Throwaway. Second try.

Background: Friend and I met in highschool and were drinking buddies in our early 20's. In the ten years since then we've kept in regular contact, but out lives have gone in drastically different directions. I have always been interested in music and songwriting and have been writing songs as a hobby since I was very young. I went to college and then obtained an advanced degree in musicology. I currently work in the music industry, although not as a musician or songwriter.

My friend is just kind of doing the same stuff he did when we were young. Can't hold down a job and sits around drinking and watching sports all day. We don't see each other often, but we do talk and I don't really feel like we have much in common anymore. I am not into sports and that's really all he ever wants to talk about. The friendship at this point is based more on our history than any shared interests. A few years ago, I had a death in the family that was very traumatic and this friend completely supported me and talked me through a very dark time.

Now that I am finally settled into my career, I have more time to devote to my personal passions and am ready to channel my energy into some creative projects of my own. I mentioned this in conversation with my friend. In a later conversation, my friend announces he has a great idea and thinks we should collaborate and write music together and try to get it published. I felt really uncomfortable with the idea and just tried to change the subject, but he's brought it up in subsequent conversations and seems to be really excited about the prospect. He's already dreamed up our success as a songwriting duo and has thought about how good I would be it. This friend is not even into music and I feel kind of insulted. I tried to escape the conversation by saying that it's something I would like to pursue on my own, but that was a lie.

I do want to collaborate with someone else I know and have even started a tentative project. This person also has a degree in music and although I've never worked with him in a professional capacity, I know from our personal dealings that he is reliable, hard working, and very creative.

I feel my old friend will feel betrayed if he finds out I am working with someone else, and may even feel like I stole HIS idea. He was there for me when I really needed it, but I don't think it's a good idea to try to mix "business" with friends in this particular case. I still feel torn though like I should humor him and maybe try to collaborate on something with him just for fun, but I am honestly not interested in diverting any time or effort into something my heart is not in. I am also afraid it might kill our friendship completely due to our very different habits and work ethic. Am I an asshole?