COVERED BY MARK MURPHY’S MUSIC STUDENT BAND

From left to right:
Alex, Ayla, Izzy, Tyler, Nathan

Mark Murphy’s Music students: Ayla (Voice/Piano), Izzy (Voice), Alex (Drums), Nathan (Guitar) and Tyler (Guitar) will be kicking of UCMF 2025 celebrating the music of one of the most important bands ever: The Beatles! The band and their teacher Ricardo will be playing music that covers songs from the beginning of their career all the way thru Let It Be. The students musicality will be on full display as they play songs from this incredible catalogue.

ELI BOLIN & ALLISON POSNER

Eli & Allison have been making music together for nearly two decades. Equally comfortable with a full band or as an acoustic duo, their tight harmonies and love of melody shine through, whether performing originals or sing-along covers. Together and apart, they have performed all over the New Jersey and NYC area, including the Bell House, Rockwood Music Hall, Arlene’s Grocery, The Bitter End, Pianos, The Living Room, Ars Nova, 54 Below, Green Room 42, SOPAC, the Woodland and even the middle of Times Square as part of the Broadway Buskers series. Eli is an Emmy-nominated songwriter for his work with John Mulaney, with whom he wrote the songs for Original Cast Album: Co-op and John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch and has written music for Sesame Street for almost 15 years. Allison has been a fixture of SOMA Rocks for the last four years and recently played Kerri Strug in the off-Broadway hit ‘The Magnificent Seven’. She is also the Co-President of SOMA Action, a local grassroots organization focused on driving progressive change. 

BLUES PEOPLE

Blues People is a NY/NJ blues band featuring Kelton Cooper (vocals/guitar), Mike Griot (bass), Ron Thompson (keys) and Gene Lake (drums).

After taking the NY-metro area by storm for 3 years with their incredible live shows and pro musicianship, the band has won the 2023 and 2024 North Jersey Blues Society International Blues Challenge and were Semifinalists at the 2024 and 2025 IBC in Memphis! Plus, their 2024 debut album - “The Skin I’m In” - was nominated for “Best New Album Debut” by Blues Blast Magazine.

COVERED BY VALARIE ADAMS & THE DIMENSION BAND

Valarie Adams & the Dimension Band is the region’s premier band, always gets the party started with its wide-ranging catalogue of music including R&B, Motown, Top 40, Disco, and more. The vocal stylings of Valerie Adams, along with a very talented mix of musicians, differentiates the Dimensions from most bands. The Dimensions have a global reach, performing as near as five-star venues and events in the Tri-State area to Japan, Europe, Egypt, Turkey, Paris, Caribbean, Cruise Lines.

The band has worked with many entertainment notables including Gladys Knight, Patti Labelle, James Brown, Queen Latifah, Sinbad, and many more. Valarie Adams is the lead singer for the Hit Group BT Express none for their #1 hit songs Do it til your Satisfied, Express, I Like it, and more.

What connection or draw fo you have to covering Tina Turner + Motown? “My honor to perform Tina Turner and Motown is because it’s my roots.. Their music helped shape my talents and my love for their craft. I stand on strong shoulders performing this music. May I do their legacy with the respect and dignity they’d be proud of.”

TEN FOUR

Mark Murphy’s Music students: Tennessee (Voice/Guitar), Alex (Drums), Henry (keyboards), Isabel (Bass) and Jack (Guitar) make up an amazing band called Ten Four. Ten Four will be playing Yacht Rock covering songs from the 1970s and earlier 1980s that are affiliated or connected with either Michael McDonald, Steely Dan or the Porcaro Brothers (Toto)! Don’t forget to bring your sailor hat!

THE LOCAL HEROES

The Local Heroes band hails from South Orange and Maplewood, NJ.  Featuring the powerhouse vocals of stars of stage and screen, Charlie Pollock and Diane Davis, the band typically performs a rousing mix of Americana, country and rock music and can be seen at various New Jersey venues throughout the year.   

In addition to their regular performances, The Local Heroes are the backing band for SOMA Rocks -- A Singer Showcase.  This annual event showcases the amazing singing talent from the South Orange and Maplewood community, while raising money for local causes.  For each SOMA Rocks event, The Local Heroes band invites its talented neighbors and members of the SOMA community to be guest vocalists.

What connection or draw do you have to covering Sheryl Crow? The Local Heroes are choosing Sheryl Crow for UCMF because she rocks. She has sold 50 million albums, been nominated for 32 Grammys and won 9. She has numerous hits, many of which we intend to play; we want to get the crowd singing along and having a blast. 

CHAANCE BARNES

Chaance Barnes has been singing and performing for over 20 years. She currently directs the Middle School and High School Choir at Cicely L. Tyson School of Performing and Fine Arts in East Orange. Since her time as director, Chaance' has led the Middle School Choir to winning 1st Place at the Music In The Parks Competition for three years consecutively. Chaance performs professionally throughout the tri-state area. Primarily singing Jazz, R&B and Gospel. Chaance has performed on some of the New Jersey's best stages including New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), Prudential Center, South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC), WBGO 88.3 FM, and Paper Mill Playhouse, Smalls Jazz Club, Newark PorchFest, Kaufman Music Center, Kean Stage and many more. 

What connection or draw do you have to covering Erykah Badu?"Erykah Badu is the first artist that I memorized the entire album of. Baduizm is a beautiful collection of thoughts and ideas that infuse Jazz, R&B and Hip-Hop. The album helped me discover myself as a person, singer and artist alike. 

Instagram: @chaancebarnes
Facebook: Chaance Barnes

WORKINGMAN’S JED

The music of the Grateful Dead continues to grow and evolve, long after the band played their last show, nearly 25 years ago.  The songs are timeless. The members of Workingman's Jed share a common love for the Dead’s musical cannon, great jams, and beautiful multi-part vocal harmonies. 

They strive to honor the original compositions through their individual styles and musical experiences, to create something familiar, yet different and special.  They design unique set lists for each show, merge songs together in original ways, and always push ourselves to do new things.  We thrive on the energy we get from each other (and the audience). Jed Goldstein, band member says, “Whether it’s a packed venue or a private party, you’ll see us all playing with big smiles on our faces, bringing it. This has helped make us a favorite live act among both Dead heads and non-Dead heads alike. “

What connection or draw do you have to covering The Grateful Dead? “Each one of us have been huge fans of the Grateful Dead for years, and it brings us deep joy to play these songs -- that are now part of the great American songbook -- in our own way.  As we push ourselves to delve further into the band's vast cannon, our relationship with the music continues to strengthen and evolve. “