The Four Winds is an homage by the composer to some of the well-known band composers, such as Clifton Williams and John Barnes Chance, as well as earlier wind masters like Holst and Mahler. Evan Hause was a student of William Bolcom, and his more advanced band work, Tango Variations, has been performed and recorded by some of the top university ensembles. This fantasy-overture is appropriate for the intermediate high school band, contrasting brisk fanfare music with variations on a Romantic theme.