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Monday 11am - 7pm Tuesday 11am - 7pm Wednesday 11am - 7pm Thursday 11am - 7pm

Hickory Arts

Music lessons, acting classes, artist development & creative services in Hickory, NC. Serving students, families & artists since 2010. Home is where the art is.

Hickory Arts is a music, acting, and creative arts studio in Hickory, North Carolina, offering private music lessons, acting classes, artist development, recording, photography, and creative services for kids, teens, and adults. Since 2010, our instructors have helped students build confidence, technique, creativity, and real-world performance skills through personalized one-on-one instruction. Students can study guitar, piano, voice, violin and strings, bass, songwriting, acting, audition preparation, artist development, recording, photography, and more.

09/17/2026

Hickory Arts is growing.

We’re looking for two additional teaching artists to join our studio in Hickory:

Voice Instructor
Acting Coach

Hickory Arts is small and private by design. We’re not looking for instructors to run students through a standardized system.

We’re looking for people who teach well, communicate well, know their craft, care about the individual sitting across from them, and understand that sometimes the most important thing a teacher provides isn’t written in a method book.

Both positions can include private one-on-one instruction and, when appropriate, group classes or workshops.

Schedules are flexible and appointment-based. No regular weekends are necessary. All sessions are held in person at Hickory Arts in Hickory, NC.

We’re comfortable with someone beginning with only one or two students and building a roster over time.

For our Voice Instructor, experience teaching singers of different ages and levels is important. Piano skills are strongly preferred, particularly because many singers benefit from live accompaniment. Musical theatre experience is a plus.

For our Acting Coach, we’re especially interested in someone comfortable helping students with acting technique, scene study, character development, audition preparation, stage and/or on-camera work, and performance confidence.

For both roles, we value:

Professional experience
Teaching ability
Strong communication
Reliability
Mentorship
Individualized instruction
Community involvement
A willingness to help build and promote your own program

A related college degree is preferred, along with teaching and professional experience.

Hickory Arts is currently in its 16th year, and much of our growth has always come through relationships, word of mouth, cross-promotion, and people who genuinely believe in what they teach.

If that sounds like your kind of place, we’d like to hear from you.

Application link in the comments.

09/16/2026

It’s never too late to learn violin.

Ann Ochsner is 66 and studies violin with Andrea Jove at Hickory Arts.

Here’s what Ann had to say:

“I have had the honor to be a student of violin with Andrea Jove as my instructor. She has been so patient, kind and encouraging that I find myself as addicted to her friendship as I am to her instruction. I highly recommend her as teacher for any age! As I am 66, it’s never too late to learn something new.”

Ann Ochsner, Violin Lessons

Andrea teaches personalized violin lessons in Hickory, NC for kids, teens, and adults, from beginners through advanced students.

Whether you’re picking up a violin for the first time at 6, 16, or 66, the important part isn’t when you start.

It’s that you start.

Learn about violin lessons and read more student experiences in the comments.

09/15/2026

What’s in a name?

For us, apparently quite a lot.

HICKORY

Home.
Initiative.
Collaboration.
Kinetic.
Original.
Real.
You.

ARTS

Autonomy.
Relationships.
Trust.
Support.

Those words didn’t create Hickory Arts.

They turned out to describe what we’d already spent years trying to build.

A creative home.

Students who take initiative.

Artists who collaborate.

Training that actually moves somewhere.

Original work.

Real experience.

And, most importantly, you.

Then autonomy.

Relationships.

Trust.

Support.

The video is the short version.

Our newest blog is the slightly less short version.

Read the full story. Link in the comments.

09/10/2026

Nine months. Nine House Concerts. Now booking 2027.

We’re opening the calendar for the 2027 Hickory Arts House Concert Series, with one concert each month from February through October.

House Concerts are built around a pretty simple idea:

Live music deserves to be listened to.

Not shouted over.

Not squeezed between televisions and bar noise.

Not treated like wallpaper.

Our House Concerts create an intimate space where the audience is actually there for the artist and the music.

Guests typically contribute $20 each. With around 30 people in the room, that can mean roughly $600 going directly to the performers.

Hickory Arts takes no cut.

Artists can personalize the room, bring their own character to the evening, and create a performance that feels like their event.

The series is open to established artists, developing artists, Hickory Arts students, and performers from outside the studio.

And because we schedule only one House Concert per month, there are just nine opportunities in the 2027 season.

Interested in performing?

More information and contact links are in the comments.

09/09/2026

From guitar lessons to music therapy.

This is former Hickory Arts guitar student Samantha Crabtree.

Samantha recently left us a review about the years she spent studying guitar at Hickory Arts:

“My guitar lessons with Jeff at Hickory Arts were truly so special. Jeff was not only kind and welcoming but so incredibly knowledgeable and talented on his instrument.”

But our favorite part comes a little later.

Samantha went on to study and practice music therapy, where the instrument she studied here became part of her professional work.

She wrote:

“The value of the lessons I received at Hickory Arts cannot be overstated! Jeff provided me with the resources to succeed, and I’m grateful for the skills I learned here.”

Her dad, Nathan, had previously written about the same journey:

“My daughter had voice and guitar lessons here... She is now using guitar in her profession as a music therapist.”

That’s a pretty good Point B.

Not every student who takes Guitar Lessons in Hickory, NC, is planning to make music part of a career.

Some want to play professionally.

Some want to write songs.

Some want to sing and accompany themselves.

Some want to play around a campfire.

Some just really want to play guitar.

They all count.

Thanks for the incredibly kind words, Samantha and Nathan, and for letting Hickory Arts be one part of the journey.

Learn more about Guitar Lessons. Link in the comments.

09/08/2026

You have choices. Good.

If you’re comparing guitar lessons, piano lessons, voice lessons, violin lessons, acting lessons, teachers, studios, academies, and assorted places promising to unleash your inner rock star...

What should actually matter?

We’re pretty sure it isn’t simply:

Private lessons!

Obviously.

Performance opportunities!

Yep.

Learn the songs you love!

Sure.

Those things matter.

They’re also increasingly the price of admission.

The questions we find more interesting are things like:

Who will actually teach you?

What have they studied?

What have they done professionally?

How many students do they teach?

Will they know why you started?

Can your goals change?

Can you cross into other disciplines?

Are you being taught skills or being sold outcomes?

Will the teacher help you eventually become more independent?

Will they know you by name or number?

Hickory Arts is small.

On purpose.

To us, boutique doesn’t mean velvet ropes or fancy branding.

It means:

Fewer people. More attention.

Our newest blog looks at why Hickory Arts has deliberately remained small, why our instructors continue working professionally, why we don’t sell fame, why student autonomy matters, why we don’t build our music program around traditional recitals, and why Music Lessons and Acting Lessons eventually grew into Artist Development and Creative Services.

We don’t expect Hickory Arts to be right for everyone.

It shouldn’t be.

But if you’re choosing where to spend your time, money, and possibly years of your creative life...

Choose wisely.

Read the full article. Link in the comments.

09/03/2026

On Tuesday, we had the pleasure of hosting one of Hickory Algorithm’s Mastermind Groups at Hickory Arts. Special thanks to Carol Anne Hartman of Carol Anne Hartman Photography for managing the event.

We’ve always loved sharing our space with other Hickory-area artists, businesses, churches, organizations, and community groups.

Need a place to rehearse?

Meet?

Audition?

Hold a Bible study?

Host a workshop?

Ask us.

When the studio is available, we’re happy to make the space useful, and in most cases, there’s no charge.

We had a great time participating in this month’s group, making some meaningful connections, and getting to know more of the people doing interesting work around Hickory.

Pictured left to right:

Chris Goldby — Hickory Algorithm
Scott Garmon — Foot Solutions Hickory
Stephanie Gates — Top Flite Home Loans
Adam Tutterrow — Thai Kickboxing Organization-TKO of Hickory
John Yang — John Yang Photography
Yajaira Tiscareño — Titans Consulting Tax and Accounting Services
Jay Brown — Jay Brown, Realtors
Max Seng — Milestone Insurance
Chris Parsons — Pace Atlantic LLC

Speaking of making connections...

You’ll find Hickory Arts outside Foot Solutions on Union Square during the Downtown Hickory Fall Art Crawl on Thursday, September 17, from 5–8 p.m.

Stop by and say hello.

More info and contact links are in the comments.

09/02/2026

Five years. Multiple disciplines. One creative path.

Our latest 5-star Google review comes from former Hickory Arts student Brian Saavedra.

Brian started lessons at 14 and continued until leaving for college at 19.

And he didn’t exactly stay in one lane.

Acting.

Writing.

Music.

Music production.

Creative business.

In his review, Brian wrote:

“Going here pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me achieve a greater level of creative talent.”

And:

“I would 100% recommend taking lessons here, not only to learn, but grow with people who actually care.”

That’s a pretty good description of what eventually became Artist Development at Hickory Arts.

Some artists need one lesson in one subject.

Others discover that acting affects the music. Music affects the writing. Writing leads to recording. Recording leads to production. And eventually all those separate interests start becoming one creative path.

Thanks for spending those years with us, Brian. And thanks for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful review.

Learn more about Artist Development. Link in the comments.

09/01/2026

Can you tell which students will succeed?

This is Josie.

Josie Juliette Wert studied acting, audition preparation, voice, Artist Development, and worked with Hickory Arts Creative Services. She later signed with JTA Talent Agency and began building a professional film and television career.

But our newest article isn’t really about who became a professional.

It’s about a question we were asked years ago:

Can you tell which students are going to succeed?

After 30 years of teaching music, acting, and developing artists, the answer is:

Sometimes.

And it usually has less to do with who appears to be the most naturally talented person in the room than people might expect.

Communication.

Curiosity.

Responsibility.

Work ethic.

Showing up engaged.

Asking questions.

Seeking opportunities.

Listening to advice.

Taking ownership.

Supporting other people.

Following through.

For Josie, one Point B was pursuing the arts professionally.

For someone else, it might be getting into college.

Writing a first song.

Walking into an audition without panicking.

Playing a first House Concert.

Picking up an instrument again after twenty years.

Finally learning the piece that seemed impossible six months ago.

Different destinations. Same idea.

Josie once wrote:

“Working with Jeff helped deepen my passion for the arts and gave me the confidence and skill set to pursue it on a professional level.”

So, can you tell which students will succeed?

Our newest article takes a swing at the answer.

Read the full article. Link in the comments.

Josie’s quote is from her published Hickory Arts Artist Development testimonial.

08/28/2026

A professional headshot is more than just owning a camera and taking a picture.

It’s pre-production, post-production, knowing the gear, knowing the software, and, most importantly, having the eye to present an artist in the best possible light.

This week we’re featuring a recent headshot of our acting student Abigail Hendricks, photographed by Carol Anne Hartman Photography through Hickory Arts Creative Services.

We offer professional headshots, artist portfolios, senior portraits, and more for performers, artists, and creative professionals in Hickory.

See comments for the link.

Address

720 Second Avenue SW
Hickory, NC
28602

Opening Hours

Monday	11am - 7pm
Tuesday	11am - 7pm
Wednesday	11am - 7pm
Thursday	11am - 7pm

Telephone

+18282709801

Website

https://www.hickoryarts.com/

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