Patrice Rushen receives Roland Corporation Lifetime Achievement Award

USC Thornton Popular Music program faculty member Patrice Rushen received Roland Corporation’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2025 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show in Anaheim, CA. Roland Corporation is a manufacturer and distributor of electronic musical instruments. Rushen was awarded for impacting the music industry as a trailblazer and mentor to young musicians.

“I’m very grateful to Roland to have the kind of relationship that allows for what we do as musicians,” Rushen said in her acceptance speech. “To have a say-so in the way that we are allowed to help influence the way that instruments are made—and that they listen.”

Watch her feature on YouTube now.

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Photo courtesy of USC Thornton.