Career Life

PATRICE RUSHEN

www.patricerushen.com

SKILLS

Keyboardist, film composer, arranger, singer, songwriter, recording artist, record producer, concert  performer.

EDUCATION

1972-1976 University of Southern Californ, Los Angeles, California
                  - Double Major: Music Education / Piano Performance

1969-1972  Alain Leroy Locke High School, Los Angeles, California
                   - Major : Music

1958-1972  University of Southern California Preparatory Dept. Los Angeles, California
                   - Eurhythmics / Piano / Comprehensive Musicianship

PRIVATE STUDY

  • 1959-1963  Piano - Dr. Earl Hultberg
  • 1963-1972  Piano & Theory - Dr. Dorothy Bishop
  • 1972-1976  Piano - Dr. Carol Stewart
  • 1978-1979  Orchestration - Dr. Albert Harris     
  • 1974-1976  Voice - Dr. Douglass Lawrence
  • 1980-1981  Voice - Florence Riggs
  • 1990           Conducting - Bogidar Avramov (Loyola Univ.)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

  • Dept. Chair Popular Music Program -Thornton School of Music USC 2013-2023
  • Ambassador For Artistry In Education – Berklee College of Music  2007-present
  • Composer In Residence - Detroit Symphony Orchestra 2000-2001 season
  • Recorded thirteen solo albums
  • Music Director 46th Annual GRAMMY AWARDS 2004
  • Music Director 47th Annual GRAMMY AWARDS 2005
  • Music Director 48th Annual GRAMMY AWARDS 2006
  • Music Director The 8th Annual Walk of Fame Honoring Stevie Wonder (2002) (TV)
  • Music Director The 9th Annual Walk of Fame Honoring Aretha Franklin (2003) (TV)
  • Music Director The 10th Annual Walk of Fame Honoring Smokey Robinson (2004) (TV)
  • Composed score for  Paramount Pictures/ Showtime “OUR AMERICA ” Directed by Ernest Dickerson. Special Award winner at the Sundance Film Festival
  • Composed score for  Paramount Pictures / Showtime “THE KILLING  YARD” starring  Alan Alda, Morris Chestnut. Directed by Euzhan Palcy
  • Composed score for  Paramount Pictures / Showtime “JUST A DREAM ” Directed by Danny Glover starring Carl Lumbly and Robbie Benson
  • Composed score for  PBS, Masterpiece Theater “CORA UNASHAMED” starring  Regina Taylor, C.C.H. Pounder, Producer: Marian Rees
  • Composed score for Disney telefilm “RUBY BRIDGES” starring Lela Rochon, Penelope Ann Miller, Kevin Pollack, Diana Scarwid, Producer: Marian Rees, Euzhan Palcy            
  • Composed score for “THE STEVE HARVEY SHOW” WB Network
  • Composed hit soundtrack song “MEN IN BLACK” Columbia Pictures
  • Composed score for HBO trilogy “AMERICA’S  DREAM”  starring Danny Glover
  • Composed score for PBS documentary A. Phillip Randolph
  • Arranged and produced  material for  “INDECENT PROPOSAL” for Paramount Pictures starring Robert Redford  & Demi Moore, Performed by Sheena Easton
  • Produced Sheena Easton album entitled “NO STRINGS”, MCA Records
  • Musical Director People's Choice Awards 1993
  • Arranged and produced  material for  “JACK’S PLACE” for ABC Television. Performed by Sheena Easton
  • Music Director  43rd Annual EMMY AWARDS 1991
  • Music Director 44th Annual EMMY AWARDS 1992
  • Music Director & Composer for "COMIC RELIEF V " for HBO starring Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg & Robin Williams      
  • Music Director, Conductor and Arranger for CBS T.V.'s nightly talk / variety show, THE MIDNIGHT HOUR
  • Music Director and Arranger for JOHN LITHGOW'S KID-SIZE CONCERT VIDEO
  • Composed score for T.V. series “STORY OF A PEOPLE” starring Debbie Allen
  • Composed score for feature film “WITHOUT YOU I'M  NOTHING” starring Sandra Bernhard
  • Music Director for NAACP IMAGE AWARDS T.V. SPECIAL 1989 - 2000
  • Musical Consultant to David Shire for ABC T.V. movie “THE WOMEN OF BREWSTER PLACE” starring Oprah Winfrey
  • Composed score for ABC T.V. weekly series “BREWSTER PLACE “ starring Oprah Winfrey
  • Composed score for feature film “HOLLYWOOD SHUFFLE” starring Robert Townsend, Keenan Ivory Wayans
  • Composed score for film segments of HBO Special ROBERT TOWNSEND AND HIS PARTNERS IN CRIME PART I
  • Music Director for HBO Comedy Specials ROBERT TOWNSEND AND HIS PARTNERS IN CRIME PARTS I -IV
  • Composed theme for Pacific Bell 1988 radio campaign (90 sec. spot) BLACK LEGENDS
  • Composed music for children's television program  KID'S TALK
  • Instructor of music workshops and clinics for YAMAHA MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS  (USA and Japan)
  • Member of National Academy of Record Arts and Sciences
  • BOARD OF GOVERNORS (NARAS)      
  • Member of ASCAP Board of Review
  • Teacher of Contemporary Music Seminar at USC Summer Sessions
  • Artistic Director of The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz @ USC (1999- 2000)             
  • Clinician and Performer at International Association of Jazz Educator's Convention 1990 
  • National concert tours /  performances 1984,1982, 1980
  • European concert tours 1988, 1995
  • Japanese concert tours 1996, 1989,  1991

AWARDS

  • 2020 The Ramo Music Faculty Award
  • 2019 The California Jazz Foundation NICA award for lifetime achievement
  •  
  • 2005  Honorary Doctrate Berklee College of Music , Boston Mass.
  • 1998  ASCAP Award for most performed  song in motion pictures for “MEN IN BLACK”
  • 1998  Grammy Award Nomination for BEST  CONTEMPORARY JAZZ  PERFORMANCE “Signature”
  • 1998  NAACP Image Award  Nomination for BEST  CONTEMPORARY JAZZ  RECORDING   “Signature”
  • 1988  ASCAP Songwriter's Award for "WATCH OUT" making the Top 10 on Urban Charts
  • 1984  Number One Record "FEELS  SO REAL" Radio & Records ( R&R) National Chart, Writers: Patrice Rushen & Fred Washington 
  • 1982 Grammy Award Nomination for BEST R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE FEMALE, Song: "Forget Me Nots", Writers: Patrice Rushen, Fred Washington &  Terry McFadden
  • 1982 Grammy Award Nomination for BEST R&B INSTRUMENTAL, Song: "Number One", Writer: Patrice Rushen

PERSONAL REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST