Yes, I think so. I am an amateur musician with no formal training in theory or history. I played my horn in a few ensembles back in college but that was the extent of my formal music education. The difference for me was one college professor who, over the space of four years, consistently introduced us to different styles of music. Some of it I liked, others of it I didn't. Fast forward a few years...I was fortunate enough to be invited to play in a local community swing band. The director, also an educator, arranged most of our music and was responsible for the play list. Similar to my professor in college, he routinely arranged (some times composed) new pieces for us and gave us a variety of styles.
Schubert, what a concert! Ravel's Bolero and a Tchaikovsky symphony in the same concert performed by the San Fransisco Symphany? Wow!
One final comment. I wonder if there is an additional component to this; live performances. In our digital age, I think we have largely forgotten the significance of the experience of a live performance by great performers performing great pieces. To me there is a difference between listening to a replay of music and experiencing the making of music.
