Robert B. Morrison has a long history as a supporter of music education and is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading advocates for music and arts in education and in society. He is the founder of Quadrant Arts Education Research, the nation’s leading arts education research and intelligence organization. Mr. Morrison’s leadership in research, public policy and advocacy efforts has led to significant advancements in access to music and arts education programs across the nation.
Mr. Morrison has a deep body of research and policy work and is recognized as a pioneer in statewide arts education status and condition research. In California, Mr. Morrison’s report The Sound of Silence: The Unprecedented Decline of Music Education in California Public Schools (2004) was one of the catalysts for a $500 million reinvestment into music and arts education in public schools that has been signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and which has since grown to nearly $1 billion; in Arkansas, Mr. Morrison worked with the Governor to mandate music and arts programs for every child attending public school in state – a policy later replicated by the state of Louisiana; in New Jersey, Mr. Morrison was the managing partner for the groundbreaking New Jersey Arts Education Census Project, completing the first statewide census for arts education in every school building which has been hailed as a model for statewide arts education research. Mr. Morrison has completed similar research projects for the states of Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. These efforts have directly impacted several million students.
Prior to founding Quadrant Arts Education Research Mr. Morrison was the founder of Music for All, one of the nation’s largest and most influential music education organizations where he remains Chairman Emeritus. Mr. Morrison helped develop and then served as the CEO of the VH1 Save The Music Foundation where he took a small promotional idea and created a major national brand donating more than $25 million of musical instruments to restore more than 1200 music programs. Previously, Mr. Morrison was a senior executive for the NAMM - International Music Products Association, where he served as Executive Director of the American Music Conference where he worked with the late Michael Kamen and Richard Dreyfus to create the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation.
He was a founding member of the National Coalition for Music Education and is recognized for his work to add the arts to our nation’s education goals. He continues work closely with leading national arts organizations to promote the development and implementation of the National Standards for Arts Education. He currently serves as the Data Task Force Cochair for SEADAE and as a member of the board of the National Creativity Network
Mr. Morrison’s advocacy work has earned him both an EMMY and a Peabody Award. He recently received an honorary doctorate degree from the State University of New York.