"My friend can teach me a lot about some musical areas I want to go in and I'm sure he'd be open to it. I'd be able to "drop in" to his performances for a few numbers without any trouble. And if I wasn't able to show up at a gig because of family obligations I wouldn't be missed. At all. I'd just have to hear about what a great gig I missed"

Actually, when you put it like that, with the exception of the last sentence there it sounds like the ideal situation!

I mean, that's infinitely preferable to playing with someone who can only play tolerably well, moans all the time and belittles themselves.