With a part time job, and classes, and 3 to 5 nights a week of playing out in the bars, I never had time to be a "well informed" liberal.
Had my first job at 16 and had my first "Who the hell is FICA" moment, which turned me into a fiscal conservative early. It was Milton Friedman who finally showed me the light.
There was a great PBS show I remember from the 80s . . called Free To Choose which gave me my first glimpse into the failings of socialism.
Being a musician myself, that reminds me of a conversation I had with a fellow musician and (former) friend. He said, "You'd be a lot more liberal if you didn't have such a good job." My reply was, "You wouldn't be so liberal if you had a job."