In the early '90s, I called a friend who left college after his sophomore year. He told me he was working as a roadie for a local band. When he named the band, I said, "I don't think I've heard them. The name doesn't sound familiar to me." He responded, "Where have you been?"
I could have said, "I know this is your life now, and the band might be quite good, for all I know. It just so happens that despite listening to a lot of music, I haven't heard their music on the radio or playing in a store. (I've heard some of their music since then, and the band's vocals, guitar playing, and songwriting are all solid.) This is why it's so challenging (and was especially challenging in pre-Internet times) to make it in the music business. A band's music has to be played frequently for it to make an impression on the public. I don't think it should be that way, but that's how it is."
Instead, to be polite, I said, "Hmmm...I'm not sure. Somehow, they've escaped my notice. What's it like working with them?"
I still think I made the right choice, from a human perspective.
