Exploring the Arts Gala Features Performances by Tony Bennett, Sting, and a Yamaha CL5Hosted by Katie Couric with performances by Tony Bennett and his quartet with a special guest performance by Sting, the annual Exploring the Arts (ETA) fundraiser held October 4 at Cipriani's mid-town in New York City raised $1.2 million. A star-studded red carpet affair, benefactors attending included Alec Baldwin, Jon Bon Jovi, Bryant Gumbel, Donna Karan, Lorraine Bracco, former New York Governor Mario Cuomo, Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Walters, and New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg. ETA is a nonprofit organization founded in 1999 by Tony Bennett and his wife, Susan Benedetto. The organization's mission is to strengthen the role of the arts in public high school education. ETA currently supports 14 partner schools in all five boroughs of New York City and reaches more than 10,000 public school students, the majority of who live below the poverty line. ETA's flagship school, the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts located in Astoria, Queens (the birthplace of Bennett), was founded by the Bennetts and opened in 2001. Bennett released Viva Duets on October 22, a CD featuring Latin recording artists, and The Zen of Bennett, which was created and conceived by son Danny had a theatrical opening in New York City on October 24 (Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago on November 2). In November, Bennett's latest book Life Is A Gift will be released. Audio production for the gala was provided by ACIR Professional (Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey), and included a Yamaha CL5 digital audio console with two RIO 3224-D remote I/Os used at front of house, a Yamaha PM5D-RH used for monitors, and Yamaha T3n amplifiers for monitor wedges. Additional products brought in by ACIR included K-Array Redline powered speakers for monitors and Shure, A-T, Heil, Neuman, and Sennheiser microphones and wireless monitor systems. The company also provided all of the backline instruments. Bennett lighting designer, Ron Farino, designed the lighting for the event. Long-time Bennett front-of-house engineer, production manager for the event, and co-owner of ACIR professional had his first opportunity to mix the show on the new Yamaha CL5. An avid fan of the Yamaha PM1D and PM5D, Young said using the CL5 for its compactness certainly made sense based on the footprint allocated for front of house in the Cipriani room. "I was quite pleased about the performance of the CL5 and how well it sounded," states Young. "The console is very easy to navigate." 
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