Aidan Hamer is a trombonist based in the Kansas City area who is equally at home in classical, commercial, and jazz settings. He leads The Free State Bones and is a trombonist with The Midway Brass and Brass Rewind. Aidan has appeared with the Kansas City Symphony, Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, Platinum Express, Fountain City Brass Band, and many other ensembles throughout the region. In addition to performing, he maintains an active private teaching studio working with students on a variety of brass instruments. Aidan studies classical and jazz trombone performance at the University of Kansas, where his teachers include Dan Gailey, Matt Otto, Michael Davidson, and Eddie Moore.

Josie Jones is a tuba player, educator, vocalist, and conductor from Kansas City, Kansas. She recently earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Tuba Performance and a Master of Music degree in Wind Conducting from the University of Kansas. She also holds a Master of Music degree in Tuba Performance from Duquesne University and a Bachelor of Music degree in Tuba Performance from the University of Kansas.

An active and versatile musician, Josie has performed with groups including the Topeka Symphony Orchestra, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, River City Brass Band. She is a founding member of the Cones Trio (tuba, euphonium, and horn trio) and The Midway Brass Quintet. With The Midway Brass, she has appeared as a featured performer at the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka, Japan, and appeared as a semifinalist in the 2025 Ljubljana Festival International Competition, the 2026 Philip Jones International Brass Ensemble Competition, and the 2026 International Trumpet Guild Chamber Music Competition.

Alongside her work as a tubist, Josie is an accomplished vocalist. She performed with the KU Jazz Singers, which received DownBeat Student Music Awards in 2025 and 2026, and earned individual recognition as an Outstanding Soloist in 2026 for her performance of “October Sky.” Josie has also appeared as a featured vocalist with the University of Kansas Wind Ensemble, Jazz I Ensemble, and Tuba/Euphonium Consort.

As an educator, Josie has taught tuba and euphonium students at the middle school, high school, and university levels. Her teaching and outreach activities include private instruction, school clinics, and community performances with The Midway Brass.

Brooklynne McGonagle is a versatile French horn performer and educator currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Kansas, where she also earned her Master of Music. McGonagle’s accolades include a semi-finalist recognition at the Ljubljana Festival International Competition, the International Trumpet Guild Chamber Music Competition, and finalist positions in several concerto competitions. She has performed with notable ensembles including the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra, Topeka Symphony Orchestra, and Valdosta Symphony Orchestra. As a chamber musician, she is a founding member of The Midway Brass and Cones Trio. She has performed with both ensembles at regional and international festivals, including the World Exposition in Osaka, Japan, in 2025. A passionate educator, McGonagle serves as Adjunct Professor of French horn at Baker University and a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Kansas. She is a staff member at the Cormont Horn Camp, where she assists with camp operations and supports educational programming. McGonagle is a dedicated mentor, committed to fostering the next generation of horn players.

Keith Popiel is an undergraduate trumpeter pursuing a degree in Music Education at The University of Kansas. Keith has been member of several prestigious ensembles including the KU Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensembles, athletic bands, and joined The Midway Brass Quintet in Spring 2024.

In February 2025, Keith made his international debut with The Midway Brass Quintet at the Festival Ljubljana International Competition for Brass Quartets and Quintets, and as featured guests at the American Pavilion for the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka, Japan.

Throughout High School, Keith performed with the Kansas All-State Band for four years and performed with the 2022 National Youth Wind Ensemble in Washington, D.C. He has also participated in numerous camps and clinics throughout Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, and was an honored guest of the Welsh Guard Band in London, England.

Keith currently studies with KU trumpet Professor Steve Leisring and Dr. Aaron Romm.

Nic Weaver is a Kansas City-based trumpeter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer currently studying trumpet performance, jazz, and composition at the University of Kansas. 

In 2026, Nic Weaver was selected as a semifinalist in the Ryan Anthony Memorial Trumpet Competition jazz improvisation division and chamber music division. Some other notable achievements of Nic's include performance as international soloists at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan with The Midway Brass (2025), performance at the international Festival Ljubljana Brass Quartets and Quintets Competition with the Midway Brass (2025).

In addition to playing the trumpet, Nic spends time composing, arranging, and recording music across diverse genres. He has recorded for clients across 50 different countries on trumpet, trombone, horn, saxophone, and piano.

Nic is a student of Aaron Romm, Dan Gailey, Matt Otto, and Ingrid Stölzel.