. It’s honest, a little dark, a little metal, and genuinely funny, because sometimes the only way through this phase of life is to laugh, set boundaries, play mahjong, and keep going.

Once Upon A Musical Life

Once upon a musical life, we were backstage, working with bands, and staying up all night as if sleeping was optional. In this episode, we're on our way to a concert and think back on the lives we lived in our 20s and 30s, working in the music industry, running meet-and-greets, following tours, and somehow existing on adrenaline and truck stop snacks. It was chaotic and magical, but wildly unsustainable. Now we're hydrated, have to sit if we stand too long, and hope that our ADHD meds don't run out before the headliner goes on at 10 pm.

I Forgot Where I Was Going With This...

In this episode of All Access: The Mid-Century Tour, we discuss "dressing your age", the importance of embracing new technology as a woman over 40, and the eternal debate: gray hair, embrace it or erase it? We were also joined by three dogs, one dead microphone, and an editor on the brink. The audio is chaotic, the topics are real, the laughs are intentional, the sound quality… not so much.

The B-Side: Life Unplugged, Unfiltered, and Unapologetic

Introducing Birdie and JenX. They met in the music industry and, after having countless conversations about life, growing older, changing priorities, long-term friendship, parenting (dogs/kids), perimenopause, grief, joy, being neurodivergent (card-carrying members of the ADHD club), and choosing more nights in than nights out, they decided to share their thoughts with an audience. It’s real life, unfiltered. The messy, funny, beautiful latter part of life no one, not even your mother, prepares you for.