[mebassett]

yes. learning to doing maths is a bit like learning to play an instrument in that you have to spend lots of times practicing scales or other simple stuff (doing the exercises) before you can really be creative on it.

or like learning to write - you got to spend lots of time practicing and memorizing your letters before you can start getting to words and sentences and novels.

[bashinator]

It's also a bit different from learning to play music in that almost everyone appreciates music even without being able to create it themselves. There's a much more direct connection between the craft and its outcomes than with math.