Resources
Lindsey's Faves
Equipment & Strings
Alter - historical violin mute
Gamut Music, Inc. - I use Academie gut strings.
Gusset & Gather - custom products for early musicians such as silk bags, short bow case supports, and more
Melos - Baroque violin rosin
Sarah’s Violin Bags LLC - custom silk bags for instrument protection by a Baroque violinist
Vendors
Carolyn Foulkes at Perrin Violins - I had a fantastic experience purchasing my beautiful transitional bow from Carolyn, and she’s my go-to for instrument or bow advice. She is kind, flexible, and wonderfully knowledgeable. I can highly recommend her to any young professional string player looking for an honest and knowledgeable vendor for early instruments, bows, and equipment!
Early Music Scores & Manuscripts
Dumanoir: 20 Orchestral Suites (mid 17th century; published 1906). This modernized edition of many of Dumanoir’s works (along with manuscript facsimiles) has continuo scored for piano. However, it can be easily transferred to a historical instrument.
Haydn: Scottish Songs Part 1 || Part 2, Hob.XXXIa:1-150 (1792-1795). I adore Haydn’s distinct musical fingerprint present throughout these folksy Scottish traditionals!
Soldt: Susanne von Soldt Manuscript (1599). This collection was was copied by an adolescent girl at the turn of the 17th century. It is also the earliest known collection of Dutch keyboard music before Sweelinck.
Various: The Hibernian Muse (late 18th century).
Various: Select Preludes and Voluntaries for the Violin (1705).
Various: Twelve English and Twelve Irish Airs with Variations (1746).
Biography
Baroque violinist Lindsey Tootle captivates audiences with dynamic, boundary-pushing interpretations of early music, complemented by signature onstage charisma and warmth.
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Lindsey has appeared as a soloist, teacher, and orchestral musician globally and has been featured multiple times since 2023 as a soloist with Seven Hills Baroque (7HB). She has also performed with Harmonie Universelle (USA) and with members of the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra and New Trinity Baroque, as well as alongside members of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra on modern instruments in the Bach Ensemble at St. Thomas.
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On the way to her first violin lessons at age three, Lindsey’s parents - though not musicians themselves - played a cassette tape of J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 performed by Ton Koopman and the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra. Enthralled with the sound of the harpsichord and the warmth of gut strings, Lindsey developed a childhood obsession with early music, which only grew with time. To this day, early music remains the North Star of Lindsey’s musical journey.
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Artistically, Lindsey divides her time between her current base in Cincinnati, Ohio, and her home state of Alabama, where she grew up in Huntsville. In Cincinnati, she is the principal Baroque violinist and serves on the leadership team at Seven Hills Baroque (7HB), and regularly performs on Baroque violin in concerts, productions, conferences, and special events across Greater Cincinnati. In Alabama, she is dedicated to helping expand and energize the early music community across the state and region. In 2024, she and colleague Dr. Michael Delfin co-founded the early music ensemble Bama Baroque in Tuscaloosa, and also launched the Southeastern Early Music Community (SEMC) Facebook group. Since its inception, the SEMC has gained nearly 200 members and has arranged and promoted events across the Southeast. Nationally, Lindsey is gaining recognition as a new young leader and visionary in historical performance; since 2024, she has served on Early Music America’s Emerging Professional Leadership Council (EPLC).
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Lindsey studied pre-college violin with Jeffrey Dortch and earned a Bachelor of Music in Performance, cum laude, on full scholarship from the University of Alabama. Her teachers included Gesa Kordes (Baroque violin), Jenny Gregoire (modern violin), and Dr. Don Fader (historical performance practice). In recent years, she has been especially grateful for the mentorship of Edwin Huizinga and the unwavering support of her 7HB colleagues, all of whom facilitated her return to the stage after a six-year hiatus.
Treatises, Books, and Academic Sources
HISTORICAL
Geminiani: The Art of Playing on the Violin (1751).
Geminiani: A Treatise of Good Taste in the Art of Musick (1749). I love this treatise because it focuses on aesthetic and affect, which makes it a precious first-hand source on 18th century performance conventions.
Muffat: Georg Muffat on Performance Practice: The Texts from Florilegium Primum, Florilegium Secundum, and Auserlesene Instrumentalmusik (17th century, translated 2001).
President Thomas Jefferson’s Music Library (compiled 18th and early 19th centuries).
CONTEMPORARY
Donington: The Interpretation of Early Music (1992).
Fader: Music, Dance and Franco-Italian Cultural Exchange c. 1700 (2021).
Ritchie: Before the Chinrest: A Violinist's Guide to the Mysteries of Pre-Chinrest Technique and Style (2012).
Watkins & Scott: From the Stage to the Studio (2012).
Professional Organizations
Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention - The convention was where I learned much of the folk music I still know and love. I highly recommend attending a TVOTFC convention if possible!
Random Favorites!
Pumpkin Marinara Sauce like this one. I’ve been addicted ever since eating a bowl of pumpkin-infused pasta in Mantova, Italy, where it’s a regional specialty. Serve with a crisp, cold vinaigrette salad and chardonnay (if you drink) or a fruity iced tea (if you don’t, like me!).
John Adams by David McCullough. One of the best books I have read, and the HBO series based on this book is masterful, and historically accurate.
Beehive Bathhouse. For several years, I have been purchasing my signature scent, Marshmallow Fluff, from this woman-owned small business in Hartselle, AL. Her products are of consistently high quality, and the scents are long-lasting, and honestly unlike anything else I have found. Other fave scents include “Amazing Grace,” “Volcano,” “Sweet Orange & Chili Pepper” and “Shake Your Pom Poms.” (And if you don’t see these on the website, they’ll custom-make whatever you like!)