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including photocopying, recording or the use of any retrieval system without permission. For permission, email Susan via the contact
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Susan began studying trumpet with her uncle at eight and joined the musician's
union at fifteen in order to play with the local concert band. She later studied with
Armando Ghitalla and Roger Voisin, principal trumpeters of the Boston Symphony.
As a Boston area freelancer she played everything from Broadway musicals to the
Ringling Brothers Circus. Classical performances included operas, orchestral
concerts, chamber brass with large and small ensembles, and solo recitals
(with organ) on historical and modern trumpets.
Her 1993 CD, Baroque Treasures for Trumpet and Organ,
won critical acclaim in Fanfare ("assured and musical"),
New England Performer ("sublime tone and warmth") and
American Record Guide ("flawless technique, tasteful dynamics").
Susan has taught at Brown University, Wheaton College,
UMass-Lowell and Berklee College of Music. At Berklee she
created and taught a course about female musicians, jazz and
classical, and presented Women in Music forums with distinguished
panelists jazz pianist Carolyn Wilkins, jazz flutist Barbara London,
trombonist Abbie Conant, rock guitarist Lauren Passarelli,
conductor Kay George Roberts, musicologist Judith Tick, pianist
Virginia Eskin, and composer Pozzi Escot.
Above: Susan teaches a trumpet master class
In 1992 Susan met Edna White, one of the foremost trumpet soloists of the
early 20th Century. Photo at left.
Read the inspiring story of Edna’s life and career in
Women Who Dared Click the cover to read more.
Edna’s historic recordings are available here.
DISCOVERIES
A member of the Pioneers Committee of the International Women’s Brass Conference (IWBC), Susan
did extensive research on female brass players. At the first IWBC conference (1993) the Pioneers Committee
distributed a booklet documenting the names and accomplishments of hundreds of women brass players.
In 2005 Susan discovered a "lost" all-woman band,
the Original Shades of Blue (photo left) and persuaded the
New Orleans Times-Picayune to run a feature article on them.
To preserve their history she videotaped an interview with
Rita Gibliant, whose sister played in the New Orleans-based
band. The video is available at the Tulane University Hogan
Jazz Archives and the National Park Service Jazz Historic Site.
See more photos of the band here.
On April 30, 2012 Susan had the honor of introducing legendary
Boston Symphony Orchestra principal flutist, Doriot Anthony Dwyer,
at the Rochester (NY) Music Hall of Fame Awards.
Photo at right: Doriot Anthony Dwyer
Read Susan’s extended profile of Doriot here.
In 2008, Susan published her first Frank Renzi crime thriller, Absolution, which The Premier Book Awards named
Best Mystery-Suspense-Thriller of 2009. The award-winning series continued with Diva in 2011.
Feathered Quill Book Awards named Natalie's Revenge Best Mystery-Thriller of 2014. Jackpot followed in 2013.
Natalie's Art, in 2014, Missing, in 2015, and Natalie’s Dilemma in 2017.
Susan blogs about true crime cases and has published collections of her blog posts. DARK DEEDS: Serial killers,
stalkers and domestic homicides (2013) and DARK DEEDS Volume Two, 2014 See her blog posts here.
PUBLICATIONS
SPEAKING EVENTS
A recognized authority on female musicians, Susan spoke to members of Tau Beta Sigma, former
members of collegiate bands, at the 2004 Tau Beta Sigma National Convention in Norfolk, VA.
While living in New Orleans (2001--2010) she lectured about jazzwomen at the Jazz National
Historic Park, the New Orleans Public Library, Dillard University, and the International Music
Colloquium at the Louis Armstrong Festival.
Biographical entries in Scribner's American Biography: Trumpeter Les Elgart, jazz singer Carmen McRae,
jazz pianist Hazel Scott, conductors Antonia Brico and Thomas Schippers, pianist-raconteur Oscar Levant,
organist E. Power Biggs; in Routledge's Jewish Women in America:Trombonist Dorothy Ziegler
Edna White Chandler: A Brasswoman Pioneer, Women of Note Quarterly, Nov. 1994
Susan created and produced Growing Up in America: 1900-1920, a three-part video documentary (1981-83)
At the same time she hosted a Rhode Island radio show with music, news and interviews.
NEW DIRECTIONS
April, 2015: Susan appeared at the The Black Box Theater & Morini Gallery in Mansfield, MA, for their program
ALL ABOUT MYSTERIES. Susan and fellow mystery author Judy Copek talked to an enthusiastic audience.
April 2012: Susan was a panelist at the Popular Cultural Association Conference in Boston. She and three other
members of Sisters in Crime-New England discussed their gritty crime novels on the Panel: Dirty Business
October 2012: Natalie's Revenge was the featured book on Angie's Diary
February 2011:
Duxbury (MA) Public Library
mystery writers panel.
Susan wore her noir
detective hat.
August 2008: Turner Free Library, Randolph MA
October 2008, Attleboro, MA
Limoncello Book Club
Susan in the middle on the sofa
holding a copy of Absolution
March, 2009: Words & Music Panel,
So You Want to be a Rock Star,
New Orleans, Louisiana. At right,
Michael Lang, producer of the
Woodstock Music Festival, and Susan
September 2009: Susan was a panelst
at the Louisiana Bookfest, Baton Rouge, LA
July 2009: Booksigning, Covington, LA
December, 2012: Susan signed books at NE Mobile Bookstore in
Newton Highlands, MA with William Landay, author of the NY Times
best-seller Defending Jacob.
Photo right: William Landay and Susan Fleet
Buy the CD for $12.00
August 2016 Methuen, MA, Nevins Library
Susan joined several other authors to speak
about her Frank Renzi crime thrillers series
SOME OF SUSAN’S EVENTS IN NEW ORLEANS AND NEW ENGLAND
Talk and booksigning
Brunswick, Maine
Library
September, 2011:
August, 2013: Mystery Author Panel, Wakefield Library.
Left to right: Susan, Steve Ulfelder, Kate Flora
March, 2009: Book signing at Cafe du Monde,
New Orleans, LA
June Shaw and Susan Fleet
WELCOME TO SUSAN FLEET’S WEBSITE
AUTHOR, TRUMPETER, MUSIC HISTORIAN
