August 14, 2006

Hello everyone!

We hope that all of you had a great summer! I know, I know - it's not over yet! That is true! We are winding down with our summer performances now, and we had a FANTASTIC summer! It's always great to meet new people. We've been down to Pennsylvania and as far north as Maine this season and we've had nothing but great experiences. Thank you for coming out to see us! We saw a lot of familiar faces and met lots of new people as well. What a great time!

I ran a tuba/euphonium workshop at Salem State College this summer, and the word that was most used was "SMOOTH". It was just that! Everything went extremely smooth during the camp. All of the participants improved while there and we couldn't have had a better workshop. Thanks to all that particpated and thank you to Roland Froescher - euphonium virtuoso from Switzerland, and my fantastic wife Sanae Kanda, who accompanied all of the participants and worked very hard to help make the camp a success! You guys are great!

We have been asked what "On A Beautiful Winter Day" is about a number of times after our concerts and I thought this is a good place to go into a little more detail. As many of our fans know, long time trumpeter of Innovata - Karen Antonio-Muenzinger passed away in January of 2005. Well that day, after Sanae and I received a telephone call from Karen's mother telling us what had happened, Sanae and I left our house to see if there was anything we could do for Karen's family. When we walked out of our house we were both completely overwhelmed by how beautiful the weather was. It was January 29th and winter. The sun was shining and the sky was blue. We were both very sad about the loss of Karen, but the day was simply gorgeous at the same time. This inspired Sanae to write this new work "On A Beautiful Winter Day." When you listen to the piece you can hear a very solemn quality to it. The tempo picks up a little bit in the middle with a sound of hope and beauty, but it eventually returns back to the original theme of sadness and longing. The piece remained unplayed for more than a year! It had been written, but wasn't premiered until July 5, 2006 in Pennsylvania. It is a sad piece, but beautiful at the same time.

Many times when we perform we meet individuals that are from a town other than where they have come to see us. We would love to come to YOUR town, but we need your help! If you came to an INNOVATA concert and liked what you heard, tell your local concert series about us! It's much easier for us to secure a performance if our fans tell a concert series about us, than us telling them why they should have us. If you live in the town that we have performed in, and would like to see us again, tell them about it! Concert series always like to hear feedback from their audiences. It helps them to decide what types of groups they should host. We appreciate ANY and ALL help to bring INNOVATA to YOUR town!

Thanks for visiting innovatabrass.com and we hope to see you soon!

Mike



May 23, 2006

Hello everyone!

It's May and we've got some good news to report. Innovata is pleased to announce that trumpeter Tom Palance will be joining our team! Tom is a fantastic player that has a wealth of performance and teaching experience. All of the members of Innovata are excited to have Tom on board!

Tuba and euphonium players! The deadline for the Northeast Tuba Euphonium Workshop at Salem State College from July 16th to the 22nd has passed. HOWEVER, we still have some spots open! Please visit N.E.T.E.W. for more information and to apply!

Thanks for stopping by! Keep your eye on the site for some new updates and more about Tom Palance COMING SOON!

Thanks,

Mike


February 7, 2006

Hello everyone!

We hope everyone is having an enjoyable 2006 so far! Can you believe it? It's 2006 already! Pretty incredible! It seems like such a short time ago we were talking about "Y2K" and now it's2006!

Well, it is now the 21st century and it seems as good a time as any to change. You may have noticed that we have changed the name of this page! It is no longer the "NEWS" section - it is our "BLOG" section. I have no doubt that there are some out there that have no idea what a "BLOG" is. I was in those shoes recently and I may still be somewhat mistaken as to the true definition, BUT, for those of you that don't know what it is...it is a form of online diary. Basically it's a place to write your thoughts, but let the general public see them. "Blog" is short for "Web Log." Now that we have that out of the way...thanks for visiting our BLOG!

Some dates have been added to our SCHEDULE and more will be added soon. We hope to see you at our concerts and we always enjoy when you come up and say HELLO! We exist because YOU like to listen to our music! We appreciate that and welcome any opportunity to get to know you better! Don't be shy! Come up and say hello!!

Hey TUBA and EUPHONIUM players - any of you out there reading this? Do you now a tuba or euphonium player? Well I (Mike) am running a tuba and euphonium workshop this coming summer. It's called the Northeast Tuba Euphonium Workshop and it's being hosted by Salem State College in historic Salem, Massachusetts. We have openings for 12 tubas and 12 euphoniums. Check out the official site, by clicking the logo here...


Let us know if you have any questions! We'd love to see you there!

A little more news before you go...

There is a new sound sample section of innovatabrass.com! Click "Listen" in the main menu to hear Innovata! Click "Recording" in the main menu to hear some samples from our Compact Disc! It's all right here!

We have some fun features on our site for your enjoyment! Let us know what you'd like to see!

Thanks for stopping by! We hope to see you soon!

Mike


December 9, 2005

Hello everyone!

It's been quite some time since our last bit of news, but we wanted to let you all know what's happening and what's coming up!

If you are in the Boston area, or within a reasonable driving distance, please join us for our only "home town" performance on December 15th. We're going to be performing our "Christmas Brasstacular!" concert at Eliot Hall in Jamaica Plain at 8:00pm. It's not often we perform in the area, and we'd love to see some familiar faces as well as new ones! Click here for more information.

Also we are currently in the planning stages of TWO new CD's! Our fans have asked us time and time again about the availability of a CD featuring the music of Innovata's immensely popular composer Sanae Kanda and also a Holiday recording. Both of these will soon be a reality! Dr. Kanda's CD will feature a new work written in memory of Innovata trumpet player Karen Antonio-Muenzinger, who passed away in January 2005. Please sign up for our mailing list if you'd like to be notified of the release of these two recordings.

Please have a SAFE, HAPPY and HEALTHY Holiday Season!

We hope to see you at a concert soon!

Mike


May 9, 2005

Hello Everyone!

First, I (Mike) am presenting a summer camp for tuba and euphonium players! What's a euphonium you ask? Well a euphonium is basically a half size tuba and has the most wonderful sound! I'll be joined for this camp by Swiss Euphonium Virtuoso Roland Froscher. If you haven't heard Roland play, you're in for a real treat. He's is a phenominal, world class musician, teacher and person. For information about the camp go to:

This is the official website of the Northeast Tuba Euphonium Workshop 2005 - to be held at Salem State College in historic Salem, Massachusetts - from August 15th -20th!

Also, there's a rumor going around that INNOVATA may be presenting a brass quintet camp at a university in Pennsylvania. Well, although very late in the season, this rumor may be true! Keep your eyes on innovatabrass.com for more information as it develops. If it happens the dates will be June 26th through July 2nd. VERY SOON! So we hope to have all of the information in the near future.

We'd love to have pre-formed brass quintets at this camp, as well as individuals. So if you've got a group - start talking to each other about it and let us know you're interested. We'll make sure you get information as soon as it becomes available. The camp will be open to 10 trumpet player, 5 horn players, 5 trombone players and 5 tuba/bass trombone players.

Thanks for stopping by INNOVATABRASS.COM!

Hope to see you soon!


February 13, 2005 (part 2)

For those of you that have asked, and for those of you that have wondered if INNOVATA will continue, the answer is a resounding YES!

INNOVATA meant a lot to Karen and she told me that she had hoped the group would continue, no matter what. Although Karen will always be greatly missed, we will continue to move forward.

Please join us at 8:00pm on Friday, February 18th at Tufts University for a FREE concert held in Cohen Auditorium. There is no admission cost and the concert is open to all ages! We will be joined by our friends Andrew Sorg and Richard Watson on trumpets.

Please send us an email if you need additional information.

We hope to see you there!


Feburary 13, 2005

Yesterday was the memorial service for our dear friend and colleague, Karen Antonio-Muenzinger. It was a very sad day for all. I would like to thank Innovata members Stephen Nadel and Pete Charig, and also Portland Brass members John Schnell and Betty Rines for performing with Innovata at Karen's Memorial Service. I know that you all feel there is no thanks necessary, but it meant so much to have you adjust your schedules to make yourselves available for this sad, but very special event. It was one of our toughest performances, and probably our most meaningful one as well. Thank you also to all of our friends that attended the service yesterday, and for the thoughts of those who could not. Karen will be greatly missed. May she rest in peace.

Keep watching this website for a special section that will be added over the course of the next few weeks in honor of our lost friend and colleague Karen Antonio-Muenzinger.


January 29, 2005

This is the saddest day in Innovata history. Our long time trumpeter, Karen Antonio-Muenzinger has passed away. After being diagnosed with cancer in 2001, Karen had bounced back shortly after and seemed to have beaten the odds. She was being watched closely, but her health continued to improve until you she was told in March of 2004 that her cancer had returned. Karen was a very strong person whose friendship, musicianship, courage and selflessness will be greatly missed.

Keep watching this website for a special section that will be added in honor of our lost friend and colleague Karen Antonio-Muenzinger.


September 3, 2004

Well, we're coming to the end of a very successful summer season, but we've got an important concert that we want you all to know about. On September 10th we will be presenting a benefit concert for Innovata trumpet player Karen Antonio-Muenzinger. Karen has very courageously been battling cancer for about 4 years. Many of you know that in March her cancer returned and it prevented her from performing with Innovata for most of our concerts during the 2004 summer season. This has been a very hard time for her because playing the trumpet is what she loves most. Not being able to perform has saddened her a great deal, but it has also effected her livelihood.

She needs OUR help!

On Friday, September 10, 2004 at 7:30pm, Innovata will be joined by our good friends the Portland Brass (from Portland, Maine) in a concert to benefit trumpeter, colleague and most importantly our friend Karen Antonio-Muenzinger. The concert will take place at the Parish of the Epiphany - 70 Church Street in Winchester, Massachusetts.

Help us spread the word!

The more people attending this event, the bigger the benefit to Karen. You can help by spreading the word! It won't cost you anything to tell your friends and colleagues about this concert! If you don't mind download and distribute the poster from InnovataBrass.com! It's up to you! No matter the size or type, EVERY contriubution helps! All of the money collected at the door will go to help Karen. The suggested donation is $15.00, but if you really can't afford it, please come anyway and give us what you can afford. If you can afford more than $15.00, it is greatly appreciated as well. Families and senior citizens can also be given a discount. We want this concert to be as accessible to everyone as possible!

Bottom line, you'll get to enjoy a wonderful concert with two of New England's top brass groups, at the same time you will KNOW that YOU are helping a person in need!

For more information or directions, please email me at info@innovatabrass.com or call (617)718-9488.

Thank you and we all hope to see you there!

Most sincerely,

Michael S. Milnarik, director

April 14, 2004

Things have been quite busy putting our summer schedule together, which you can now see by going to our SCHEDULE on the main page, but I've finally been able to get some additional stuff working on the main page! Check it out!

We've got some very cool new features on innovatabrass.com! You can now join our email list, sign our brand new guest book AND chat LIVE! That's right, LIVE! We've got our own chat room that we call 'Inn-Chat'. Inn-Chat is for all of our visitors to enjoy! From time to time you'll see members of Innovata hangin' out in Inn-Chat! We hope you like it!

If you've got any questions, or need directions to one of our performances, please drop us an email! We'd be more than happy to help, and of course, would love to see you at a concert!

See you soon!



February 17, 2004

Finally! The new website is almost up and running! We've got a couple of things that still need to be "activated" but for now there's a bunch of stuff to peruse!

Lots of things are happening for Innovata! New dates are being added to our calendar, and will be announced SOON! Another Innovata recording is on the horizon! Finally, the long awaited followup to Innovata's very successful debut CD will be materializing before the end of the year!

Our schedule is taking us to places that we haven't performed before. If you have a concert series in your town, and we haven't performed there before, let us know about it! If we have performed in your town before, and you had a good time, tell the organizers! We always love to meet new people, but we equally love to see familiar faces at our concerts!

Check back often for new updates!

See you soon!





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'>here for more info.
Also, plans are currently taking place for TWO new recordings! One recording will be of holiday favorites. The other will be a CD of music by our immensely popular composer Sanae Kanda! The CD of Dr. Kanda's works will feature a new piece titled "A Beautiful Winter Day" in memory of long time Innovata member Karen Antonio-Muenzinger, who passed away on January 29, 2005.

Recordings of this type have been asked about time and time again by our fans and we are happy to say that they will soon be available! Please sign up for our mailing list if you'd like to be informed about these releases!

Please have a SAFE, HAPPY and HEALTHY Holdiay Season!

We look forward to seeing you at a concert soon!

Mike



May 3, 2005
We're going to have our summer calendar up shortly, so keep checking back! But for the moment we'd like to let you know about a couple of things that may be of interest...

First, I (Mike) am presenting a summer camp for tuba and euphonium players! What's a euphonium you ask? Well a euphonium is basically a half size tuba and has the most wonderful sound! I'll be joined for this camp by Swiss Euphonium Virtuoso Roland Froscher. If you haven't heard Roland play, you're in for a real treat. He's is a phenominal, world class musician, teacher and person. For information about the camp go to:

http://www.netew.com

This is the official website of the Northeast Tuba Euphonium Workshop 2005 - to be held at Salem State College in historic Salem, Massachusetts - from August 15th -20th!

Also, there's a rumor going around that INNOVATA may be presenting a brass quintet camp at a university in Pennsylvania. Well, although very late in the season, this rumor may be true! Keep your eyes on innovatabrass.com for more information as it develops. If it happens the dates will be June 26th through July 2nd. VERY SOON! So we hope to have all of the information in the near future.

We'd love to have pre-formed brass quintets at this camp, as well as individuals. So if you've got a group - start talking to each other about it and let us know you're interested. We'll make sure you get information as soon as it becomes available. The camp will be open to 10 trumpet player, 5 horn players, 5 trombone players and 5 tuba/bass trombone players.

Thanks for stopping by INNOVATABRASS.COM!

Hope to see you soon!



February 13, 2005 (part 2)
For those of you that have asked, and for those of you that have wondered if INNOVATA will continue, the answer is a resounding YES!

INNOVATA meant a lot to Karen and she told me that she had hoped the group would continue, no matter what. Although Karen will always be greatly missed, we will continue to move forward.

Please join us at 8:00pm on Friday, February 18th at Tufts University for a FREE concert held in Cohen Auditorium. There is no admission cost and the concert is open to all ages! We will be joined by our friends Andrew Sorg and Richard Watson on trumpets.

Please send us an email if you need additional information.

We hope to see you there!



Feburary 13, 2005
Yesterday was the memorial service for our dear friend and colleague, Karen Antonio-Muenzinger. It was a very sad day for all. I would like to thank Innovata members Stephen Nadel and Pete Charig, and also Portland Brass members John Schnell and Betty Rines for performing with Innovata at Karen's Memorial Service. I know that you all feel there is no thanks necessary, but it meant so much to have you adjust your schedules to make yourselves available for this sad, but very special event. It was one of our toughest performances, and probably our most meaningful one as well. Thank you also to all of our friends that attended the service yesterday, and for the thoughts of those who could not. Karen will be greatly missed. May she rest in peace.

Keep watching this website for a special section that will be added over the course of the next few weeks in honor of our lost friend and colleague Karen Antonio-Muenzinger.



January 29, 2005
This is the saddest day in Innovata history. Our long time trumpeter, Karen Antonio-Muenzinger has passed away. After being diagnosed with cancer in 2001, Karen had bounced back shortly after and seemed to have beaten the odds. She was being watched closely, but her health continued to improve until she was told in March of 2004 that her cancer had returned. Karen was a very strong person whose friendship, musicianship, courage and selflessness will be greatly missed.

Keep watching this website for a special section that will be added in honor of our lost friend and colleague Karen Antonio-Muenzinger.



September 3, 2004
Well, we're coming to the end of a very successful summer season, but we've got an important concert that we want you all to know about. On September 10th we will be presenting a benefit concert for Innovata trumpet player Karen Antonio-Muenzinger. Karen has very courageously been battling cancer for about 4 years. Many of you know that in March her cancer returned and it prevented her from performing with Innovata for most of our concerts during the 2004 summer season. This has been a very hard time for her because playing the trumpet is what she loves most. Not being able to perform has saddened her a great deal, but it has also effected her livelihood.

She needs OUR help!

On Friday, September 10, 2004 at 7:30pm, Innovata will be joined by our good friends the Portland Brass (from Portland, Maine) in a concert to benefit trumpeter, colleague and most importantly our friend Karen Antonio-Muenzinger. The concert will take place at the Parish of the Epiphany - 70 Church Street in Winchester, Massachusetts.

Help us spread the word!

The more people attending this event, the bigger the benefit to Karen. You can help by spreading the word! It won't cost you anything to tell your friends and colleagues about this concert! If you don't mind download and distribute the poster from InnovataBrass.com! It's up to you! No matter the size or type, EVERY contriubution helps! All of the money collected at the door will go to help Karen. The suggested donation is $15.00, but if you really can't afford it, please come anyway and give us what you can afford. If you can afford more than $15.00, it is greatly appreciated as well. Families and senior citizens can also be given a discount. We want this concert to be as accessible to everyone as possible!

Bottom line, you'll get to enjoy a wonderful concert with two of New England's top brass groups, at the same time you will KNOW that YOU are helping a person in need!

For more information or directions, please email me at info@innovatabrass.com or call (617)718-9488.

Thank you and we all hope to see you there!

Most sincerely,

Michael S. Milnarik, director


April 14, 2004
Things have been quite busy putting our summer schedule together, which you can now see by going to our SCHEDULE on the main page, but I've finally been able to get some additional stuff working on the main page! Check it out!

We've got some very cool new features on innovatabrass.com! You can now join our email list, sign our brand new guest book AND chat LIVE! That's right, LIVE! We've got our own chat room that we call 'Inn-Chat'. Inn-Chat is for all of our visitors to enjoy! From time to time you'll see members of Innovata hangin' out in Inn-Chat! We hope you like it!

If you've got any questions, or need directions to one of our performances, please drop us an email! We'd be more than happy to help, and of course, would love to see you at a concert!

See you soon!




February 17, 2004


Finally! The new website is almost up and running! We've got a couple of things that still need to be "activated" but for now there's a bunch of stuff to peruse!

Lots of things are happening for Innovata! New dates are being added to our calendar, and will be announced SOON! Another Innovata recording is on the horizon! Finally, the long awaited followup to Innovata's very successful debut CD will be materializing before the end of the year!

Our schedule is taking us to places that we haven't performed before. If you have a concert series in your town, and we haven't performed there before, let us know about it! If we have performed in your town before, and you had a good time, tell the organizers! We always love to meet new people, but we equally love to see familiar faces at our concerts!

Check back often for new updates!

See you soon!