When Dr. Quinton Morris was a kid growing up in Chicago, everyone in the neighborhood played an instrument. But when his family moved to Renton, WA, south of Seattle, when he was in high school, that wasn’t the case.
In fact, Quinton had to take three buses from Renton to his violin teacher’s house in another county. That’s why, almost seven years ago, he decided to base his music non-profit, Key To Change, in Renton. It provides world-class violin and viola instruction to hundreds of diverse students, growing them as leaders at the same time.
But there’s so much more to his story. Quinton’s mother always told him to listen to that small voice inside. It told him never to give up, and he didn’t. Today, Dr. Quinton Morris is only the second black violinist in U.S. history to receive the rank of full and tenured professor.
In addition to teaching at Seattle University, he hosts a radio show on Classical KING FM (Seattle) dedicated to classical music composed and performed by people of color.
“I’ve called Quinton Morris a friend for more than a decade,” says BEATS WORKING host Mark Wright. “What impresses me most is his dedication to growing the next generation of leaders. He’s opened so many doors for himself, but then he holds those doors open for others.”
Resources from the episode:
- Connect with Dr. Quinton Morris on LinkedIn.
- Get to know Dr. Morris and learn more about his work at Seattle University here.
- Learn more about Key to Change here.
- Listen to “Unmute the Voices,” Dr. Morris’ show on Classical KING FM, here.
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Transcript
The following transcript is not certified. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors. The information contained within this document is for general information purposes only.
Speakers: Dr. Quinton Morris and Mark Wright
DR. QUINTON MORRIS 00:00
So, I, long story short, I get the violin fixed, I get back, I’m not able to do a sound check because by this point, people are already starting to arrive at the hall. And so, an usher comes up to me in the back and says, don’t worry, I heard what happened, don’t worry, you’re gonna be fine, this is your stage. And when she said that to me, it was like, I just had this burst of energy and it was like, wow, the ride. And I played a two-hour concert, I did three encores, three, three encores at Carnegie Hall. It was one of the best moments of my life.
MARK WRIGHT 00:52
This is the BEATS WORKING show. We’re on a mission to redeem work – the word, the place, and the way. I’m your host Mark Wright. Join us at winning the game of work. Welcome to BEATS WORKING on the show this week growing leaders through music. When Dr. Quinton Morris was a kid growing up in Chicago, everyone in the neighborhood played an instrument. But when his family moved to Renton, south of Seattle when he was in high school, that wasn’t the case. In fact, Quinton had to take three buses from Renton to his violin teacher’s house in another county to the north. That’s why almost seven years ago, he decided to base his music nonprofit, Key to Change, in Renton. It provides world class violin and viola instruction to hundreds of diverse students. And it also grows them as leaders at the same time. But there’s so much more to his story. Quinton’s mom always told him, listen to that small voice inside, listen to your intuition. He did, and it told him to never give up. Today, Dr. Quinton Morris is only the second black violinist in U.S. history to receive the rank of full and tenured professor. Only the second one. In addition to teaching at Seattle University, he hosts a radio show on Classical King FM in Seattle dedicated to classical music composed and performed by people of color. I’ve called Quinton Morris a friend for more than a decade. What impresses me most is he’s dedicated his life to opening doors first for himself and then holding those doors open for others. I hope our conversation leaves you inspired. Dr. Quintin Morris, welcome to BEATS WORKING, winning the game of work. It’s so good to see you.
DR. QUINTON MORRIS 02:42
It’s good to see you too, Mark. Thanks for having me on.
MARK WRIGHT 02:45
So, this morning when I got up, I was trying to think how long we’ve known each other. And it’s been a long time. I want to say maybe two decades by now. But, um, I’m so excited to have you on the show. And I think you might be the first professional musician that we’ve had on the podcast. Um, so this is, this is going to be super fun. Welcome.
DR. QUINTON MORRIS 03:04
Thank you. I’m excited to be here and, uh, it has definitely been at least a decade that you and I have known one another. Um, and of course we’ve, you know, played a role in each other’s lives and, and watched each other transition through various parts of our careers. And um, I’m a huge fan of yours, so it’s, it’s an honor to be here on your podcast.
MARK WRIGHT 03:34
Awesome. Well, um, let’s give people a little idea of, of who Dr. Quinton Morris is. Um, you’re a violin virtuoso, you’re a teacher, you’re a professor, you started an amazing non-profit that, that uses music to develop young people’s lives called Key to Change. Um, let’s start, let’s start at the beginning though. I, I would love, when I was a kid, I, I took Suzuki piano lessons and Suzuki violin lessons. I never got very good at the violin, and I turned to drums in the seventh grade, but how, Quinton, how did you get, how did you fall in love with the violin in the beginning?
DR. QUINTON MORRIS 04:13
Well, I fell in love with the violin many, many years ago. Um, I was in the third grade, right? Grew up playing the violin in public schools and, um, really loved the instrument from very early on, loved all of the instruments. As a matter of fact, I didn’t just play violin, but in the fourth grade, I picked up the French horn and kind of balanced both instruments, um, you know, all the way through high school, actually, um, but everyone in my neighborhood played an instrument of some kind. And so, you were kind of, um, I guess kind of the, not in the in crowd if you didn’t play an instrument. Uh, and so it was, it was a culture. It was something that, that I grew up watching students do, my peers, and, um, and there was a real sense of community as a child playing the instrument that I really enjoyed.
MARK WRIGHT 05:21
And where did you grow up again? Was this in the South End?
DR. QUINTON MORRIS 05:24
Yeah, yeah. Well, I, I should kind of mention that, um, we grew up in the South End of, of Chicago. Um, we moved to the Seattle area, um, in the very early nineties, um, where I went to high school, um, but, you know, back in Illinois, everyone played an instrument. Um, and then, of course, when we moved here to Seattle, everyone did not play an instrument, which I was really surprised by. So, um but you know, Mark, I think he could have been a, a great violinist. You know, you, you’ve got the built for it. You could, could stand up and, and, uh, play a violin. I mean the,
MARK WRIGHT 06:09
Yeah, I think it, the, yeah, the violin though is one of those instruments that, it’s kind of like the bagpipes Quinton, I think,
DR. QUINTON MORRIS 06:15
Ah. I don’t know about that.
MARK WRIGHT 06:16
It either sounds, it, it sounds really good, or it sounds really good.
DR. QUINTON MORROS 06:20
You know, I mean, I’m sure we’ll talk a little bit about it later with Key to Change, but I am a big believer that all kids when they play an instrument now argue that adults do too. They want to sound good playing the instrument. I don’t think there is anyone out there who really desires to suck. Um, and and I think a lot of that in the very early stages of learning an instrument. Um, it has to do with how to produce a good sound, right? And a sound that you’re proud of, a sound that is not, um, uh, toxic to the ear. Um, and if you can learn that early on when playing an instrument as difficult as the violin, the chances of you sticking with it and the chances of you enjoying it are going to be higher. Then if you don’t play this real well, and I think you kind of subliminally admitted that the reason why you didn’t enjoy playing the violin is because of the sound. But what if little Mark way back when would have been taught how to play with a good sound? Who knows? Might be a different outcome. You might not have been playing the drums.
MARK WRIGHT 07:39
Who knows? When, uh, Quinton, as you developed as a musician, um, when did you realize that this was something that you wanted to get really serious about? At what point in your, in your schooling did that happen?
DR. QUINTON MORRIS 07:51
I’ll, I’ll never forget it, actually, when I made the decision to become a professional musician. Um, I was a, I started kind of having thoughts of becoming a professional musician. My sophomore year of college, I had always desired and wanted to become an attorney. Um, that was actually what I went to school for. I was very interested in international relations. I was very interested in political science and history during that time. Um, but I had this violent teacher in college who really changed my life. I mean, literally, this woman changed my life. Um, and I, I started taking lessons with her my sophomore year of college. She played in the Louisiana Philharmonic and, um I just thought this woman was super woman, you know, like she was just amazing. And I’ll never forget a conversation that she and I had, which was, um, she had been encouraging me to practice more. And she said, you know, if you practice a little bit more, you can be really, really good. You know, the world has plenty of attorneys, plenty of lawyers, but there’s not a lot of really good, you know, Black violinist out there and you could, you could have a career. And so, there was this music festival. Um, it was kind of like a summer program in Brevard, North Carolina. She said, I think you should go to the summer program. And, and The Brevard Music Center, um, was this kind of Mecca of, of world class performers and students would go there and study music literally all day and all night. And there was a concert every night. And I went, and it was in the summer of 1998. And I remember my teacher telling me before I left, if you come back and you feel like you can’t live without music, you have your answer as to what you should be doing with your life. And I went and was completely mesmerized and transformed after that experience. And I came back, and I said, oh my God, I cannot live without music, and I have to do this for the rest of my life. And so, my junior year, um, I had made plans to transfer, um, at the end of the first semester of my junior year, I applied to the Eastman school of music. Um, and I didn’t have the money to go in the middle of the year. I wasn’t even thinking about scholarships or loans, or anything really like that. I just was like, I gotta do this now. And, um, didn’t have the money, could not afford to go to Eastman. So, um, recalibrated my plan and, uh, wound up applying to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts that winter, um, and got accepted there and thought, okay, North Carolina is much cheaper than Rochester, New York. Um, I’ll go to North Carolina. And, um, that was the beginning of the journey. Um, I got a job working at a credit union where, um, I, I learned how to process home and, uh, mortgage payments and car loans. Um, and I learned a lot of administrative skills during that time that would help me many, many years later. Um, and I, I worked this job 37.5 hours a week and, and went to North Carolina School of the Arts. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life, but one of the most, um, smartest things I think I’ve ever done, especially during that time because I left at the end of my junior year. So, I had one year left of college. Um, before I would have graduated and I, I start completely over. It was the first lesson that I learned really in how to bet on myself.
MARK WRIGHT 12:14
That’s such a great story. I love how your teacher said, if you come back and you feel that you can’t live without it, you’ve got your answer. That is such great advice because it, it just really frames, you know, who, who you are as a person. And, and you look at that moment in your life, Quinton, and all the amazing things that have happened since that point. Uh, and now the hundreds of kids that you’re mentoring through music, that wouldn’t have happened had it not been for that moment.
DR. QUINTON MORRIS 12:48
No. And you know, I, I also say that, I mean, my teacher obviously played a very, um, important role, but you know, my, my mother as well, my mom, um, always taught me to listen to that small little voice on the inside. And no matter what anyone says, if that little voice tells you to go, go, um, or you do what it is that little voice is telling you to do. I would learn later that that was intuition. Um, so it really did start at home where I learned, um, what self-empowerment was from my mom.
MARK WRIGHT 13:29
Yeah, what was your early career like Quinton? I know that you formed a pretty special, um, musical group while you were in college, but tell me about the early part of your career and how you developed.
DR. QUINTON MORRIS 13:42
It was hard, Mark. Um, it, it, it was not easy. Um, the beginning of my career is still not easy. Um, uh, but I would say, you know, I spent 11 years in school and, you know, going to school, I went to conservatory. So, after I left the university, I basically spent the next nine years, um, going to various music schools and conservatories. So very specialized, um, programs that were, I was surrounded by music all day long. Um, and so I was building my career while I was in school. Played a lot of different types of gigs, played a lot of different, um, venues, um, early on and, um, and remember, you know, I, I came to this business very late, right? So, and when I say late, meaning I didn’t start when I was four or five years old. Um, I took you know, music at school. So, I wasn’t really getting formalized lessons until I got to high school, and I wasn’t really serious about music. So, um, I wasn’t practicing three to four hours a day, like my peers in high school. So, I had a lot of catch-up work to do. Um, and, and that can be enormously taxing on one’s self worth, their self-esteem, um, their ability to really believe that they can do it. And early on in my career, I had a lot of people, and I mean, when I say a lot, I mean a lot of people who doubted me, who questioned my abilities, uh, who reminded me often that I was too late, who reminded me often that I was not good enough, um, that I didn’t have the stamina. Um, it, it, it always felt like everywhere I turned and then I looked, there was someone who was criticizing me and reminding me that there, I had no place in this business. Um, and it was, it was hard. Um, I’m not even going to try to sugarcoat it and say, oh, it was, it was great. There were moments where that were really great, but, um, there were more, there were more moments that were really tough. And, and I think that that, those moments helped me develop a sense of resilience, a sense of urgency for me to really learn things that I needed to learn, um, the lessons that I needed to learn, um, nothing was given to me. Um, I, I had to work, and I had to learn how to work really smart and really hard, um, in order to get to where I guess I am now. And I’m still working really hard. I’m, I haven’t taken my foot off the gas though.
MARK WRIGHT 17:10
So, you end up getting your PhD, you, uh, you become a professor of violin at Seattle University. Um, and tell me again, Quinton, you’re the second tenured black professor of violin in the country, is that right?
DR. QUINTON MORRIS 17:25
Ever. Yeah. Ever. Yeah. I’m, I’m the second black violinist in United States history to ever, um, receive not only the rank of, of a full professor, but also to be tenured in, in the country. Um, you know, other instruments. Especially string instruments, viola, cello, bass, have more than one, more than two who have been but for violin, I’m only the second. The first being Gregory Walker, who, uh, teaches at the University of Colorado, Denver.
MARK WRIGHT 18:05
Talk about the race gap, Quinton, because we’ve seen it in, in all kinds of, uh, industries. We’ve seen it in various sports, you know, we’ve seen it in music, but talk about classical music and why it’s so rare for people of color to rise to the level that you have.
DR. QUINTON MORRIS 18:21
Well, I think there’s a number of things that, um, are difficult and, and, and make it taxing for people of color, black people’s best, especially to get to a very elite level. Um, it’s multilayered. It’s extremely complicated and, and quite frankly, taxing first on, on the black individual who um, aspires to reach the top of the, the pinnacle of what, whether it’s academics or, or, um, classical music, um, there’s, there’s a lot of barriers. Um, there’s the barriers of, um, of people, right? People who don’t want um real diversity. They don’t want people who don’t look like them. They want people who look like you, um, that in the room, they want people who speak like them. They, they don’t want their culture to change. And when you have a diverse group of people, the culture that uh, the culture shifts and it changes, becomes more inclusive. It becomes more diverse. Um, and a lot of people don’t want that. Um, and, and so for someone who’s black, someone who is of color who has to constantly shift through that and navigate that. That can be extremely exhausting. That can be extremely taxing, you know, emotionally, mentally, physically, um, spiritually on that person to have to jump through that many hoops. Um, and so you have to get very creative. Um, you have to, I believe, have a spiritual side and really keep your eye on what your goal is, what your purpose is, um, in order to sustain through those challenging moments. Um, you know, I, I have a, I think a deep sense of self, um, and I, I certainly have my, um, my fan of, of critics, um, who, who don’t like me or don’t like the work that I do. Um, and I welcome it. Um, but I, I know who I am, and I knew when I was 20 years old when I decided to go into this art form. Um, that I knew I was going to make it. I knew that it was going to be, I knew I was going to be big. I didn’t know how, I didn’t know what it was going to look like, but I knew that there was a space and a place for myself. And so I think for those, especially black people or people of color or just anyone in general, um, really understanding and knowing who you are and what your real purpose is, regardless of what anyone thinks or says, um, if you are committed to that, you’ll, you’ll come on the other side and it’ll be better and it’ll be bigger, and you could have ever even imagined it would be.
MARK WRIGHT 22:04
You’ve played some of the most famous music venues in the world. And I’d love to ask, uh, Quinton, was there a moment when you were on stage where you just said, I can’t believe I’m here. I can’t believe this is happening.
DR. QUINTON MORRIS 22:20
Yeah, many times. Um, I remember my solo debut at Carnegie Hall, January 21st, 2012. That day, it was crazy because it snowed in New York City. I had played Carnegie Hall the year before with Indra Thomas, who was a soprano who at that time was singing literally all over the world. Um, but it was more of kind of her show. And so, the next year, 2012, when I got invited to do a solo show, it was really all about me. That morning, my violin, my bridge broke. It broke. Like
MARK WRIGHT 23:12
That’s the part that holds up the strings.
DR. QUINTON MORRIS 23:14
That’s right. That’s right. So, I get to Carnegie Hall and I’m doing my sound check. So, let’s say I had a two o’clock show. Let’s say this is around 11 o’clock and I’m doing my run through playing in the hall and snap, it breaks. I was like, oh my God, what in the world am I going to do? So, I go to the back and, um, tell, you know, the ushers that my bridge had broke. And, um, and I’m like, I got to get to a violin shop. So, they give me a name of a violin shop. I go, I think it’s at Lincoln Center. I go to Lincoln Center, get my violin fixed. And they’re like, okay, this is going to be about an hour. So, I’m mentally prepping, mentally practicing, I’m envisioning what I want the first notes to sound like and I’m envisioning what I want to sound like in the hall because I can’t physically play it because my violin’s getting fixed. So, I, long story short, get the violin fixed, I get back, I’m not able to do a sound check because by this point, people are already starting to arrive at the hall. And so, an usher comes up to me in the back, and says, don’t worry, I heard what happened. Don’t worry, you’re going to be fine. This is your stage. And when she said that to me, it was like, I just had this burst of energy and it was like, wow, I have arrived. No. And I played a two-hour concert. I did three encores, three, three encores at Carnegie Hall. It was one of the best moments of my life. But I think, you know, I’ve had many, many moments where I’ve had to just take a breath and take it all in. And I’m like, wow, I am here. I’m here. And, and, and it’s been many moments at some of the greatest halls, Sydney, Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, obviously. The Louvre Museum, playing with Seattle Symphony. Yeah, I’ve had many, many moments where it’s been like, yeah, I’m, I’m here, I’m here and I’m here and nobody else is. It’s just me. And I’m saying that to say that regardless of what anyone thinks or says about you or what anyone thinks about you. When you get to that moment where you have arrived, it’s just you who’s there. And that’s a moment to really take in it and, and celebrate your resilience.
MARK WRIGHT 26:21
And all those people who said you wouldn’t make it. Um, what a beautiful redemption. I love it. Quinton, let’s talk about Key to Change, the nonprofit that you started for people not familiar with it. I’m, I’m in love with, with that organization and what you’re doing with it, because it’s, it’s literally just transforming lives through music. So, tell people about that.
DR. QUINTON MORRIS 26:42
Oh, Key to Change is an organization that I wish existed when I was in high school. Um, it’s an organization that’s very near and dear to my heart. We provide world class music instruction to underserved students in South King County. Um, and we do that through our leadership training. We do that through private lessons and group lessons. We do that through creating a community where people feel, um, included and they feel inspired, and they feel motivated to be their best selves.
MARK WRIGHT 27:22
Yeah. Um, I’ve had a chance to witness. You know, Key to Change, you know, up close, uh, during the performances, uh, in Seattle and, uh, your fundraisers. And, uh, I’m, I’m blown away by, um, the maturity that you’ve developed, and these students develop through, through music in terms of, it’s not just about the music. It’s about developing as as a leader It’s about developing as a human being and these young people are so put together, and they are so confident, and they are so kind and they’re so talented um that that It’s just, it’s just this beautiful combination of things that happen through your program and they really are getting world class music instruction at the same time. And now they’ve gone on, just recently some of your students played at, uh, with, with the Seattle Symphony, right?
DR. QUINTON MORRIS 28:17
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Three of our students made their professional debuts with Seattle Symphony. And, um, and it was really amazing to watch that happen. Uh watching uh 13, 16 and 17-year-old student all make their debut with the orchestra. I didn’t make my debut until I was 30. So, it, it was really, it was really cool, you know, and um, and those three students that just mentioned, they also met the first Lady of the United States. Um, and, and so when we say world class uh, music instruction. We also, um, provide world class opportunities for the students as well.
MARK WRIGHT 29:07
And the diversity is, is striking in, in your organization. And I, I see these young women of color, um, in, in these, you know, prominent roles and this confidence that they have and the opportunities that they’re getting. I think it’s, it’s just amazing what you’ve done. How, how many years has, has Key to Change uh, been in existence, in existence, uh, Quinton, and when, when did you get the idea for it? I’d love to know that.
DR. QUINTON MORRIS 29:34
Sure. Uh, we’ve been in existence for the last six and a half years. I started this, uh, organization after I, uh, finished the first year of my world tour. Um, I did a world tour where I performed with all six of the continents and, um, and I was so inspired by seeing students of all different ethnicities and all different cultural backgrounds and recognizing that they all learn and they have a lot of the same, uh, uh, characteristics when it comes to their personalities, to their love for music, to their desire to want to give back to their communities. And, um decided, okay, I don’t want to write a paper about this, and I certainly don’t want to, um, do a public talk about it. I want to do something that is meaningful and that can really inspire and change people. I want to put this work into action. And then I got to thinking about my own kind of upbringing. You know, I didn’t mention this earlier, but when I was in high school, I used to have to take three buses to my violin lessons, because, you know, that time I lived in Renton, my violin teacher lived in Bothell, so, um, I was commuting back and forth, um, between Renton and Bothell. Um, and I noticed that in South King County, there still was not, uh, a teacher or an organization that provided this world class music instruction, and so, hence, um, that’s where I thought, okay, there’s something here that I can create, a Key to Change was born.
MARK WRIGHT 31:30
Well, congratulations on everything. You know, you’re, you’re about to launch, uh, into hopefully a new space for the organization and, uh, fingers crossed for that. So, it’s growing and it’s thriving. And I think the thing, one of the things that I’ve learned uh, by being associated with, with, uh, Key to Change, Quinton, is that, um, the cost of playing the violin is sometimes a barrier and you guys are doing so much to try to get instruments in the hands and even stuff, you know, like rosin, you know, for, for the bows, it’s all expensive. And if you don’t have a lot of money as a kid, that, that’s a barrier, right?
DR. QUINTON MORRIS 32:07
That’s right. That’s right. And, and so what we’re doing is really, uh, trying to remove those barriers for students so that um, you know, cost or supplies or even, I mean transportation, that’s the biggest barrier, is getting kids here. Um, we’re, we’re doing everything we can to remove the barriers so that students have access to learn. Because we know that the talent is here, and we know that students want to learn. Um, we just have to make it accessible for them to do it.
MARK WRIGHT 32:43
I’d love to get some advice from you. Given the fact that you’re an expert at this stuff. Um, a lot of parents have their kids take music lessons and sometimes the parents don’t have any background in music. What’s your best advice for parents to spark that love of music? Because sometimes, you know, I’m thinking back to my childhood, practicing the piano and practicing violin wasn’t a lot of fun at times. Um, but, but I, I fell in love with music. You know, even so what’s your best advice for parents who want to, you know, spark that joy of.
DR. QUINTON MORRIS 33:16
Sure. I think there’s several things that parents can do. I think one is I think a lot of times parents they drop their kids off at a music lesson, u, and they trust like that the teacher has got it and learning is a collaborative activity. Um and I think if a parent, especially for a young child, they’re interested, um, in their child learning an instrument, the parent needs to be involved, the parent needs to go to the lesson, um, the parent needs to learn the instrument with the child, um, because it’s one thing to just tell a kid, go to your room and practice, right? Well, a lot of times you’re asking a student to take this foreign object and use it, um, in a room on a company, right? And most kids don’t want to do that. And so, um, understanding kind of the learning environment, culture, I think is important. Um, it, it helps stimulate active learning with the child, um, by having the parent there. Um, and so that’s that’s one thing. I think another thing that parents can do, um, is get to know that the students and the teacher, um, you can tell who a good teacher is by their students. And that’s not just in music. That’s in anything, right? So how did the students play? Do they have good technique? Do they have good posture? Do they sound like they play well? Um, do the kids in the studio where the students are learning? Are they happy? Um, what’s the environment? Is it competitive? Is it cutthroat? Is it nurturing? Is it in, is it inclusive? Um, all of those things will signal to the parent what that learning environment is like, right? Because it’s, it’s one thing to have a ton of kids playing an instrument, right? In an orchestra or in an ensemble. But how do those students treat one another? How does that ensemble sound? We talked a little bit about sound earlier, right? No kid wants to suck on their instrument. So, if that ensemble or if that studio, if the kids don’t play well, there’s probably not a lot of learning that’s going, righ? So, I think those are kind of signals that parents can, um, watch, um, and, and, and, and discern on if, um, that’s an environment that kids want to be in.
MARK WRIGHT 36:12
Um, let’s talk about your radio program. You’ve got a radio program on King FM. Um, and it’s, it’s, you know, it’s kind of just a perfect fit, I think, for your overall sort of life mission, right? I mean, to try to expose classical music to new audiences. Tell people where they can find your, your radio program and, and also. You know what? Give us a little taste of what it’s like.
DR. QUINTON MORRIS 36:34
Sure. So, I, uh, host a show called Unmute the Voices on Classical King, which is a show that celebrates and highlights, uh, classical music written and performed by people of color. Um, it’s a show that intersects with my own personal and pedagogical uh, values in creating access for people, um, especially from marginalized and underserved areas, uh, to learn about classical music uh and it’s, it’s a lot of fun, um, because I have the opportunity to introduce classical music, um, by composers that a lot of, even the more, uh, learned, uh, classical music audience don’t know. Um, and so, uh, I, I have a really fantastic time doing that and I love hearing from our listeners about, um, what they’ve learned and, and pieces that they have, uh, been able to discover through the show. It’s great.
MARK WRIGHT 37:48
That’s awesome. So, check it out on King FM, classical King FM. Um, Quinton, what are you most proud of? Um, the reason that I wanted to have you on the podcast, our show is dedicated to redeeming work and that is really to showcase people doing great things in the world through their work. And I think the thing that’s really exceptional about you is you took a love of music and a gift that you have for music. And you didn’t just keep it to yourself or just become a performer you really Poured yourself into teaching, you know at the college level and now through Key to Change, you’ve taken that and, and used it to transform lives. And I think one of the big takeaways that I hope that people get from this podcast is to take a look at their own skill sets and say, how can I use these to make the world a better place? And I think you’re such a great example of that. Um, and, but I, what, what are you most proud of?
DR. QUINTON MORRIS 38:45
Oh. There’s so many things that I’m proud of. I’m proud of our students. I’m proud of our community. I’m proud that I have an opportunity to introduce students to the violin. I’m proud that I get to introduce classical music, uh, written and performed by people of color to audiences who would never know about them and know anything about that genre of music. I’m proud that I haven’t given up. You know, I don’t, I don’t think there’s any arrogant, anything arrogant about saying that, that I’m proud of me because as I kind of outlined earlier, I mean, it’s, it’s, it’s, this, this work to do anything really well takes a lot of work and it takes a lot of sacrifice. And I’m just thankful and I’m grateful that my mom especially taught me how to be resilient because I haven’t given up yet.
MARK WRIGHT 39:49
I love it. I love it. Well, Dr. Quinton Morris. I, I never call you doctor, but you deserve to be called doctor because anybody who gets a PhD in my book deserves to be called, deserves to be called doctor. I’m just super inspired, man, by, by everything that you do and those young people whose lives that you’re changing. You literally are creating a ripple effect that’s changing the world. And um, I’m proud of you and I’m proud to be a friend of yours and, uh, can’t wait to see as things keep evolving in your amazing life.
DR. QUINTON MORRIS 40:22
Thank you. Thank you so much for, for you, Mark. This, this work that you’re doing is very inspiring. You’ve inspired millions of people and, um, you’re a gift.
MARK WRIGHT 40:35
Well, thank you. Keep in touch, my friend. I’m Mark Wright. Thanks for listening to BEATS WORKING, part of the WORKP2P family. New episodes drop every Monday. And if you’ve enjoyed the conversation, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast. Special thanks to show producer and web editor Tamar Medford. In the coming weeks, you’ll hear from our Contributors Corner and Sidekick Sessions. Join us next week for another episode of BEATS WORKING, where we are winning the game of work.