I recently played a 3 hour outside job for a car show. A local chamber symphony was practicing in a room behind where, as they were up after me. They could read music and were trained, but to my astonishment, it was AWFUL. As I picked out the individual instruments, I could hear plain garbage. Just because one has years of site-reading/training, doesn't mean they have a FEEL for music. So there's always a flip side to everything. IF YOU HAVE THE FEEL FOR MUSIC, IT WILL GET YOU FAR.