When Andrew Malloy commissioned me to compose a work for trombone, I was both thrilled and terrified to write a work for this marvelous musician as, although I have written for trombones in my orchestral works, it seemed even more daunting to write for an instrument that is not necessarily thought of as a "solo" instrument (at least to other than brass players!). So, with Andy’s help (and it is always wonderful when a composer has the luxury of collaborating with a great player), I learned about the different sonorities, positions, and challenges of this instrument. "Wind Tides" for trombone and piano is like a mini-concerto in a single movement with a fairly lengthy cadenza and is basically in ABA form. The title comes from the obvious reference to the breath required for this instrument and from the ebb and flow of the music. "Wind Tides" was the First Prize Winner of the Wright State University Trombone conference and premiered by Milwaukee first trombonist, Megumi Kanda, in Redlands, CA.