As a result of these ongoing tensions, in their diversity, a community of newcomers and outsiders across estates evolved in metropolitan France and its wider orbit. Saint-Georges and people of colour more generally were not alone in feeling the sting of bigotry, whether in the colonial or metropolitan world. Recognized as a young, handsome, ennobled son of a wealthy planter, Saint-Georges was popular in Paris and rarely seen without a diverse entourage of friends. One such friend was François-Joseph Gossec (1734-1829), his composition teacher and lifelong friend. Just as the military, commerce and athletics offered opportunities for social mobility, music was another important pathway. Born in Vergnies, Gossec was of Walloon extraction and, as the son of a poor farmer, came up through the choirboy ranks. At eighteen, he landed a position as a violinist in Pouplinière's private orchestra, and, in 1755, he succeeded Johann Stamitz (born Jan Václav Antonín Stamic in Maribor, Slovenia), the preeminent composer and violinist of the Mannheim school, as director. Following Pouplinière's death in 1762 and after a stint with the Prince de Conti, Gossec founded the Concert des Amateurs in 1769. Performing at the Hôtel de Soubise, the present location of France's Archives nationales, it was one of the first independent orchestras. While it is not clear exactly when Gossec and Saint-Georges met, it seems clear that the latter was under Gossec's training and was becoming known in music circles before Georges returned to  
Guadeloupe in 1764. Already in 1764, the violinist and composer, Antonio Lolli had dedicated concertos to Saint-Georges, and in 1766 and 1768, respectively, Gossec dedicated a set of trios and sonatas to him.