"I hadn't written a song in over a year," reveals James Stevenson (Jared, PASSIONS), who studied jazz voice at American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York. "I hit a dead spell as soon as my last show, SEX, LOVE & SECRETS, got canned. For eight months I had nothing to do and I couldn't write."

All that changed when he landed on PASSIONS, and though his creative juices are flowing, Stevenson hasn't jammed with any of his musical castmates yet. "I had my guitar [at the studio] the other day, but jamming is difficult for me because the songs that I sing and play are all my own," he explains. "I taught myself how to play guitar a few years ago and don't know how to read music, so I wouldn't be able to jam with anyone else."

That doesn't mean he wouldn't mind seeing Jared sing or strum a few lines, like his rock 'n' roll alter ego, Hank, did on SEX, LOVE & SECRETS. "A couple weeks before it got pulled, the producers decided to bring some of my music to the show and have Hank play James Stevenson songs," he recalls. "They were going to market a CD at the end of the season. I was so stoked; who gets this kind of chance?" Unfortunately, not Stevenson — the series didn't last.

"We'll see what happens for Jared," he muses. "I have my fingers crossed, but Jared isn't looking like much of a musician…yet! You have no idea with PASSIONS. [Suddenly,] I could be playing a song on the piano."