Yes - well, almost. As coders, theory scratches the itch of understanding what's happening "under the hood." We might say that "Bach's music is brilliant", but

Yes - well, almost. As coders, theory scratches the itch of understanding what's happening "under the hood." We might say that "Bach's music is brilliant", but why? Theory helps make the music, and the things that make it sound interesting, explainable. That said, making music is not merely a technical exercise - there could be multiple theoretical ways to describe a harmony. You still have to listen to it and ask, "what makes the most sense? Is this functioning as a resolution to some tension?" It's easy in a classroom to lose sight of the fact that the theory was invented after the fact.