"Who's Gonna Save My Soul" by Gnarls Barkley, though simple in its lyricism, is one of the most soul-wrenching ballads I've heard in a while. You should listen.

I started writing a new album this week, with the hope of writing 12 songs total. The songs are going to center on the theme of connection: how we make connections, how we miss them; how we reach through time, and distance, and technology, and our personal differences, to make contact with each other in an age of isolation.

I'm writing this because of Los Angeles. Although it's a cliche to say that Los Angeles is an isolating place, it is. Your mid-20's can be an isolating time, too: you're no longer in college (thank God), but you're not quite in a career. Having left home years ago, you're not sure where you're supposed to set your roots. And what about romance? Are you supposed to just have your fun, or is it time to get serious?

Anyway, being someone who doesn't connect with people easily, I'm fascinated with how people do it. I think I'm writing this in order to discover for myself how people reach out and find community. Still, I'm not aiming for catharsis. My favorite songs are ones that embody a fictional (or not-so-fictional) character rather than preach a message or just spill shapeless emotions.

So, characters, if you care to be vulnerable, here's a question you might answer to inspire me: what's a connection you've missed in life—one that you still regret?

BEGINNER- TO INTERMEDIATE-LEVEL GUITAR INSTRUCTION!

Let me know if you're interested in at-home guitar lessons. I'm teaching beginner- to intermediate-level courses, so whether you've played a six-string for a couple of years or you're just picking one up, I can help you improve your technique!

Choose from either:

1) 2 half-an-hour-long sessions per week, $15 per session*; or
2) 1 hour-long session per week, $30 per session.*

Your lesson plan is adaptable according to what you want to learn and how fast you want to learn it. Lessons can include, but are not limited to:

- Anatomy of the guitar
- Performance postures
- Fretting, strumming, and finger-styling techniques
- Reading notation and tablature
- Scales and chord structures
- Genres and styles (e.g. rock, classical, folk, blues, etc.)

All you need to provide is a six-string acoustic guitar, accessories (like picks, straps, etc.), and an eagerness to learn and have fun!

*Please note the hourly rate does not include the $15-25 for curriculum, which you can select or I can select for you.

E-mail me at stephen@thejackoftrades.com for more information!

It still amazes me, what human beings can do with enough practice.