I can just barely read standard musical notation but it’s far from fluent. I’m wondering if, with enough practice you can look at sheet music that you have never heard or seen before and sound it out in your head before ever touching your instrument?
Yes. Classically trained, degrees and all. I always had good aural skills; it came naturally to me and formal training just made me better at it. Now I sing and singers absolutely have to know how to do it if they’re sight reading. No instrument to rely on. Some can’t do it; they have to hear it first. Singers get a bad rap by other musicians honestly.