Oh, that sound! Mellow, haunting, joyful, regal, brash. That is the sound of the horn!

We are the Horns of Traverse, a quartet of Michigan horn players. We embrace the wonderful experience of recreating chamber music. Likewise, we enjoy sharing this intimate musical experience with others. The repertoire for four horns is vast and colorful. Whether written specifically for horn or in wonderful transcriptions, our music has been enthusiastically enjoyed by audiences everywhere. The members of the Horns of Traverse come from diverse backgrounds, with the love of the horn being an ever strengthening bond. Whether having the horn as our career, or as a large part of a well balanced musician life, we are excited to share this wonderful array of music with our audiences.

The horn’s history goes back hundreds of years. Blowing into the end of a conch shell or crafted from an actual animal horn, that sound of the horn was present. Fast forward a few hundred years and the horn went from bone to brass. The horn was often used during religious rituals and hunting expeditions. Perhaps it was during one of these common French hunting excursions that the horn got the unfortunate name that stuck, the French horn. We have gladly moved on from this to simply referring to ourselves as horn players.

Our programs strive to be a like a well balanced meal for the listeners’ ears. From scrumptious hors d’oeuvres to wonderfully tantalizing desserts, the listener will come away fully satisfied. Our members are regularly looking for ways to stimulate and excite listeners to our glorious sounds. We look for variety in the programs we perform, mixing musical styles that are known to the listener and then with music that may stretch the ear of the listener. This music is usually music which has been composed more recently, often by composers whom members of the group know personally or through commissions.

It is our hope that the audience will enjoy this musical smorgasbord and come to hear that the Horns of Traverse are certainly one “HOT” musical ensemble!

About the Musicians

Annie Chapman Brewer
Annie Chapman Brewer owns and operates a full time private horn studio, and is an adjunct instructor at Saginaw Valley State University. Brewer performs with the Midland and Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestras, is a founding member of Trillium Wind Quintet, and a new member of the Horns of Traverse. On top of performing and teaching, she composes music inspired by sustainable practices. Her piece River House on the Prairie for solo horn and wildlife accompaniment won the American Prize competition, 2nd place, for the Ernst Bacon award.

Laura Hood
Laura Hood is a retired music teacher from the Leelanau School where she taught music and outdoor leadership for 31 years. She is also an accomplished guitarist and dabbles in composing and song writing. Laura is a member of the Benzie Area Symphony Orchestra, a founding member of the Manitou Winds and a member of the Horns of Traverse. Laura lives on a 100 acre intentional community in Cedar. She is enjoying retirement, including camping, skiing, biking, playing music, gardening and spending time with her wonderful two grown children.

Geoff Randolph
Geoff, after many years away from music, is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Horn Performance from the University of Michigan. He has acquired many precious artifacts during his life, including, but not limited to: one partner, two children, one dog and one cat. He currently lives in Ann Arbor with various combinations of these artifacts.

Julie Schleif
Julie Schleif has spent a full career performing and teaching the horn. Her music has taken her throughout the United States and the world. Favorite experience relating to music include adventures in Peru, China, India and Egypt. She taught for many years at the Interlochen Arts Academy. She currently has a private music studio full of horn and brass students. Teaching online has afforded her the opportunity to teach students throughout the country. In addition to the Horns of Traverse, she regularly performs with orchestras throughout the Midwest.