From teaching kids in schools by day to touring stages by night, Kate’s journey is the side of music most people never get to see.

In this episode of The Offstage Life Podcast, Kate shares her untold story of building a career as a drummer while balancing private drum teaching, touring life, bands, financial survival, and the constant hustle behind being a working musician.

From chaotic student stories and wild first jobs to navigating burnout, passion, and identity, this episode dives deep into the hidden reality of what it truly takes to build a life in music.

In this episode:

• Kate’s first professional job in music
• Building a private drum teaching business
• Teaching while touring in punk bands
• The realities of balancing creativity and income
• Wild student and parent stories
• The hidden emotional side of being a musician
• How teaching shaped Kate’s career both on and off stage
• This episode is for musicians, creatives, music teachers, touring artists, and anyone chasing passion while balancing real life.

Because the most important part of creative careers often happens offstage.

🎙️ Episode 09 — Out now on all platforms

Timestamps:

Introduction and Testing - 0:03

Break and Return - 0:30

TikTok Success - 1:30

Interview with Jess - 2:26

Drum Teaching Era - 5:18

Challenges of Teaching - 9:10

Memorable Teaching Moments - 11:59

Balancing Music and Teaching - 19:04

Student Stories - 23:27

Teaching Philosophy - 37:17

Performing vs. Teaching - 40:29

Future of Teaching - 55:21

Upcoming Guests - 61:59

#Podcast #MusicPodcast #Drummer #DrummerLife #WomenInMusic #MusicIndustry #MusicianLife #TourLife #PunkRock #RockMusic #DrumTeacher #CreativeCareer #BehindTheScenes #BehindTheMusic #SpotifyPodcast #YouTubePodcast #AustralianPodcast #IndependentPodcast #FemaleDrummer #OffstageLife

She looks normal… but she’s not.

And that’s exactly the point.

In Episode 8 of The Offstage Life, we sit down with Jess — someone who might seem like your everyday person… until you start peeling back the layers.

From Disney classics and punk music to tarot cards, spirituality, taxidermy art, and some of the most unexpected hobbies you’ll ever hear — this episode dives into what everyday people are really like.

This is what our podcast is all about:

🎙️ The lives people don’t show

🎙️ The identities beneath the surface

🎙️ And why the most interesting people aren’t always the ones on stage

If you’ve ever felt like there’s more to you than what people see — this episode is for you.

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🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & more

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @theoffstagelife

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⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – She looks normal…

00:15 – Meet Jess

02:10 – Music that shaped her (Disney to punk)

06:30 – Feeling like the “overlooked” girl

10:20 – How music connects people

14:00 – Identity vs how people see you

18:30 – Dopamine dressing & self-expression

23:10 – Creative hobbies & bug art

28:40 – The bug wall reveal 😳

32:30 – Spirituality, tarot & intuition

40:15 – Live tarot reading on the podcast

52:10 – The truth about repeating patterns

58:00 – A message for listeners

01:02:30 – Taxidermy, oddities & creative expression

01:10:45 – The tooth fairy story (yes… really)

01:18:00 – Crystals & energy explained

01:25:20 – Ending cycles & new beginnings

01:30:00 – Music that still hits today

01:35:00 – Final thoughts

#theoffstagelife #podcastaustralia #australianpodcast #storytellingpodcast #selfidentity #spirituality #tarot #creativelife #reallifestories #podcastclip #hiddenlives #offstagelife #womeninpodcasting #sydneypodcast #music #taxidermy

What happens when you finally get a weekend off… and realise you don’t know how to relax?

In this episode of The Offstage Life Podcast, we dive into what it’s actually like to slow down when you’re used to living a busy, chaotic life.

With Kate having a rare break from gigging, we found ourselves navigating a “normal” weekend — and quickly realised that switching off isn’t as easy as it sounds.

From falling asleep on the lounge after one whisky, to exploring the Camden Show, to wandering through Newtown soaking up the creativity, this episode is a mix of funny, honest, and unexpectedly deep reflections on rest, routine, and identity.

We talk about the guilt that can come with doing nothing, why relaxing feels like a skill you have to learn, and how easy it is to forget to actually enjoy life outside of work, gigs, and constant productivity.

We also cover:

• What a “normal weekend” looks like for us

• Why musicians (and busy people) struggle to switch off

• The mental shift of not gigging

• Camden Show chaos and country Australia

• Dance performance trauma (yes… really)

• Newtown adventures, street art, and inspiration

• Why changing your routine can reset your mindset

• Reducing plastic and small lifestyle changes

• And… meet Pablo 🦜 our new podcast mascot

We’re also introducing a new segment: Pablo’s Questions — where YOU send in questions for us to answer in upcoming episodes.

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📲 Get involved

Follow us on Instagram: @the_offstagelife_podcast

Keep an eye on our stories to submit your questions for Pablo’s segment 👀

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🔔 Listen & Watch

Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts & more.

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and follow so you never miss an episode.

Chapters

• 00:00 The Hectic Life
• 05:23 The Art of Relaxation
• 10:02 The Camden Show Experience
• 29:50 Pablo's Segment

#podcast #lifestylepodcast #musicianlife #worklifebalance #relaxing #burnout #slowliving #australianpodcast #sydneylife #creativelife #offstagelife #mentalhealth #routine #productivity #rest