For All Who Celebrate is our community’s holiday tradition; a night filled with music, joy, and the warmth that comes from sharing the season together. This year’s program was chosen by our membership, pulling favorite holiday pieces from the MAFB archives that make us smile, laugh, and feel connected.
To make it even more special, members of the band will take the podium as guest conductors, bringing their own energy and spirit to the music we all love.
It’s a celebration of who we are as a community: welcoming, vibrant, and full of joy. Whether you come with family, friends, or chosen family, this concert wraps you in the feeling of belonging.
Join us at the Gem Theater for a festive evening that lifts the season and the people who make it meaningful.
Tickets start at just $20.
The Setlist
A Christmas Festival by Leroy Anderson
Your Peace by M Joseph Willette
All Through the Night by Julie Giroux
Fantasia on Silent Night by Julian Bond
Selections from Home Alone by John William, arr. By Paul Lavender
Three Jazzy Kings by David Shaffer
A Charlie Brown Christmas by Carl Strommen
In the Bleak Midwinter by Gustav Holst, arr. by Robert W. Smith
Nightmare Before Christmas by Danny Elfman, arr. by Michael Brown
A Chanukah Celebration by David Bobrowitz
Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson
Meet our Guest Conductors
Bailee Young (she/her)
Bailee plays clarinet and baritone sax in the concert band and is in her second season with MAFB. She is bringing the magic of Home Alone and A Charlie Brown Christmas to the podium, two scores she loves for their bright energy and beautiful, familiar moments. Bailee teaches general music in Olathe, leads the Special Chorus program, and stays active in the Kansas City music scene as a performer and clinician. She is excited and grateful to conduct this season and share in the joy of the holidays with the MAFB community. Her favorite tradition is watching Charlie Brown, and a fun fact is that her twin sister and husband both play trumpet.
Jon Kuder (he/him)
Jon is in his third season with MAFB and performs on bassoon. He is conducting Fantasia on Silent Night and selections from The Nightmare Before Christmas, two pieces that connect to his love of film music and holiday nostalgia. Jon works as a medical assistant at Saint Luke's Cardiovascular Consultants and studied bassoon performance at Emporia State. He enjoys cooking for people he loves, and in the spirit of fun, he once taught stained glass for five years before moving to Kansas City.
Shelly Alexander (she/her)
Shelly plays euphonium with the concert band and pep band and is in her fourth season with MAFB. She is conducting Your Peace, written by her best friend, and loves its message of hope and kindness during the holidays. Shelly is an elementary band director, teaching beginning musicians in grades four through six, and also teaches privately at REW Music. She looks forward to the music of the season and the joy it brings to people. A fun fact is that she has two cats and a guinea pig!
Christian Montes (he/they)
Christian plays clarinet, has been a member of MAFB for eleven seasons, and currently serves as Board Chair. He is conducting In the Bleak Midwinter, a piece he loves for the way it captures both the starkness of winter and the quiet beauty of a frozen landscape. Christian works as a Quality Engineer for Bayer CropScience, where he designs and maintains quality systems for crop protection products. He has played clarinet since middle school, marched at Kansas State, and rediscovered his passion for music through MAFB, even learning bari sax and finding a love for jazz. He has always wanted to try conducting and is excited to do it with the band that feels like home. A holiday tradition he enjoys is marking the winter solstice with reflection and a reset for the year ahead. A fun fact is that he shares a birthday with Mewtwo.
Nathan Brown (he/him)
Nathan plays trombone and has been a member of MAFB for eight seasons. He is conducting Leroy Anderson’s A Christmas Festival, a piece he considers the ultimate holiday classic. He has played it many times over the years and loves how it brings joy to both performers and audiences. Nathan has been immersed in music since second-grade piano lessons and continued his studies through college and graduate school. He is grateful to be part of Kansas City’s vibrant music community and works as a fraud case processor for US Bank. His favorite holiday tradition is spending time with family, which he doesn’t get to do often. A fun fact is that he is a failed used-car salesman, and he is very proud of it.
Hunter Chamberlin (he/they)
Hunter plays trumpet and is in their second season with MAFB. They are conducting A Chanukah Celebration, a piece they love for its layers of melody and the way each theme builds, blends, and plays off the others. Hunter is studying Vocal Music Education at UMKC and will graduate this spring. They have played trumpet since fifth grade and plan to teach secondary choir. A favorite holiday tradition is spending Christmas morning with family, watching their nieces and nephews open presents, enjoying a big breakfast, and then settling in for a Christmas nap. A fun fact is that Hunter loves reading science fiction and fantasy and fully embraces being a little bit of a nerd.
Ian Bradt (he/him)
Ian Bradt is MAFB’s Executive Director and is never far from his trombone, an instrument he has loved since 5th grade. This season he is conducting All Through the Night, a gentle favorite that brings a peaceful glow to the program. By day, Ian works as a Senior Program Manager at Honeywell Federal Manufacturing and Technologies in Kansas City, where he helps guide important work for U.S. government customers. His musical path has taken him from serving as Drum Major for the University of Kansas Marching Jayhawks, where he enjoyed conducting lessons with Dr. John Lynch, to performing with DC’s Different Drummers in Washington, DC. Now in his fourteenth year with MAFB, Ian is grateful for the community, the music, and the joy this ensemble brings to the season.
Joe Duncan (he/him)
Joe plays tenor sax with the Mighty Mo Jazz Orchestra and has been part of MAFB for fifteen years. He is conducting Sleigh Ride, a holiday favorite that never fails to bring a smile to the season. Joe is retired from the financial services industry, but his musical life is rich. His standout memory is performing on alto sax with the All-American Olympic Marching Band at the 1984 Los Angeles Games for both the opening and closing ceremonies. He also helped launch Mighty Mo Combo in 2011, now the Mighty Mo Jazz Orchestra, and served as its first director. One of his favorite holiday traditions is baking Duncan Cookies, a treasured family treat.