Elijah J. Thomas — artist
Elijah J. Thomas (he/him/his), a Black Philadelphia-born and Harlem-based windist, multi-instrumentalist, educator and composer began his musical journey at a very young age under the direction of educator and pianist John Zisk. A graduate of Temple University, Elijah holds a M.M. in Music Education and a B.M in Jazz Arranging & Composition from the Esther Boyer College of Music and Dance (with an instrumental concentration in flute and single reed instruments). Elijah has studied woodwind performance and improvisation with musicians Dick Oatts, Tim Warfield, Jr., Walter Bell, and Dr. Cynthia Folio, as well as composition/orchestration with Kevin Rodgers, Dr. Cynthia Folio, Dr. Maurice Wright and Dr. Norman David. As an educator, Elijah has held numerous teaching positions across Philadelphia and New York City with Temple University Music Prep; Settlement Music School; Tune Up Philly (of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra); Education Through Music, Inc; and BASIS Independent Schools. Additionally he is an avid composer, and creates and outputs what he calls “enuff music”: music intent on Black healing, spirituality, and selflessness. Elijah has two solo releases, enuff music, vol. i (published with Off Latch Press) and Our Search available for free listening on Bandcamp, as well as two full-length projects Diversity and The Unity of Sound released with his former group The NeW Quintet (available at all online retailers).