SEQUIM — Composer Jennifer Thomas’ albums have topped music charts, and her songs have appeared in movies, television and in athletes’ routines at both the Summer and Winter Olympics.
Now, the cinematic-inspired Sequim musician will bring her concert experience back to the Peninsula for the first time since 2019.
Last year, she gave listeners a sampling of her new music by performing a few songs at the Field Arts & Events Hall’s Gala in Port Angeles prior to the release of her album “Oceans.” Now she’s set to return to the Events Hall on May 10 with string players, lights and video. Find tickets at https://fieldhallevents.org/tickets.
“This one is big,” Thomas said. “It’s the first time I’m performing some songs from this album.”
“Oceans” came out last June and took her years to make, following 2018’s “The Fire Within.”
“The response has been amazing so far,” Thomas said of “Oceans.”
She and husband Will have made a handful of music videos to accompany the album, and they have recently started videos about being an artist and creating on the Olympic Peninsula.
Last year, she said her song “The Lighthouse” came from her seeking comfort while continuing to struggle emotionally.
Thomas said creating the new music helped her escape a dark mindset and “create these fantastical worlds.”
The concert will feature a “huge cinema production with surround sound effects” and a sneak peek from Thomas’ new album “Game of Shadows,” inspired by spy and thriller movies.
She’ll also feature string players Nathan Rødahl on violin, Morgan Bartholick on violin and Jesse Ahmann on cello.
After the show, Thomas will host a meet and greet at the Arts Hall until 11 p.m. with food, drinks, a Q&A and more. That’s a separate ticketed event available at jenniferthomasmusic.com.
Thomas also plans to feature prints from local photographer Marina Shipova, who provided album artwork for “Oceans.”
Since ‘Oceans’
After releasing “Oceans,” Thomas has continued to build her filmography, releasing videos related to her music, whether cinematic music videos, behind-the-scenes clips or vlogs at youtube.com/@jenniferthomas.
She recently traveled to London’s Abbey Road Studios to record “Game of Shadows” with longtime collaborator Glen Gabriel for Audio Network, a music company for TV, film, advertising and corporate videos.
Thomas said she’s been working on the project since 2023 so the songs could be licensed specifically for spy and heist TV and film projects.
“I’ve always loved those film scores (like “Mission Impossible”),” she said. “It’s easy to write for that.”
Songs from “Game of Shadows” could pop up unexpectedly in media, Thomas said, similarly to how she discovered songs being licensed across the globe by Olympians, a TV series in Mexico and a project in Germany.
Local love
Thomas has lived in Sequim for 10 years with her family, and she’s felt a spark to become more involved in some capacity with the community.
One of the Thomases’ new avenues is vlogs that focus on being an artist on the Olympic Peninsula, including the challenges and “amazing aspects” of creating here, featuring cinematic and epic videos and Thomas’ voiceovers.
“I come from a world of music where everyone tries to live close to Los Angeles, close to gigs and performance stages,” Thomas said.
“I enjoy being in nature and away from the business, and being next to the forest and ocean.”
With three episodes so far, including an introduction to her, Thomas said upcoming videos will include her London trip and feature a story each episode.
She said she sees living on the Peninsula as an escape with so much uncertainty in the world.
“It’s a place to be calm, and a place to feel inspired,” she said.
Part of her hope with the videos is to show the work that goes into being an independent artist and how blessed she feels, she said.
Find her musical films and videos at youtube.com/@jenniferthomas. Purchase/stream her music from major music online retailers or through her website jenniferthomasmusic.com.
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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. He can be reached by email at matthew.nash@sequimgazette.com.
