It’s incredibly rewarding to get students inside the creative process.
I remember distinctly in a high school English textbook an E.B. White short essay that was included along with excerpts of earlier drafts and a description of the revision process. I found it fascinating to learn how much changed during revisions.
This year I’ve been able to give a similar experience to my students, thanks to a commission of the composer Tim Brent.
He’s graciously shared drafts along the way for my students to sight read and asked for feedback. Because they had learned most of one draft before they got to a new one last night, they had a lot of great feedback on his changes. But more importantly, they expressed surprise and appreciation for the way the piece had continued to evolve from the earlier drafts. They were able to experience the creative process in nearly real time, probably in a way few of them ever had before.
It’s one of the many reasons that I love commissioning new works with a choir. They will never look at a creative work the same way, and I hope that it will affect the way they create in the future!