Counseling In Schools (CIS), a non-profit organization with 35 years of experience supporting the emotional and social wellbeing of New York City public school communities, will host its first annual “Measures of Hope” Spring Benefit, celebrating the power of creative arts therapy programs on Thursday May 19, 2022 at the New York Society of Ethical Culture in New York City.

The benefit will feature a performance by legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter and his Foursight Quartet, who will also be honored for his career as an inspirational educator with the first-ever CIS “Measures of Hope Award.” During the evening’s performance Maestro Carter will dedicate “Saguaro,” his composition from 1977’s “Piccolo” to CIS in honor of their work bringing hope to NYC school communities.

The “Measures of Hope Award” will be presented to Maestro Carter by his former student, Oscar-award winning composer, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” bandleader, and this year’s most Grammy-nominated artist, Jon Batiste.

“We are thrilled to recognize jazz master Ron Carter, an extraordinary musician and educator, to amplify the tremendous impact creative arts therapies have in school settings by creating space for healthy self-expression and increased student social emotional wellbeing,” said Kevin Dahill-Fuchel, Executive Director, Counseling In Schools. “By encouraging students to find their voices, support their communities, and build their inner-strength and resilience, Ron Carter has inspired hope throughout his entire career. We look forward to celebrating the Maestro’s legacy as an educator, as well as all the creative arts-related work our counselors are doing to keep hope alive in school communities during the ongoing pandemic.”

CIS’s “Measures of Hope Award” recognizes inspirational educators, artists, counselors, and other members of the school community who embody hope through their work to help each child flourish and reach their full potential.

“I’m very impressed by the great work Counseling in Schools has been doing; particularly by integrating music and the arts into the school’s daily life and other academic subjects, even in subtle ways, they are enhancing the sense of well-being, community and music appreciation,” said Ron Carter. “You don’t have to be a musician to benefit from everything music has to offer in life. My wish has always been for all schools to make music part of every student’s day. Counseling in Schools is well on the way to making that wish come true.”

In addition to his long and storied career performing as part of the Miles Davis Quintet and recording more than 2,200 albums with artists including Herbie Hancock, Aretha Franklin, and a Tribe Called Quest, Ron Carter has taught hundreds of students over the past four decades. Most notably, Carter taught at The Juilliard School and spent nearly 20 years on the faculty of the Music Department of The City College of New York, where he is now Distinguished Professor Emeritus. Carter considers his tenure at City College to be the most important accomplishment of his career.

Similarly, in addition to traditional counseling programs with a healing-centered approach, CIS also uses the arts as universal language to support the ways students make meaning of their lives and connect to their strengths. CIS’s creative art therapists in New York City public schools work with elementary, middle, and high school students across the five boroughs, using a broad range of artistic modalities including music, the visual arts, creative writing, poetry and spoken word, dance, theater, and photography.

CIS’s “Measures of Hope” Spring Benefit concert will uplift this work and feature remarks and brief video presentations that showcase the organization’s creative arts therapy practitioners and initiatives in schools. The evening will also include a special sneak preview of the PBS and Partisan Pictures documentary profiling Ron Carter’s career in music and education, “Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes.”

“Measures of Hope” is produced by legendary concert promoter John Scher, President of Metropolitan Entertainment Consultants, who has produced concerts and music festivals across the United States. The evening is sponsored by Deutsche Bank Americas.

The evening’s festivities and Maestro Carter’s performance will be simulcast for global audiences. More information on how to access the simulcast will follow.

In-person tickets start at $20 for student balcony tickets; $60 for a single balcony ticket; $75 for a single mezzanine ticket; and $125 for a single orchestra ticket.

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