Robert “Diggy” Morrison is a Chicago-born musician, composer and educator who grew up in Garfield Park and developed a passion for music from an early age. After earning a music scholarship and building a career as a guitarist, arranger and television composer, he became known for his work on the TV series “The Family Business” and for his Grammy-recognized arranging work on Beyonce’s remix of “Crazy in Love.”
“Listening to my family, we were all oriented and immersed in music early on, so that came naturally to me. I didn’t know I was going to become a musician. I was just a regular kid playing in the dirt and doing kid things. As I evolved, though, I began to see something special in myself. Over time, I felt more confident in how I was developing both as a person and as a musician,” Morrison said.
When asked about the proudest moment of his career so far, Morrison pointed to his work on “The Family Business.” That project, he said, has brought him a great deal of joy.
“It has taught me a lot about leadership and how to work with a larger team of people. You’re talking about a big organization, Black Entertainment Television, and that experience has taught me a great deal. That was one of my proudest moments. Another was letting my mom see everything I’ve accomplished over the years,” Morrison said.
Morrison credits much of his motivation to his mother, whose support remained a constant throughout his career. He said she often called him her “little” Burt Bacharach, reflecting her belief in his musical talent.
According to Morrison, overcoming rejection was one of the most difficult aspects of entering the entertainment industry. He viewed every “no” as motivation to keep improving and pushing forward.
“‘No’ was the biggest challenge. Music itself is not discriminatory because it’s universal. What you have to look out for are the gatekeepers. You hear a lot of people saying, ‘No, we don’t want you to do this,’ or ‘We’re full right now.’’ It’s like applying for a job and being told they’re not hiring,” Morrison said. “Hearing that word, ‘no,’ pushed me to stay on top of my game even more. If you tell me no, I’m going to do it anyway, and I’m going to continue honing my skills until I get that gig.”
Morrison advised aspiring musicians to take their education seriously and not overlook the importance of studying music. He pointed out that although AI tools can quickly generate music, they cannot replace true skill and knowledge. He encouraged young people to learn from professionals and keep improving their craft.
“If you’re a live musician, if you’re a violinist or pianist, you need to study your craft, because at some point they’re going to need you. I read a lot of books and watched a lot of YouTube videos just to study the greats. Study someone you admire and learn their style. I follow a young woman on Instagram who plays for Hans Zimmer, and she inspires me.”
Morrison said he is currently working on a Christmas film titled “A Snowbound Christmas” and is in the process of wrapping up the project. He also mentioned recently securing an endorsement deal with Sonuscore, a company that creates sound plugin tools for music production. Alongside these projects, he said he is focused on continuing to network and collaborate within the entertainment and music industry.