Musicology manifest
Purpose & principles
UCM exists to prove that Prince's songs are living jazz standards. We strip away the production, expose the bones of the composition, and rebuild each track as a conversation between four voices.
Music holds things together
Before arrangements, before solos, before egos: the song is the thread. We follow it wherever it leads.
Groove first, explain later
If the body doesn't move, the theory doesn't matter. We play until the room sways, then we talk.
A strong spirit wins over rules
Jazz lives in risk. We trust feel, instinct and the moment over any rulebook.
The rehearsal studio is a sanctuary; the live stage is church
We prepare in private so we can testify in public. Both spaces are sacred.
Work like artisans – relentless and joyful
Every phrase is carved by hand. We rehearse hard, laugh harder, and polish until it shines.
Mentor and elevate collaborators
A quartet is only as strong as its weakest link — so we make sure there are none. We lift each other.