Amy Gilreath: First of all, thank you so much, Lydia, for asking us do this interview for the International Horn Society. It’s always a pleasure to share with others and make new friends.

Lydia van Dreel: How did you all meet, and how did you all decide to come together as a chamber group?

Amy: The other co-founder of Stiletto Brass, Velvet Brown  and I originally met at the 1993 International Women’s Brass Conference. Afterwards we, along with IWBC founder and retired Principal Trumpet of the St. Louis Symphony, Susan Slaughter,  performed together in another brass quintet called Velvet Brass for a few years. Years later we found ourselves, again, together for a weekend performance in the Monarch Brass Quintet and began talking about how much we loved playing chamber music and how we had missed performing together. Not surprisingly, we formed Stiletto Brass Quintet soon afterwards. Our current members are myself- Amy Gilreath and Susan Rider on trumpet, guest artist Rachel Hockenberry on horn, Natalie Mannix on trombone and Velvet Brown on tuba. These ladies are not only great musicians but also great human beings. It is a joy to perform with people with whom you connect both musically and personally. 

LVD: Given that you live all over the US, how do you get together to rehearse? How often do you rehearse?

Amy: Yes, this can be a challenge! We approach it in a few different ways. Sometimes we get together for a music retreat at someone’s home: reading new music for possible future pieces, rehearsing our chosen program and then afterwards cooking amazing dinners together. Oh and laughing A LOT!  Other times we get together a few days before a performance tour and rehearse then. When that happens, everyone has prepared their parts beforehand, listened to recordings and studied the scores. This is very important as we can then quickly move to discussing the musical aspects and making those musical decisions much sooner.

LVD: How do you plan performances? 

Amy: It usually begins with an invitation to perform at a venue. Then our tour is planned around that first invitation and that area of the US. One of the advantages of having a chamber group is the number of people we all know and can reach out to see if those in that particular area are able to schedule a performance by Stiletto Brass. 

LVD: How often do you perform?

Amy: We do two tours per year (fall and spring) and possibly one during summer. All members, except me as I have recently retired from full time university teaching, have full-time jobs so we keep tours between 7-10 days. Those tours are usually a mixture of Artist Series concerts, university concerts, and public/private K-12 schools.

LVD: How do you choose repertoire? Does your group have a particular focus or mission in terms of repertoire?

Amy:  We like to choose one large composition each tour year and build around that piece. Examples of those we have performed are Joan Tower’s Copperwave, Scarpe!  by Drew Bonnor commissioned by Stiletto Brass, Mosaics and Four Sketches by Anthony Plog. Another level to our repertoire choice is diversity: jazz, contemporary, slow and beautiful, transcriptions, and originals. As far as a repertoire mission goes, we really work on giving our audiences a wide variety of musical experiences.  Introducing audiences to contemporary music is important to us as well. Talking in depth to the audience about those types of pieces and explaining what is happening musically really opens most up to the idea of new music, and the result is many people comment to us after concerts that they actually enjoyed hearing a “new sounding” piece!

LVD: What kinds of audiences do you hope to reach?

Velvet Brown: Our target audience is simply everyone. We pride ourselves in presenting concerts in school settings with programs that engage students from K-12. Every year, we strive to have residencies within schools so that we are interacting with and teaching students. Additionally, we like to present community concerts, some as the featured guest artist group with symphony orchestras, audiences that are present at chamber music festivals, and collegiate residencies and concerts. We also have a strong record of performances at brass festivals.

LVD: How has your group’s purpose and function been affected by the pandemic? Have your goals shifted in any way recently because of the challenges of the pandemic? 

Velvet: Stiletto has been affected by the pandemic. Due to the nature of our performances, we have not been able to be active because of school closures and cancellations of concert series. We made a decision to wait until the pandemic is over. We all have significant on-line activities, and we thought to put Stiletto Brass on hold until Spring and Summer 2021 when everyone can be safe.

LVD: Have you found a way to remain in contact with your audience?

Amy:  We have been involved in two virtual brass seminars this fall. One was held in St. Petersburg Russia, The Brass Autumn Festival, and the other in Brazil called Sopra Metais. We will also have a new CD released soon entitled Scarpe !

LVD: You are all busy professional performers and teachers. How do you balance your workloads and your work with Stiletto Brass?

Velvet: Yes, we are all very busy performers and teachers. We feel that there is always time to perform and teach. It is our philosophy of giving back that is paramount. Sometimes schedules get very hectic, but we plan out big tours in advance. And also, since we are all performers and teachers, we know that our time together is limited due to how busy everyone is in their perspective positions. We all feel an excitement for each tour. It is a delight to perform and educate alongside the other Stiletto members. Simply put…Paramount music making, sustainable teaching and camaraderie.

Susan Rider: Since all of us live in different places geographically, we get together to perform when our schedules allow it. As you can imagine, it can sometimes be a little challenging to find times that will work for everyone to come together in one place. And because of that we aren't able to get together as much as we would like. But, since we all enjoy playing and teaching together so much, we make the effort to make it happen at least a couple of times a year. Of course, with the pandemic, we haven't been able to get together this year at all. There is something special about being a part of a chamber music ensemble, and I have loved being a member of the Stiletto Brass Quintet. I value that the mission of the group is equal musical performances and educational outreach. I feel these two things go hand in hand. It's great to be a part of a group that easily picks right up from where we left off the last time we were together--it speaks to the artistry of each of my colleagues.  Performing with these ladies has an effortless and joyous feeling, and beyond that, they are quality people and are great friends! 

Rachel Hockenberry: Organization is key! I live and die by my calendar. I make sure to write in dates of everything as soon as I get them (gigs, student recitals, etc) and plan my practice schedule accordingly. For Stiletto, we decide what music we’re performing for each gig well in advance, so there’s always plenty of time to prep the music beforehand. This allows us to be really productive during our limited rehearsal time. 

Natalie Mannix: Since we all come from different parts of the country, our work with the Stiletto Brass is condensed into a few very intense rehearsal days before we go on a performance tour or record. We work on our own time to make sure our parts are very prepared so we don’t waste valuable time when we do get together. We may only tour for a week or two, but we maximize that time by performing in many venues, sometimes two a day. So in answer to the question, I would say there is no balance when it is go time. It’s 24 hours Stiletto! But we love it, enjoy each other's company, and have a great time making music together! 

LVD: What does the future look like for Stiletto Brass?

Amy: I am very excited to announce that we have an upcoming CD release through CD Baby. Our cd is entitled SCARPE ! and features that title piece, which we commissioned from Drew Bonner. It also includes works by Lafosse, Ellington, Boyce and Renwick. With the world pandemic we, like all music groups, have not be able to get together to perform this year. I have truly missed my colleagues personally and professionally! Not surprisingly then, as soon as we get on the other side of this pandemic, we will immediately begin working on those live concert tours and educational outreach concerts that were put on hold.  We also will be starting some new commissions. We are anxious to get back together and begin making music again for our audiences!

Velvet: In Summer 2021, we plan to record a series of educational videos. Stiletto will also return to touring and school residencies that have been put on hold. Our tour areas will include the Northeast, West Coast and the Southern region of the United States.

LVD: What advice do you have for young brass players?

Amy:  Listening is so important to your development as a musician.  Find out who those great players are on your instrument and start there. You will find those professionals with whom you will connect and then listen to them as much as you can. For me, that connection on trumpet was Maurice André and Timofei Dockshitzer. Also, I recommend listening to amazing vocalists such as Franco Corelli, Luciano Pavarotti, Maria Callas, and Leontyne Price. There you will learn phrasing of musical lines and colors of sound. Also, really learn to sing your music using full voice and then sing that music through your instrument when you play.

Susan: Advice for young brass players: If you love playing music, have fun, but if you want to be good at it, you certainly have to work hard. I think music is much more fun to play when we can play it as well as possible. Listen to top level musicians (not only of your own instrument), so you can develop your ideas of sound and musical concepts. Find the best musicians you can to play with, so you can learn, grow and develop from the experience of playing with them. I think it is important to understand that developing on our instrument and as a musician is a long game.

Rachel: Keep going! There is no set timeline for you to achieve your dreams- we all progress at different rates and have different life circumstances. Just keep working hard and loving music, and you will find your way. 

Natalie: Seek out the best instruction possible. Nothing can beat the instruction a great private lesson teacher can provide. Another great way to get ahead is to participate in summer camps and festivals. Summer is a great time for intense practice and study, while having a lot of fun with like-minded musicians. Lastly, do as much listening as you can! Go to concerts of all types, listen to YouTube videos of professionals playing in different styles and with different instruments. You can learn so much by modelling great performers.

Velvet: My advice to young brass players is to strive for excellence, be creative and have fun. I like to let them know that it does take a lot of focus and hard work, but the future is theirs to create. I always tell them that they are the future of music and to move brass playing and all ideas that involve brass playing to new heights with ideas and talent.

Stiletto Brass wishes everyone good health, safety and much happiness and love.

https://www.stilettobrass.com/home

AIR, BLOW & CANTA
THE A, B, C OF THE HORN

My philosophy 

My teaching philosophy is based upon the approach to music through singing (bel canto), in order to bring a student to believe in his own ambition and to build up a wonderful sound, not leaving out, however, the technical development which allows easy expression in any musical form.

The basic elements of my philosophy are the following: AIR development, BLOW, and CANTO (singing) as a mean for conveying one's musical ideas.

Every wind instrumentalist should know his breathing ability and, after exploring his quantitative and time limits, will be able to broaden them with the he help of certain devices called SPIROMETERS. In the morning, before beginning one's practice, one should do some breathing exercises; first breathing in/out with the balloon, with the metronome at 60, for a few minutes. Then do breathing exercises with the spirometer, always with the metronome at 60, starting with the spirometer regulation at 0 and gradually increasing it up to 12.

During practice, whether concertos or orchestral excerpts, one should keep the habit of blowing in/out with the balloon, in order to maintain a clear feeling of the air flux.

An instrumentalist should always breathe while keeping in mind the tempo and the dynamics of the piece.

When the ease and consciousness of breathing have been acquired, one learns to blow into the mouthpiece producing a BUZZ, a vibration which, according to the air speed and quantity, will vary in intensity and harmonic content.
The mouthpiece plays the role of an insulator for the lips, helping to produce a good vibration.

A note: what is a good vibration? It depends on an air stream that is adjusted to the pressure, on a meticulous listening to intonation and sound form, and on a strong breath support. In order to have good control and an even sound quality throughout the range, one should attain a correct embouchure and firm anchoring. The main points of this exercise are:

• to lean the mouthpiece against relaxed lips;
• to anchor;
• to breathe in a relaxed way, without stretching the mouth's corners; it's important that the corners be always forward and inward, but never tense;
• to play.

Singing is a fundamental part of my philosophy. I use it to perceive and hear the intonation and to vocalize the notes clearly. First one should have an idea, then it can be put in practice by singing. So by singing a concerto, by vocalizing it, one can center the sounds better and more precisely.

Each vowel sound produces a different sound color: an A, for example, is clearer than an O; an I will be more intense and focused than a U. All must be taken into account and chosen in agreement with the repertory. When playing one should always think of some vowel sound, without inflection on the single notes (so as to avoid the TWA-TWA). One should never sing the name of the note, but rather think to a broader vocalization. In order to achieve a broader variety, the pupil should try different combinations of vocals and consonants, different articulation types, and different hand positions.

The use of the abdominal muscles is important in order to lighten the lip's work, as the notes should always start from the bottom, never from the lip. The abs must be used according to one's needs: in the forte, in the piano, for entrances, in the low and high ranges, and so on.
For an efficient use, the abdominal muscles must always be supported by a steady flux of air.

A color for each piece of music

The horn's repertoire is so wide that a musician should be educated in order to perform adequately in every style. However the study method should also be tailored to the individual student, in view of technical development.
From the Baroque to contemporary music, one can think of thousands of combinations of Air, Blow, Song, consonants and vowels. I like to think of the comparison between a musician and a painter. Just like a painter, we too can use a palette with many colors, creating an infinite number of nuances, use many different paint brushes to achieve the desired effect. For example, for Bach I prefer the consonants D and T; I, U and O for the vowel sounds. In Mahler I use all consonants and all vowels except E.

The basic principles for every student are discipline and study (see study plan).

In each exercise, concerto or orchestral excerpt we'll work on air fluxes and muscular development. In fact, several muscles are needed as support to allow the musician to play efficiently. Among these we may recall:

The risorius arises in the fascia over the parotid gland and, passing horizontally forward, superficial to the platysma, joins the skin at the angle of the mouth. It is a narrow bundle of fibers, broadest at its origin, but varies much in its size and form.

The buccinator is a thin quadrilateral muscle, occupying the space between the maxilla and the mandible at the side of the face.

The levator anguli oris (caninus) is a facial muscle of the mouth arising from the canine fossa, immediately below the infraorbital foramen. Its fibers are inserted into the angle of the mouth, intermingling with those of the Zygomaticus, Triangularis, and Orbicularis oris.

The orbicularis oris is the sphincter muscle around the mouth. It is also one of the muscles used in the playing of all brass instruments and some woodwind instruments. This muscle closes the mouth and puckers the lips when it contracts.

After considering all the main muscles of interest to us, I can say that they are all necessary; however my long experience as a musician and as a teacher tells me that the muscles come after Air, Blow, Song and the search for a beautiful sound. Obviously, a musician can't attain a professional level if his muscles are not well trained.

How to train the muscles

Treating this topic I refer to my past experience in sports. In order to train muscles one needs sequences of repeated exercises to make a constant consolidation work, in particular with regard to flexibility and mass. After thousands of repetitions our brains acquire the right ways to activate the muscles and will be able to follow them naturally, without thinking; this is analogous to children learning information about language and body movements.

The purpose of my philosophy

All these aspects of my philosophy have the purpose of exploring the idea of beauty in music and, in this way, attaining the most beautiful sound. This will help us to play better by exploiting all our possibilities, but always using the ear, brain, and muscles.

In conclusion, I would like to cite my great teacher, Arnold Jacobs: “The greatest friends of a wind musician are: breath, ear and brain”.

This is the dictionary of the most important concepts which one should follow in order to know music and our own instrument:

(Note: Some of the letters refer to the original Italian words. -ed.)

A
AIR, ARTICULATION (work on consonants), AMBITION, ANALYSIS, HARMONY, ART, SELF-ESTEEM

B
BLOWING, BUZZ, BEAUTY OF SOUND

C
SINGING, CREATIVITY, COLORS (vocals), CONCEPT, CONCENTRATION, REPERTORY KNOWLEDGE

D
DISCIPLINE, DETAILS, DETERMINATION, DICTION

E
EXPRESSION, ELEGANCE, EMOTIVITY

F
FLEXIBILITY, PHANTASY

G
GENIALITY, GRIT, GALLANT

H
HISTORY of HORN, MUSIC, COMPOSERS

I
INTONATION, SETTING, IMITATION

J
YOGA

L
LEGATO

M
MUSCLES, METRIC, MEAN, METHOD

N
NOBILITY

O
OBJECTIVES, OPPORTUNITIES

P
POSTURE, PERSEVERANCE, POSITIVITY, THOUGHT, PASSION

Q
QUALITY

R
BREATH, RHYTHM, REFINEMENT

S
SOUND, SPIROMETER, STUDY, SENSIBILITY

T
TEMPERAMENT, TERMINOLOGY (largo, lento, adagio, moderato, allegro, vivace)

W
WEB

V
WILL, WIN, VITALITY

Z
ZEAL

---

Luca Benucci has been active as a performer, pedagogue, and conductor in Italy and abroad for many years. His ensembles include the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (where he is principal horn), the Nuovo Quintetto Italiano, Italian Brass Quintet, and the Italian Jazz Horn Ensemble. He is the Artistic Director of the Italian Brass Academy and serves as president of the Italian Chamber Orchestra. Luca Benucci conducts the “Filarmonica Leopolda” wind orchestra and is the director of the Leopolda Music School.

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