Originally from Mason City, Iowa, Ricky began his clarinet studies in fifth grade where he learned clarinet from various teachers. It wasn’t until high school where Ricky began taking private lessons under Harvey Von Wald. Harvey helped Ricky develop a work ethic and self-discipline on the instrument. Something that would carry on forever in his studies both on clarinet and outside.    Hailed by the University of Northern Iowa’s Wind Ensemble director, Dr. Danny Galyen describes Ricky Latham’s clarinet playing as having a “rich, warm sound, with exemplary technique on the instrument. His playing is always sensitive and is admired for his serious work ethic, discipline, and musicianship.”   Ricky graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 2022, where he was under the tutelage of Dr. Amanda McCandless. Ricky has continued to grow and expand his knowledge of the clarinet with exemplary technique and performance, with the important underlying base of pedagogy.   Upon completion of his undergraduate studies, Ricky attended Bowling Green State University from 2022-2024 under the guidance of Kevin Schempf. During his time at BGSU, Ricky has acquired a teaching assistantship, where he coached a woodwind quintet to winning second place in the prestigious Douglas Wayland Chamber Music Competition.   Ricky is now a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate at Michigan State University, under the direction of Dr. Guy Yehuda and Dr. Wang Mingzhe. Ricky is looking forward to continuing his craft of performance and teaching, which he is very successful. Thanks for listening! Ricky’s Instagram : @clarinetricky Clarinet Channel Instagram : @theclarinetchannel Theme Music : “Bossa Nueva” - Rick Ivanoff / “Break Away To Adelaide” - The Guild of Jazz Musicians