Nearly 80 musicians of all ages gather weekly as the Night Flyers, where the love of playing keeps people coming back.
 |
| The Night Flyers includes musicians who attend Naz as well as alumni and seasoned players in the community, including Brad Willard, Nazareth junior Dakarai Lynch (music/business), Abby Hamel ’19 (music therapy), and Molly Hyde. |
An unusual but intentional mix of people gather onstage in Nazareth University’s Beston Hall on Wednesday nights. Nearly 80 musicians — Naz students fresh from afternoon classes, Naz alumni after work or family care, and retirees from the community — unpack their band instruments and take their seats. There are music therapists and music teachers tuning up, but also those who’ve studied non-music fields who love playing an instrument.
Kevin Weber '07, '11G stands on a podium at the front of the stage. He played in the nearly-5-year-old Night Flyers band for three years before taking over as director last year. "It's kind of a dream job as a Naz alumnus," he says.
 |
| Kevin Weber '07, '11G began conducting the Night Flyers on campus last year. |
What makes it special? "Everybody in the room wants to be here," says Weber (son of Nazareth business professor Mark Weber). "Not to be cheesy, but it's really become a community."
The Night Flyers is an official University ensemble open to students of any major, as well as community members, and has attracted at least 15 alumni. No audition required. Rehearsals run Wednesday nights from 7:15 to 8:45 p.m. in Beston Hall throughout the fall and spring semesters, concluding with performances each term. Its first summer season concludes with a concert July 8, 2026.
Part of what draws people in is the campus’ 550-seat performance hall, which opened in 2018. "We're the only community ensemble that has that as our rehearsal space,” says Weber. “Other community bands play in high school or middle school band rooms. We get to play in an acoustically sound hall. I think that's why a lot of alumni have joined."
The music doesn't hurt either. The Night Flyers play traditional concert band literature — with woodwinds, brass, and percussion — along with some pop repertoire, at a collegiate level. "We need some difficulty to challenge the Naz students who are music education majors," Weber says.
His full-time gig is teaching music to 7th and 8th graders in Hilton, which gives him a useful point of contrast. “I’m not saying that the music I do at Hilton is easy, but this is a whole new level, and it's really pushed me as a conductor.”
 |
| From left: Nazareth sophomore Owen Faulkner (communication sciences and disorders major), Kristina (Klodnicki) Armstrong ’09 (music education), community member William Spear, and Rob Coatsworth ’19 (history and adolescence inclusive education) play trumpet during a rehearsal. |
Kristina (Klodnicki) Armstrong '09 brings her own experience as a music teacher. The trumpet player graduated with a degree in music education, has spent 17 years in the classroom, and currently teaches elementary band at School 42 in the Rochester City School District. She joined the Night Flyers when Weber told her he was taking over. They've been friends for more than 20 years, since their own days as Naz students.
"I think having alumni and current students involved allows the students to see that playing music doesn't stop once college is over," she says. "There are so many opportunities to stay involved and still do what you love, even if you end up going in a different direction for a career."
Her parents also love it. They had driven two hours to her concerts during her college years. "They have been so excited to attend these concerts and to see me in my element again," she says.
Weber sees each Naz alumni member as part of something larger — not just a returning musician but a signal to current students about what a life with music can look like after graduation.
 |
| French horn players include Lauren Reynolds Bachner ’26 (biology, toxicology), Nazareth sophomore Conner Burdick (social work), and Willow Lapp. |
Gabby Bernard-dela Cruz arrived at the Night Flyers from a different direction entirely. She earned a music therapy degree at the University of Kansas, where she played trumpet — but then largely set it aside. "I always said I 'retired' the trumpet after college," she says, "but I know I really loved playing." She looked up community bands in Rochester, found the Night Flyers, and joined last fall alongside her husband, Greg dela Cruz, a trained music therapist who works as a director of engagement for a memory care community.
He appreciates making connections through the band. His stand partner, the other tenor saxophone player, is retired and plays in three different community bands. “Any other place we would never connect, but we’ve become fast friends because the band is so welcoming,” says dela Cruz.
Bernard-dela Cruz, who has shifted her career focus and started a master’s degree at Nazareth in speech-language pathology, is glad to have music as a hobby again. "I'm not worried about the pressure of playing perfectly." The band has been a perfect way to join the Naz community, she says.
 |
| At right, Julia Supernault ’26, ’27G (occupational therapy) joined the band as a first-year Naz student and plays flute and piccolo. Next to her is Jill Eckert ’25, ’26G (history, inclusive education). |
Julia Supernault ’26, ’27G also loves the low-stress experience, saying, “I get to escape from reality every Wednesday night. I get to express myself creatively in a way that is not related to my major, which is really special to me.” She joined her first year at Naz and says homesickness and roommate disagreements are easier when you have fun distractions. “Being a part of this group has gotten me through a lot of rough patches in college, because everyone is so welcoming and kind. I genuinely always have fun with this group. We always find something to laugh about.”
Supernault appreciates that the band has “people of all kinds” and offers ways to grow. “We've created an amazing group that learns from each other at every rehearsal,” she says.
 |
| Alyssa (Cohen) Napoli ’13, ’15G enjoys the chance to play her flute with musicians of a wide age range. |
The inclusive environment is a big plus, agrees Alyssa (Cohen) Napoli ’13, ’15G. “You can sit next to a freshman in college, or you could sit next to someone who retired from being a music teacher,” she says. “But what's nice is that we can all collaborate together.”
The flute player recruited her college roommate to join, as well as a fellow music teacher. Through Night Flyers, she has reconnected with a former Naz classmate (Kyle Martin ’16) who conveniently has a flute repair business. While Napoli has been taking a break from teaching music to be home raising her children, she appreciates the chance through the group to “get back to music, which is something I’ve always loved doing and hold really dear.” She returns to teaching music this fall in the Webster Central School District.
Weber hopes the alumni roster keeps growing. The formula, he thinks, is simple: a real rehearsal space, college-level music, and a room full of people who choose to be there. “We are always open to new members,” he says.
 |
| Laughter is regularly part of Night Flyers rehearsals. Front row: Nazareth junior Dakarai Lynch (music/business); Timothy Burdick ’06G (music education); Kaillie Enser Wark ’13 (music therapy); and Shea Louster ’26 (music education), who’s continuing at Nazareth this fall for a master’s, play saxophone. |
Learn more
Fill out this form to express interest in joining the Night Flyers. Contact Kevin Weber, director, kweber0@naz.edu, for more information. The group’s fundraising campaign to sustain and grow the program ends July 30.
Nazareth also has a no-audition-required Chorale open to all majors and welcomes members from the greater Nazareth and Rochester communities who are interested in singing. It rehearses Monday nights. Contact Sarah Staebell, director of Chorale, sstaebe9@naz.edu, for more information.
