Title: Associate Professor Emeritus
Company: Columbia College Chicago
Location: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Benjamin Kanters, associate professor emeritus at Columbia College Chicago, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for dedication, achievements, and leadership in audio engineering.
With over 40 years of experience in audio engineering and hearing conservation, Mr. Kanters stands as a pioneer in his field. As the founder of Hear Tomorrow since 2007, he has led efforts to raise awareness about hearing loss prevention. Concurrent with this role, he has served as the associate professor and director of Music Recording Concentration in the Department of Audio Arts & Acoustics at Columbia College Chicago from 1993 to 2022. His journey began as a front-of-house engineer for the Pat Metheny Group in 1978. Building the foundation for his subsequent success, he earned a Bachelor of Science in speech at Northwestern University in 1976 and continued his academic pursuits there, obtaining a Master of Music from the School of Music in 2002.
Mr. Kanters began his career as a partner with Amazingrace Ltd., also known as the Amazingrace Coffeehouse, in 1973. An influential counterculture music and performance venue in Evanston, Illinois, during the 1970s, he operated as part of a collective known as the Amazingrace Family, who were critical to establishing the venue’s inviting atmosphere, diverse menu, and stellar sound system. Over the course of his tenure at Amazingrace Ltd., such high-profile acts as Bill Evans, Randy Newman, Jimmy Buffett, Steve Martin, Allen Ginsberg, and Charles Bukowski performed at Amazingrace, which became reputable as a space for artistic freedom and platforming of groundbreaking new art forms. Upon its closure in 1980, Amazingrace’s legacy has been felt through similar venues, reunion events, and a historical archive at Northwestern University.
In 2007, Mr. Kanters established Hear Tomorrow and The Hearing Conservation Workshop, which is dedicated to educating future professionals in the audio, music, and hearing industries about hearing loss prevention. Throughout his illustrious career, he has been recognized for his outstanding contributions. He received the Illinois Academy of Audiology Natalie Stukas Hearing Conservation Award in 2014 and the Safe in Sound Award for Innovation in Hearing Conservation from The National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health in the same year.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Mr. Kanters actively participates in various civic and professional organizations, including serving on the advisory boards of The Hugh Knowles Hearing Center of Northwestern University and The Foundation for Hearing & Speech Rehabilitation. He attributes his success to seizing opportunities and the invaluable support of his colleagues. Looking ahead, he remains committed to advancing hearing awareness while cherishing time with his family. For aspiring professionals, he advises openness to opportunities and underscores the importance of kindness and compassion in one’s career journey.
For more information, please visit:
Amazingrace.com
Wikipedia
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