Finding their Note

Two students. One path. A shared future in music.

Niyla Moore and Ricky Winters are at opposite ends of the same path in LCCC’s music program.

Still in her first year, Niyla, who came to LCCC from South Carolina, is discovering how quickly music can grow from an activity into a calling. Ricky, meanwhile, is preparing to graduate in May after building the kind of experience that can carry a student beyond campus.

They are at different mile markers in their college journeys, but Niyla and Ricky both are finding that they can see a future career doing something they love with LCCC as the springboard. 

LCCC’s music programs are experiencing momentum, with enrollment growing, attendance at performances increasing and the repertoire students can play expanding.

“The ensembles are playing a more difficult repertoire and the frequency of concerts is higher,” said Dr. Frank Cook, instructor and ensemble director. “A lot of times, you’re limited in what you can do by the size of the ensembles, but that’s not a constraint we face anymore, which is a big help.” 

The hard work put into preparation and rehearsal pays off with a successful performance at LCCC, Niyla said. 

“We work so hard and for so long on their pieces of music, so it’s fun to show what you can put forth,” she said. 

Ricky is a Cheyenne East High graduate who started in orchestra and clarinet before finding bass trombone in junior high. 

“I was able to play it, and I just kind of like, boom, I just fell in love with it,” Ricky said. 

As a high school student, Ricky started lessons with Frank. That convinced Ricky that LCCC was where he should be if he wanted to launch a musical career path. 

“A big reason I came to LCCC was to study with Dr. Cook,” Ricky said. “That was a step in the right direction to improve myself as a musician.” 

In November, Ricky was selected for the Jazz Education Network Intercollegiate Community College Honors Jazz Ensemble, an opportunity that sent him to New Orleans to perform and learn alongside student musicians from across the country.

Unlike Ricky, Cheyenne is a long way from home for Niyla. The low cost of attendance at LCCC was a serious attraction, but she said she’s come to think of her LCCC community as a home away from home. 

“I tell my mom, it’s minor things, but I think Wyoming is like the South of the Mountain West,” Niyla said. “People open doors for you and say good morning — I feel that Southern hospitality I know back home for sure.”