Being a coder doesen't necessarily mean an ability to work up a chain either. Usually in small companies, there isn't much of a chain to be worked. Small companies aren't immune to politics and backbiting. Someone with a music background would be familiar with self-presentation, with responding to people's needs. Getting a gig at a bar is not much different than proposing your product to a company or coordinating integration of your technology into another company's products. It's all people skills. Coders generally don't have those.