Conversation so far:
Waht did Fred Frith do in New York?
Towards the end of 1979, Fred Frith relocated to New York City, where he immediately hooked up with the local avant-garde/downtown music scene.
What did Fred Frith do with the local avant-garde/downtown music scene in New York?
Fred Frith met and began recording with a number of musicians. He spent some 14 years in New York, during which time he joined and started a few bands.

Question: Why was it liberating for him?
Self-contained rewrite: Why was the New York avant-garde/downtown music scene liberating for Fred Frith?