LCCC music student earns national recognition with elite honors jazz ensemble

CHEYENNE, Wyoming – Ricky Winters, an Laramie County Community College music student,  has been selected to perform with the JEN Intercollegiate Community College Honors Jazz Ensemble, a prestigious national group recognizing the top community college jazz musicians in the country.

The ensemble, organized by the Jazz Education Network (JEN), brings together outstanding student musicians for a featured performance at the annual JEN Conference, set for Jan. 8-11 in New Orleans.

A sophomore from Cheyenne, Winters plays bass trombone and is pursuing an Associate of Fine Arts in Music. Growing up in Cheyenne’s East High triad, he discovered his passion for bass trombone in middle school and has since become a standout performer in LCCC’s ensembles.

“I’m excited to be part of a space where everyone is passionate about jazz and open to learning from each other,” said Winters. “It’s my first opportunity to perform on a national level, and being surrounded by musicians and educators who share that same energy is something I’ve been working toward for years.”

He began studying privately with Dr. Frank Cook, LCCC director of bands, while a student at Cheyenne East High School and later enrolled at LCCC to continue learning under Cook’s mentorship. Winters said the experience of one-on-one lessons and opportunities to perform with multiple college ensembles have been central to his development as a musician.

“Ricky’s selection is a tremendous achievement,” said Dr. Frank Cook, LCCC director of bands. “It speaks to his talent, determination and the quality of work our students put in every day. Seeing a Cheyenne student perform at the national level is incredibly rewarding for all of us at LCCC.”

After completing his degree at LCCC, Winters plans to transfer to continue his studies in music performance.