The studio’s origins began way back in the ’90s, when Hank Linear, then president of the Renton Black Parents Association, saw Morris had talent. Linear, through his organization, made it possible for Morris to attend college tuition-free and bought him his first violin. Now Morris wants to pay that generosity forward.

And the virtuoso has a lot to offer. Morris is a filmmaker and entrepreneur who this year toured nearly two dozen cities, from Asia to Africa, to perform, lecture, and screen his latest project, Breakthrough, a short film about the 18th-century violinist and composer Chevalier de Saint-Georges.
“I think I’ve always been a very detail-oriented person,” says Morris, sitting in his modest Seattle University office just north of the campus chapel and reflecting on the roots of his work ethic. “That’s been me since I was a little boy.”
Morris’ education started early. He learned to live both a creative and structured life by watching his father, a former director of housing in Illinois, and mother, a manager for the ombudsman office for King County, work diligently—and he intends to impart this ethic to his Key to Change students. “I didn’t realize at the time that those skills would prepare me for where I am now,” says Morris, who will receive the Governor’s Young Artist Award next month. “Having my own company and my own nonprofit just sounded like the next right thing.”
Key to Change, now accepting applications for lessons starting in November, aims to provide access to world-class private instruction to some 25 middle- and high-school students in South King County.

Quinton is an honoree at the 2016 Governor’s Arts and Heritage Awards

SEATTLE GOVERNOR'S ARTS & HERITAGE AWARDS HONOREE
We are thrilled to announce that Quinton has been selected as one of the 2016 Governor’s Arts & Heritage Awards Honorees! Come celebrate all of this year’s remarkable honorees at a special Governor's Arts & Heritage awards dinner on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at Teatro Zinzanni in Seattle. Click here to purchase tickets!

Quinton with a student in Adelaide, South Australia.

BREAKTHROUGH WORLD TOUR RECAP
During the BREAKTHROUGH World Tour, the Quinton Morris Project served over 2,500 students across five continents! The tour featured Quinton performing, lecturing, and teaching about music and entrepreneurship in diverse locations around the world, with a special emphasis on community service and educational outreach in under-resourced communities.

Visiting with hospital patients in Taipei, Taiwan.

With students in Arusha, Tanzania

At the conclusion of the tour, we asked Que five questions about his travels:

1. What made the BREAKTHROUGH World Tour unique?
A:  What made BREAKTHROUGH so different from your typical artist tour is it was multilayered.  I performed, lectured, showed my BREAKTHROUGH Short Film/Music Video, taught, and did community music projects.  My team and I worked very closely with each presenter to cater our events to each venue’s specific needs and desires  No two events or venues were the same, which allowed me to connect on a very deep level with each respective community.  It was very liberating!



2. What is your secret for staying stress-free while on the road?

A: I have really tried to adopt the attitude that it’s not necessarily about the circumstances that occur in our lives, but rather how we respond to them.  There have been lots of twists and turns that have happened in planning and performing on the tour.  To stay stress-free, I always remind myself of why I’m doing this tour and what my mission is.  Usually if I am stressed, that generally gets rid of it quickly.


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3. What was the longest flight you had on tour?
A: Tanzania.  It was 22 hours!

4. What was the last book you read on a plane?
A: Joel Osteen’s I Declare: 31 Promises to Speak Over Your Life.


5. What's the last movie you watched on a plane?
A: Straight Outta Compton (I know, quite a comparison from my previous answer! LOL).
CHANGING THE NAME OF OUR NONPROFIT
In keeping with our mission to ignite positive change in the world through music, we've decided to change our name from the Quinton Morris Project to Key to Change. Look for more information soon at www.quintonmorris.org!
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, 
WITHOUT WHICH NONE OF THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE!

Sincerely, 
The Quinton Morris Project