I played in a band called the Lovehandles in and around Portland, Oregon, between 1979 and 1989. None of its members were full-time musicians. Patti Dunahugh, our female vocalist, was a dental hygienist; Mike Bragg, our male vocalist and rhythm guitarist, was a medical statistician; and the rest of us were doctors. Of the six of us, the only one whose level of talent qualified him for the designation of "real musician" was Mike. Despite Mike's presence...