But music theory isn't on the level of physics, it's not what music is made of, it's more like a recipe - yes, you can intuitively cook a dish from experience, but at some point if you want to communicate that with others you have to write down the names and quantities of the things you're using, the temperatures and timings, and so on. And knowing lots of recipes allows you to much better understand how to tweak and improvise on your existing knowledge by adding new elements or substituting ingredients.
There is a famous quote from Goethe, that aptly describes the situation: "Wenn ihr's nicht fühlt, ihr werdet's nicht erjagen"
> And knowing lots of recipes allows you to much better understand how to tweak and improvise on your existing knowledge
Sure, practice is helpful. And it is to be hoped that the conservatories are also helpful for something, if society invests so much money in them and so many professional musicians come out of them.
