Why We Give: Alan & Deborah Rasper Have you always lived in Indiana? We moved to Indianapolis from Cincinnati in 1991 for a job opportunity. Deb was born in Bluffton, Ind., but soon after went to Dayton, Ohio, where she spent her childhood. Alan’s father was an Army officer, so he lived in a variety of places as a child. Do either of you play an instrument? Deb learned to play the piano as a youngster, but did not maintain those talents. Both of us played in middle and high school orchestras. Alan chose percussion and Deb chose the flute. However, neither of us can claim those talents today. What was the first ISO concert you attended? Soon after we moved to Indy, we became regulars at the ISO. We had season tickets for the Children’s Series during our daughter’s childhood and have been long-time Symphony on the Prairie table holders. We enjoy Pops season tickets and add Classical and special concerts throughout the year. What has been your favorite musical experience with the ISO so far? Deb enjoys the various donor functions where there is an opportunity to learn more about the orchestra and the musicians. Alan enjoyed the recent concert with John Williams. Both of us have found the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra functions to be informative and heartwarming. How is your life better with music? We usually have some background music playing in our home or in the car. We find music to be calming, soothing, and comforting. We tend to listen to WICR-FM or something from our personal collection of musical favorites. What would you tell someone who is considering becoming a subscriber to the ISO? Being a part of the ISO experience has been wonderful. In addition to the talented ISO conductors and musicians, there are exceptional guest conductors and musicians throughout the season. We also like to recommend the Pops and special concerts to our friends who are less familiar with the ISO. Why is an orchestra important to a community? We feel that a community needs to have a variety of cultural offerings. To us, a symphony orchestra is a must. It broadens your outlook as you are introduced to a variety of musical pieces from past and present composers. What led you to donate to the ISO? We both feel that Indianapolis needs a strong orchestra as a part of the city’s cultural backbone, which is necessary to attract business and people to our city. We want to help fund the orchestra to be sure it is here for future generations. Of recent, we have been pleased to support the MYO and invest in the lives of the young folks who will be the ISO of the future. If we want to assure that the music continues into the future generations, we need to support these young musicians. The various MYO gatherings have spotlighted the students, families, and teachers that comprise the orchestra. The dedication is remarkable and the students’ love for their music is contagious. We always leave these gatherings with a renewed spark to include them in our giving plans.
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