Music can seem set in stone. Commissions teach us otherwise.
One of the gifts of taking students through the commission process is that they can experience the malleability inherent in all music. Frequently when I commission music, drafts and revisions will continue to come in, even after I’ve begun rehearsing the music. Changes small and large will appear in the scores, after students have “learned their parts.”
This is a blessing. Getting a first row seat to watching music evolve is an educational boon, and learning to adapt to changing scores is a life lesson in being flexible over time.
Just one more reason to commission new music for your ensembles.