Hey everyone!  WOW it's been a little while!

   Welcome back to The Tin Can Phone Line,  which typically is chock-full of information that usually doesn't apply to you.  I've been doing sales emails allllll day, man, and I'm tired of that.  So, sure, up front, I'm still offering guitar lessons (at my cool garage studio!), if you have a party, I'll be glad to DJ it, AND I'm working hard to further the motivational speaking thing.  Let me know if you want a talk on Kindness, Creativity, or the thing I learned from salsa dancing - how to ask people things (without hitting them in the face.)  Here's a video. 

   But whatevs, man.  YOU are busy.  YOU are cool.  Here's some stuff that I hope you'll find interesting.  

1.  Are you running at full throttle?  I wasn't for a while.  It was the holidays, I got distracted, and it was like I took a nap for two months.  Then - ran into an old bandmate who is totally ROCKIN' it, and THEN saw Joyce Yang solo with the Baltimore Symphony.  Talk about rattling one's cage.  I lay wide awake, wondering what the heck I was doing with my life.  Maybe you're wondering the same thing.  Sure, it would be great to be famous, but that's really beside the point. It would be a shame to waste our potential. It would be a shame not to build something beautiful, something that we could call our life's work, no matter who sees it, or doesn't.  Cheesy, yes, cliche, of course.  But, here's a silly story of how I got to get a selfie with Joyce Yang's parents, and a call to both me and you to wake up and get CRACKIN. The episode is HERE.  

2.  You got something cool to say?  Of course you do!  Wanna guest on my podcast?  Let's do it!  Been having a blast interviewing a wide variety of people, from Big Tony of Trouble Funk to the high school students working the record store.  Hit me up!  I'm serious.  

3.  Why do we have to be right about everything?  I was scrolling through my Instagram feed this morning, and there was some lady yelling about how we need to play two chords and sit by a river and see if a melody shows up.  Okaaaay, I mean, you could do that, but then again, my quest to be "right", in thought, opinion, and creative process sure has twisted me into a pretzel and is often beside the point of what I'm trying to do - express, understand, and relate, both as a musician, and a person.  (Being "right" is different than being careful, mind you.)  I dunno about you, but man, maybe I just need to play my darn guitar.  Seems like a good start.  

4. I didn't realize I was missing the influence of a crazy Russian that definitely could be on coke, but isn't.  He's not for the faint of heart, and language isn't for work, either, but wow is he motivating!  He's sure worked me up into a tizzy, and I'm GONNA OUTWORK HIM!  

5.  Please stop by for tea soon.  I'd love to see you.  Now, back to work!

Be well!

- Josh