Written for full orchestra, TRADEWINDS is meant to express the different emotions I feel when returning home. Its name refers to the type of wind that blows from east to west near the equator. Growing up, we always looked forward to tradewinds, which meant cool breezes and a welcome relief from the humidity. It is a reorchestration of the first concert band piece I wrote. Although it has only been a brief time at Chapman, I felt I’ve learned so much music knowledge and was ready to tackle this work again. I loved all of my ideas from the original piece; however, they felt a little too disorganized, with no consistent or overarching theme. TRADEWINDS aims to articulate my thoughts just a little clearer.

From Thomas’s Program Note