The Innocenti Strings LLC Announces Partnership with 1% for the Planet

 

Chicago IL February 15,2013 — The Innocenti Strings LLC joined 1% for the Planet (1%), pledging to donate 1% of annual sales to support non-profit organizations focused on sustainability.

”Signing on to 1% for the Planet shows  The Innocenti Strings LLC has a strong commitment to investing in sustainability efforts,” says Terry Kellogg, CEO. “They’re using business as a tool to engage and motivate their stakeholders while partnering with environmental organizations that complement their brand. We’re excited to welcome The Innocenti Strings LLC to our global network.”

“As musicians, our work is to create and celebrate beauty in the world- the beauty of music, and of the special occasions in people’s lives. We recognize that the world is in need of healing and we want to be part of the solution. 1% for the Planet’s mission to help create a healthy planet is definitely something we are proud to be a part of; together we can create harmony with the work we do in more ways than one.”

Members of 1% for the Planet contribute one percent of annual sales directly to any of the approved non-profit environmental organizations in the network.  Non-profits are approved based on referrals, track record and sustainbility focus. Over 3,000 non-profits worldwide are currently approved.

“As we near our 10^th anniversary we’re celebrating that our members have contributed nearly $100 million of critically needed funds,” comments Kellogg. “The understanding that brands can succeed financially by investing in the environment is clearly apparent, and consumer demand is driving a lot of this success. The average annual revenue growth of the companies in the 1% for the Planet network from 2008 to 2011 was over 50%, even though the overall economy has been struggling. There’s a paradigm shift happening here and we’re thrilled that so many innovative businesses are sling-shotting the movement in to high gear.”

About 1% for the Planet

Started in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, owner of Blue Ribbon Flies, 1% for the Planet is a platform of credibility and engagement for environmentally conscious brands that are truly committed to making a positive impact with their business. This growing global movement of over 1,200 member companies in 45 countries donate one percent of annual sales to environmental organizations worldwide. To learn more go to: www.onepercentfortheplanet.org.

About Innocenti Strings LLC

Innocenti Strings is a network of professional musicians who provide entertainment for all kinds of events, including weddings, parties and corporate functions.

www.innocentiquartet.com 

We Won the Bride’s Choice Awards 2013!

Chicago – February 6, 2013 – WeddingWire, the nation’s leading online wedding
marketplace, is thrilled to announce that Innocenti Strings LLC has been selected as a winner of the prestigious WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards® 2013 for Ceremony Music.The esteemed annual awards program recognizes the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism.

Innocenti Strings LLC’s selection as a Bride’s Choice Award 2013 winner was selected based on the positive experiences expressed by past clients on WeddingWire, the world’s largest wedding review site with over one million reviews. While many industry awards are given by the host organization, the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards® winners are determined solely based on reviews from real newlyweds and their experiences working with Innocenti Strings LLC.

Award-winning vendors are distinguished for the quality, quantity, consistency and timeliness of the reviews they have received from their past clients. As a Bride’s Choice Awards winner, Innocenti Strings LLC is highlighted within the WeddingWire Network, which is comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States, Canada and abroad. “Each year, WeddingWire looks forward to celebrating the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Network,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Now in its fifth year, the Bride’s Choice Awards® program continues to recognize the elite wedding professionals who exemplify a commitment to quality, service and professionalism. These businesses were chosen by our bridal community for their responsiveness and dedication to their clients over the past year.

We are honored to recognize Innocenti Strings LLC for their impressive achievements within the wedding industry.” Innocenti Strings LLC is thrilled to be one of the top Live Musicians in the WeddingWire Network of sites, which include leading wedding sites such as WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. We value all of our clients and truly appreciate the positive feedback that helped us earn the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards® for 2013.

For more information about Innocenti Strings LLC, please visit their Website today at
http://www.innocentiquartet.com

Starting the New Year with Wedding Planning

It’s the new year! Maybe it’s the year of your wedding. Maybe you got engaged over the holiday and now your family and friends are ready to help you prepare. Here are some tips to begin planning your wedding music, whatever stage of wedding bliss you are in.

 

1. Start early. Some popular wedding websites recommend booking musicians two months to six weeks out. But from Innocenti Strings’ 10 years of experience, we know that musicians prefer more notice to ensure your wedding music is prepared without rush. So, wherever you are in the process of planning your wedding, contact Innocenti Strings to see what the next steps should be.
2. Consider what size of group you want. One cello or an entire orchestra? Are you getting married in a big church? Outside? In a small cottage in the mountains? Your venue will make the same piece of music sound differently than you’ve heard it on YouTube or the radio, so consider how big a space and how many guests you’ll have when thinking about whether to have a full chamber ensemble or a solo violinist.
3. Consider what theme you’d like the music to have. If you’re a traditionalist, start considering hymns or classical pieces you’d like played. If you’re into indie rock, swing, or tango, see what the Innocenti Strings has in the way of arrangements. The Innocenti Strings audio clips page can help.
4. Talk with musicians who know weddings. Sometimes, you may have an idea for music that just won’t work without a full rock band. Most often, though, classical musicians can translate your dreams into music that will make your wedding special. Call Innocenti Strings today to see make your ideas a reality.

 

Happy wedding planning!

San Diego String Quartet

Our String Quartet in San Diego led by Lauren Mindoro is performing for Jackie & Tim wedding day at the Catamaran Resort & Spa in San Diego, CA on September 15, 2012.some of the music selections that the couple chose included “Bittersweet Symphony” The Verve, “Yellow” Coldplay “Human” The Killers, “Four Seasons” Vivaldi. Complimentary pictures from Anika London

Staten Island Wedding Celebration

The Innocenti Strings (New York)
performing at Jillian & Thomas wedding ceremony
at Island Chateau.  Staten Island, NY
September 8, 2012

String Trio Complimentary picture provided by

Here are some selections our Trio performed that day:

(Click to listen our audio samples)

Sweet child of mine (Guns N’ Roses)

Somebody to love (queen)

 Braveheart (Soundtrack)

The prayer (Dion, Bocelli)

Here is a picture of   The Island Chateau before the festivities

Your Favorite Song Can Be Arranged by Innocenti Strings!

If you turn on the radio, you’re likely to hear guitars, synthesizers and drums. Occasionally, an artist will choose to supplement their voices with a violin or cello, but strings are not the primary instrumentation for most popular singers.

So how do you pick an important, popular song for your wedding and make sure it sounds good coming from Innocenti Strings?

First, know that strings are very adaptable instruments. Think of a violin: it can play jazz, rock, classical, and bluegrass. A talented, highly skilled player, like those at Innocenti Strings, can switch easily between these sounds.

Second, listen for acoustic sounds in the music you like. Things that use acoustic guitar are easily translated to strings. Think of The Beatles’ Yesterday, or Stairway to Heaven.

Third, listen for strings in your favorite rock songs. More artists are using them to create a fuller sound, and these are most likely to sound similar to the radio version when played on strings. Think of Coldplay’s Viva La Vida or Aerosmith’s I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.

Fourth, listen for melodies that are slower and melodic, like Fun’s We Are Young featuring Janelle Monáe or All You Need is Love by The Beatles.

Fifth, find a string group that plays covers of your favorite group. Turtle Island String Quartet or Apocalyptica are good examples, playing everything from bluegrass to heavy metal.

Finally, just ask! Innocenti Strings can do custom arrangements of many of your favorites. See our music page for more examples and contact Ben or Pascal at 1-888-960-1728 for more information.

 

Vermont Weddings Coming Soon!

One of the many joys of being a musician as a career is both constantly meeting new people with which to perform, and also connecting with musicians that influenced in the past.

This past summer, Innocenti Strings cellist and co-owner, Ben Kulp, had the chance to visit his native Vermont for a friend’s wedding.  Vermont is, and always has been, one of the most beautiful states in the country.  Aptly named “The Green Mountain State,” it is hard to find a place devoid of stunning, natural beauty.

The picture shown below was taken from the wedding reception venue in Shelburne, VT.  The mountain in the background is Camel’s Hump.  The wedding went well, many tears were shed, and the bride and the groom entertained their guests well throughout the afternoon and evening.

One of the best parts of having musicians as friends is asking them to play at your wedding.  Ben and several local musicians performed for the ceremony.  It took only a minute for Ben to take in the elegant mixture of bucolic scenery and classical music floating over the landscape to realize that we need to start performing weddings in Vermont.

That is why, with great pleasure, Innocenti Strings is please to announce that we will soon start opening our doors in Burlington, VT for weddings!  If you are getting married in Vermont, make sure to send Ben an e-mail (innocentistrings@gmail.com) to ask for his perfect wedding venue recommendations.  Whether you would like to get married in the picturesque Shelburne Farms, or a have more intimate ceremony at the Old Round Church, make sure to shoot us an e-mail.

We look forward seeing you in Vermont very soon!

Wedding Venue Tour: Buckingham Fountain in Chicago, IL

One of the pleasures of performing at weddings every weekend is that we, as musicians, are able to see a wealth of ceremony and reception venues.  Whether it is a small, intimate, family and friends only ceremony, or a large outdoor wedding, we have performed at thousands of venues.

This past month we had the pleasure of performing at the Buckingham Fountain in downtown Chicago.  It adorns the southern side of Grant Park – a large park built for the public after the great Chicago fire of 1871.  The day was picture perfect and we were able to capture this pristine photo during our set up before the guests arrived.

The bride and groom exchanged their vows, rings, and a few tears, in front of the fountain.  The guests, and musicians, then moved further down the promenade for cocktails and dinner.

When considering a wedding venue, please call us for recommendations for venues.  We have performed at most major venues in our cities and are always happy to offer our advice on a great place for a wedding, or a tip on the hottest new wedding venue spot.  We are always happy to be of assistance.

Three Ways to Honor Your Family’s Faith Tradition with Music

You may not have been to church or synagogue in awhile, or religion may not be very important to you. But, consider how you may honor your family’s faith tradition at your wedding through thoughtful musical selection, without giving up who you are.

 

1. Consider a favorite hymn of your grandparents. While you may not enjoy singing traditional (read: old) hymns, many of the settings are beautiful with or without the words. Plus, your parents or grandparents will be honored that you selected a song that means something special to them. Imagine how their eyes will light up when a string quartet begins to play “Beautiful Savior” or “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” even if the songs do not have particularly strong meaning for you.
2. Find a religious figure you respect (think animal lover St. Francis of Assisi or strong, visionary young woman St. Theresa of Avila) and ask a music expert if there are pieces written about their lives. Consider “Ave Maria” or “Prayer of St. Francis.”
3. Identify uncomplicated songs that express qualities you would like in your relationship. Extravagance in instrumentation or song selection may actually detract from the music and its message. A song such as “Simple Gifts” or “Sunrise, Sunset” may have greater meaning and blessing for you and your guests than a twelve-part chorus singing in ancient Latin. 

The Innocenti Strings have over ten years of experience with helping you pick the perfect music for your wedding.  Please call us at 773-360-5405 so we can open a conversation about providing the music for your special day.

Weddings in Chicago

Chicago’s shining season is summer. Lake Michigan sparkles and sailboats grace its waters. Grant and Millennium Parks are vibrant with color, greenery, and music. And the neighborhood music festivals themselves are not to be missed.

There is no better time, then, to have a wedding in Chicago. A variety of venues cater to your tastes and needs.

Local churches can be surprisingly cool in the summer heat, especially the stone cathedrals that seem to dot even the most residential streets. Acoustically, these churches can take a single violin or a full quartet performance and shower your guests with sound.

Outdoor weddings can be a bit trickier, since sun and the potential of rain make getting married on the beach or in the park a bit more of a risk. But, simple music refrains can still be enjoyed by you and your guests.

Unique spaces—from art galleries to antique warehouses—cater to a variety of sized weddings. They keep your guests out of the weather while giving them beautiful things to enjoy while you take pictures.
These venues are excellent for quartets, which can select a variety of musical genres to entertain guests while they wait for you to join them.

Chicago’s summers bring as much joy and music as your wedding deserves.