Heart First, Always

Patricia Rushing has been going to the Illinois Symphony Orchestra since 1979. That is not a typo. Before the Sangamon Auditorium era, before multiple music directors came and went, before the orchestra grew into the professional force it is today, Patricia was in the audience.

"I've been going to the symphony since 1980, when I first came to town," she said with a laugh, quickly correcting herself. "1979, 1980." Forty-some years later, she serves on the ISO Board of Directors, has held the post of Board Secretary for approximately seven years, and alongside her husband Randy, was honored at the recent ISO Gala with the organization's highest volunteer recognition: the Gold Baton Award.

When word came that they would be receiving the award, the Rushings were genuinely surprised. Randy captured it simply: "We never, ever imagined, never considered. It just came out of the clear blue sky." For those who know the depth and breadth of their commitment to the ISO — the decades of attendance, the board service, the philanthropy, the concerts hosted on their lawn and in their living room, the friends brought through the door — the honor was richly and thoroughly earned.

"You just kind of go on year to year and not really think about the cumulative effect of attending, or serving on a board, or donations — and then suddenly, there it is."

A Board Member Almost by Accident

Patricia's path to the ISO Board was, like many of the best things in life, unplanned. She and Randy had simply decided to drop off a donation check at the ISO's offices on Capitol Avenue — she remembers the building as "that horrible building" with stairs that were "kind of a death trap." She handed over the check, struck up a conversation the ISO's Director of Development, and the rest unfolded from there.

"After that, she just asked me eventually if I would be interested in being on the board," Patricia recalled. "I said okay. I wasn't quite sure what that entailed, but I was willing to give it a try."

Nearly ten years later, she is still giving it a try — and then some. As Board Secretary, a post she has held for roughly seven years, Patricia serves on search committees, refines organizational processes and procedures, and by her own cheerful admission, keeps the role because no one else raises their hand at the annual meeting. "It's one of those jobs where everybody kind of points to somebody else," she said. "So I just kind of roll it over." Behind the self-deprecating humor is a genuine commitment to institutional detail. She works in close tandem with ISO Office Administrator Abigail Nicol, the two checking each other's notes after every board meeting. "I'll send it as pretty as I can make it to Abby," Patricia said, "and then she makes it beautiful."

Asked whether there is a moment from her board service she is especially proud of, Patricia's answer had nothing to do with governance. During the pandemic, she was able to dedicate performances in the Sunday at Six online concert series to her parents and her late brother. "Just having the ability to do that, to celebrate our family — I think that was probably the most touching aspect of being able to take advantage of something like that." It is the kind of quiet, personal return that no committee assignment can produce — and one that speaks to why the Rushings have stayed so close to this organization for so long.

"Without the staff and the Guild, nobody's on the stage. You don't have marketing, you don't have development — you just don't have an organization."

Following the Heart

When asked whether their philanthropic support of the ISO is strategic or emotional, Patricia did not hesitate. "I think it's really more follow our heart when something excites us."

That philosophy has quietly shaped the ISO's community presence in lasting ways. When the Rushings see an opportunity to bring the orchestra to new ears, they move. A prime example is Symphony at Sunset, the annual outdoor chamber performance at Panther Creek Country Club. The event grew directly from their desire to reach audiences who might never find their way to a concert hall — guests who arrive for an evening at the club and find themselves, almost by surprise, in the presence of a world-class ensemble performing against an actual Illinois sunset. "Some of them got so excited, they offered to do the same thing at their own homes," Patricia said. "And the nice thing is, it brings something different to the country club that isn't just golf."

That instinct to find the unexpected venue defines the Rushings as supporters. They have helped bring ISO performances to the Dana Thomas House, Harvest Market, and Motorhead's Bar and Grill on Toronto Road — a pairing that still delights Patricia. "Who would have guessed that the Illinois Symphony Orchestra would be playing at Motorhead's? That's how you reach a whole completely different audience."

The Rushings are also steadfast personal ambassadors, attending virtually every ISO concert and rarely going alone. "We are always taking somebody to the symphony or doing something to get the word out," Patricia said. "The best marketing tool is somebody that says, 'Hey, go to the symphony with me next week.'"

For those considering a deeper financial commitment, Patricia offers a practical tip: the Required Minimum Distribution. "You have the tax benefit. You don't even know it's gone — it's something you have to take out anyway." Several people the Rushings have introduced to the ISO now give exactly this way. But strategy, ultimately, is secondary. "The more donors we have," Patricia said, "the more different kinds of venues we can experience — the more we can do those creative kinds of things."

The Man Behind the Music

Randy Rushing describes his role with characteristic modesty: "My major role is just making sure Patricia stays healthy and wants to be involved. As I said at the gala, I married well."

But Randy's engagement runs deeper than supportive spouse. A friendship with former Music Director Ken Lam, forged on the golf course at Panther Creek, sparked his own investment in the orchestra in a way that no concert program ever could. Lam came down to Randy's basement one afternoon and surveyed the wall of golf equipment with an appreciative eye. "He looked at all the golf clubs and said, 'It's like a mini pro shop,'" Randy recalled, laughing. The larger point was not lost on him: "When you have a music director who is so engaging on a personal level, they really are the best PR, short of the musicians on the stage. They're able to connect with people on a non-symphony basis." He sees the same rare quality in current Music Director Taichi Fukumura.

The Rushings have also hosted ISO guest artists in their home — a string bassist, a tuba player, and during the pandemic, a live Sunday at Six performance with a violinist and pianist playing in their living room while Randy sat in the basement with Whitney, keeping the dog calm so the music could continue upstairs. Whitney, for his part, regarded all large instruments with profound suspicion. "You find out they're regular guys and gals," Randy said of the guest musicians, "but they have this level of musicianship that's out of this world. It's amazing."

Come Often, and Enjoy

When it comes to persuading newcomers, both Patricia and Randy work from the same conviction: get someone there once, and the orchestra will do the rest.

"I always raise the fact that it's a professional organization," Randy said. "People are shocked when they go." Patricia adds: "First of all, people say, 'I didn't know we had a symphony.' And then they say, 'I didn't know it was a professional symphony.' So we are always taking somebody, always doing something to get the word out." Her own sister, who attends the Raleigh symphony in North Carolina, comes to Springfield and declares the ISO every bit its equal.

At the gala, Patricia took a moment to make a point that matters deeply to her: the applause belongs to more than the musicians on stage. "Without the staff and the Guild, nobody's on the stage," she said. "You don't have marketing, you don't have development — you just don't have an organization."

Randy's parting words were the simplest, and perhaps the most eloquent: "Come often. And enjoy."

For Patricia and Randy Rushing, that has never been a hard ask. They have been doing exactly that for more than four decades — and along the way, quietly and without fanfare, they have brought countless others with them.

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