Freelance musician and multi-instrumentalist Lisa Jacobs joins me to discuss her diverse career as an award-winning bass player and a dedicated music therapist. We dive into the grit of touring, studio recording sessions, and how she balances the energy of massive festival stages with the quiet intimacy of clinical music therapy. Lisa shares her unique mindset on finding longevity in the music industry, overcoming performance anxiety, and the real definition of confidence.

ep48 Lisa Jacobs finds little joys
released June 18, 2026
1:53:26

https://www.instagram.com/lisajuliejacobs/

Key Takeaways

• Dual Dualities & Symbiotic Career Paths: Lisa successfully balances a high-energy performance career with the quiet intimacy of music therapy, allowing both worlds to uniquely inform and feed into each other .
• The Clinical Power of Music Memory: Because music is stored across multiple areas of the brain, it acts as a powerful non-verbal tool to unlock memories and restore personal identity for dementia and palliative care patients .
• The Reality of Passion Projects: Disproving the cliché myth that loving your job means never working, Lisa emphasizes that even dream careers require immense sacrifice, unglamorous behind-the-scenes toil, and dealing with burnout .
• True Confidence is Earned Through Failure: Genuine confidence is not unearned bravado; rather, it is built incrementally by leaning into discomfort, making mistakes, and actively working to get better at a skill over time .
• Strategic Cultivation of Small Joys: To survive the grueling demands of the music industry and prevent professional misery, Lisa intentionally hunts for tiny moments of connection and beauty on and off the stage .

hosts: Glen Erickson, Alexi Erickson
https://www.almostfamousenough.com
AFE instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almostfamousenough
AFE Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1o1PRD2X0i3Otmpn8vi2zP?si=1ece497360564480

Almost Famous Enough is a series of conversations centered around the music industry, pulling back the veil on what it really means to “make it”. Our podcast features guests who know the grind, who have lived the dream, or at the very least, chased the dream. Through these conversational biographies, truth and vulnerability provide more than a topical roadmap or compile some career advice; they can appeal to the dreamer in us all, with stories that can teach us, inspire us, and even reconcile us, and make us feel like we made a new friend along the way.

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction

00:04:15 Catching up with Lisa Jacobs

00:06:44 Life as a Freelance Musician

00:09:42 The Dual Role: Musician and Music Therapist

00:12:43 The Power of Music Therapy

00:15:45 Connecting Through Music: A Personal Story

00:18:43 Finding Balance: The Performer and the Healer

00:24:34 Rediscovering Self: The Journey of Balance

00:31:40 Understanding Emotional Patterns

00:34:07 The Journey of a Musician

00:37:58 Early Musical Influences and Opportunities

00:41:06 The Freelance Musician's Path

00:46:45 Finding Joy in the Journey

00:53:55 Authenticity on Stage and Off

01:00:01 The Value of Vulnerability in Music

01:03:22 Fashion Influences and Sisterhood

01:06:02 The Power of Personal Style

01:09:17 The Balance of Light and Dark in Music and Fashion

01:14:24 Confidence Through Experience

01:19:23 The Journey of a Musician

01:24:26 Embracing Opportunities and Personal Growth

01:33:04 Post-Fame with Alexi