1. Welcome to the Unison Melody & Groove Approach : What this blog is, who it’s for, and what’s coming next.

Music education is changing — and our tools, frameworks, and mindsets need to change with it.

Unison-Based Content (UBC) is a flexible, inclusive framework designed for real music classrooms— the kinds where students walk in with mixed skill levels, mismatched instrumentation, and a hunger for music and a process that actually feels relevant.

Created by Richard J. Frank — a professional bassist, composer, producer, and educator with graduate degrees in Applied Musicology and Educational Technology — UBC grew from years of study, research, performance, and collaboration with professional educators and musicians from around the world. 

At the heart of UBC is the Unison Melody & Groove approach — a way of making music where everyone plays the core melody and rhythm in unison, regardless of instrument, skill level, or background. It’s not a shortcut. It’s a smart, modern method that gets more students creating, grooving, and feeling like musicians — from day one.

This is Jazzy Education

UBC isn’t just for perfectly staffed jazz bands. It’s built for the beautifully messy reality of modern music classrooms — where creativity thrives despite the obstacles, and serious fun and lasting joy is the goal:

• Incomplete instrumentation
  
• Mixed ability levels
  
• Students with deep creativity but limited formal training
  
• A hunger for Current Global Grooves and modern musical relevance
  

This is what we call Jazzy Ensembles — where creativity, diversity, and groove are central, not supplemental. For readers and non-readers, those with trained backgrounds, those learning from YouTube, and everyone in between.

In a world where students remix beats on their phones, learn instruments through YouTube, and crave meaningful self-expression, music education has to evolve. UBC meets this moment in unique ways, in the classroom, by bridging formal training with real-world creativity — empowering students to collaborate, explore, and build musical skills that resonate now and last for a lifetime.

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Who This Blog Is For

This blog is for music educators, teaching artists, policy makers, and ensemble leaders who are asking:

• “How do I engage students who don’t read music?”
  
• “How do I teach improvisation, listening, and creativity with limited rehearsal time?”
  
• “How do I move toward more inclusive, student-led, or problem-based learning?”
  
• “What does it look like to center Social Emotional Learning (SEL), groove, and cultural relevance in my music program?”

If you’re exploring jazz, modern ensemble work, general secondary music, or creative cross-curricular projects, you’re in the right place.

We support teachers and creators working in:

• ‘Jazz’ education (middle, high school, and beyond) with intermediate+ skill levels
  
• Cross-curricular and culturally exploratory classrooms
  
• Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in music, and see the value of the National Core Arts Standards
  
• Flexible, rhythm-based music education
  
• Secondary general music and jazzy ensembles
  
• Programs where traditional methods just aren’t cutting it
  

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What You’ll Find Here 

This blog is your hub for:

• Practical strategies using PlayTheGroove materials
  
• Tips for teaching  groove-based, creative ensemble music – even with limited time and resources
  
• New definitions of what it means to be a “jazzy” musician today
  
• New ways to assess growth in creativity, improvisation, and collaboration
  
• Ideas for integrating modern educational discoveries into your daily practice
  
• A rethinking of “fun” as serious engagement – not fluff
  

In short: We’re here to help you build music classrooms where students create, collaborate, and connect — even without ideal conditions.

We blend research with practice, structure with freedom, and tradition with innovation.

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Thanks for stopping by. Follow along as we share stories, tools, and fresh ideas — and feel free to jump in, ask questions, or try a chart at your next rehearsal.

Let’s reimagine music education — together.