@schubert ,
it is quite CLEAR that above is optional !
What about Mozart who revealed his talent at the age of 7?
It looks like training was indeed optional for him and his music isn't so simple as well.
Later on he learned how to place his own music on our traditional western 5-line staff, but before that he was just like Art Tatum not knowing single note and he learned to sing prior he started talking perhaps in his mother's womb.
Today we have similar talents that play various types of music and sing, but not too much classical. The classical music performances are substantially more structured and strict today. The classical musician is expected to provide clean and precise performance rather than personal interpretation often used by self-taught and trained musicians.
Once Joey Di Francesco started learning classical piano somewhere in his early 30s, he quit not too far from his start, because it's not his bowl of soup, however he mastered to learn solfegio.
One thing I can agree on is when there's no talent or training -- there's no music whether it's rnr or classical. The result is not interesting and boring.
As to commercial media, it's looking for talent that can bring profits to the industry so there must be some of both above mentioned to at least certain magnitude.
