James Latten, assistant professor of music, joined the University of Dayton music faculty in 2000. At Dayton Latten serves as director of the "Pride of Dayton" Marching Band, studio percussion instructor, conductor of concert ensembles, musical theater orchestra, and teaches courses in percussion methods and marching band methods. He holds a Master of Music Education with wind conducting emphasis from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. He is currently in the final stages of the Ph.D. program in music education at The Pennsylvania State University, where he served as graduate assistant with the band program, including the 280-member Penn State Blue Band, for three years. Latten's doctoral research is focused on wind intonation, methods of intonation pedagogy, and preferences for equal temperament or just intonation in wind bands.
At Penn State Latten also served as director of the two basketball pep bands, and as music arranger/instructor for the Penn State Indoor Drumline, which in 2000 won the WGI Percussion Open Class National Championship. He has served as an adjunct instructor of music at SUNY Cortland College in New York and at Juniata and Lycoming Colleges in Pennsylvania. He has ten years of experience as a public school instrumental music educator in New York State, and is currently a permanently certified percussion adjudicator for the New York State School Music Association and an adjudicator for Educational Programs (Music in the Parks). He has served as percussion instructor for many marching bands and drum corps in New York and Pennsylvania, and has served as a selection committee member for various music honor organizations, including the annual Syracuse Symphony Orchestra Outstanding Music Educator Awards program.
Articles by Latten have been published in Music Educators Journal, Bandworld Magazine, and Band Stand (publication of the New York State Band Directors Association). He has presented clinics and poster presentations on percussion, wind intonation, and ensemble member absences in New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota. He is an Innovative Percussion artist.
Performing experience includes membership in the 1985 DCI world champion Garfield Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps, the 1984 Empire Statesmen Senior Drum & Bugle Corps of Rochester, NY, the Corning (NY) Philharmonic Orchestra, the Williamsport (PA) Elks-Repasz Band, the Onondaga County (NY) Music Educators' Wind Ensemble, and student and faculty recitals including a duet performance of Yuyama's Divertimento for Alto Saxophone and Marimba, with virtuoso Navy Band saxophonist MUCM (ret.) Dale Underwood. He is an active guest conductor throughout Ohio, directing high school honor bands.
Latten is currently a member of Music Educators National Conference, Society for Research in Music Education, College Music Society, New York State School Music Association, Percussive Arts Society, Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society, Kappa Kappa Psi National Band Fraternity, The Conductors Guild, College Band Directors National Association, and TIME (Technology Institute for Music Educators). He is the director of the Centerville Community Band.