It should come as no surprise given the current situation with COVID-19, but we are still saddened to announce that we are canceling the 2020 Summer Toot. We looked forward to working with our new venue, Schreiner University, and they have been very gracious every step of the way. We will return deposits to those who had registered.

We hope 2021 brings the first Schreiner University Texas Toot.

Stay safe,
David Podeschi -- President, Toot Board

Below is what we had planned for this year ...

The Summer Texas Toot offers a one-week program of classes at all levels, focusing on Renaissance and Baroque music, but also ranging from Medieval to Sephardic to 21st century. Expert instructors in recorder, viol, lute, harp, continuo, and voice will teach technique classes, coach one-on-a-part groups, and lead larger ensembles, both mixed and whole.

We welcome renowned world music and recorder teacher Nina Stern for her first time at the Summer Toot, along with our longtime friends Frances Blaker and Jennifer Carpenter as the featured recorder faculty for this Summer's Texas Toot! Mary Springfels and Wendy Gillespie will head up the viola da gamba faculty, joined by Toot semi-founder Carol Deihl! Therese Honey comes back to corral those feisty harpists, while Bruce Brogdon, Scott Horton, and Danny Johnson will tutor the lute and vocal students.

In conjunction with the Toot, there will be several concerts open to the public. Our world-class faculty this year includes:

• Nina Stern — Recorder
• Frances Blaker — Recorders
• Mary Springfels — Viola da gamba
• Wendy Gillespie — Viols
• Therese Honey — Early Harps
• Carol Deihl — Viols
• Scott Horton — Lute
• Frank Shirley — Recorders
• Susan Richter — Beginning Recorder
• Daniel Johnson — Voice and Ensemble

Our classes include an array of small, one-on-a-part Renaissance and Baroque ensembles and larger mixed vocal and instrumental groups. The size of the workshop enables us to create classes for all levels of students, from those of modest skills to advanced players and singers.

Please join us for the 2020 Summer Texas Toot ... "more than recorders"! We are very excited about our new home for the Summer Toot: Schreiner University, in Kerrville, Texas! Nestled in the beauty of the Texas Hill Country, Schreiner's campus provides all the classrooms, concert spaces, housing, and meals that you expect as part of the Toot experience. The campus itself is beautifully landscaped with lots of trees and broad sidewalks, and all the public buildings are fully ADA-accessible.

But there is much more! Outdoor recreation opportunities abound, in this small city right on the Guadalupe River. For recreational walkers and runners, the 5-mile public River Trail will have a brand-new trailhead right at the university, with a beer garden planned for completion in April 2020! For the non-walkers among us, freely available parking lots around the campus make it easier to move from housing to dining to classrooms.

The whole Hill Country area is well worth exploring for both natural and cultural sites of interest; maybe you should plan for an extra few days before or after the Toot!

Look at our Faculty bios; the general daily schedule and nightly special events are now posted here on the Toot Website.

ARS Scholarship help available!
The American Recorder Society awards scholarships for weekend and week-long recorder workshops. Anyone needing financial assistance to attend a workshop may apply. For week-long workshops, please apply two months before funding is needed. For summer workshops like the Toot, applications must be postmarked or received electronically by March 31, 2020.

More information is available at the ARS website. At the bottom of that page, you can download an application form for scholarship help. Easy!

We look forward to welcoming you to our Texas Tradition!

Feel free to write, call, or email us if you have questions or need further information.