Passage Summary: Even though electric instruments allowed bands to get smaller because they could play louder, there are actually more professional musicians working today than before this technology existed.

Reasoning: Electric instruments allow for louder play, which resulted in fewer members per band, yet the total number of professional popular musicians has increased since the 1950s.

Analysis: This set of facts presents a mathematical puzzle: if the number of people in each band went down, but the total number of musicians went up, what must be true? The only way for the total count to rise while the 'per group' count falls is if the total number of bands increased significantly. Look for an answer that synthesizes these trends, likely pointing toward a massive growth in the number of musical groups since the introduction of electrification.