Acting & Music Programs
Group and Private Sessions

MISSION STATEMENT

The key to this business is personal relationships. Suddenly, it was all pretty clear. The answer was fewer clients.Jerry Maguire

Quality over quantity. Ask not what your students can do for you; ask what you can do for your students. Give a man a fish. You get the picture. The Jerry Maguire mantra is something that unfortunately escapes most teaching studios and is something I’m fortunately in a position to offer.

I’ve had the privilege of teaching and directing in the area since I was a student at ASU. It is and should be a thankless, selfless profession and its greatest reward is in the connections I make with my students. You’ll never catch me telling a student what they want to hear and I surround any expectations around the hope that they’ll learn more from my mistakes than my successes. If you can avoid my pitfalls, advantage you!

I’ve been “paying my dues” longer than I can remember. I don’t think it’s something a wise artist ever believes he stops or should stop doing. There’s a huge failure in the teaching and mentoring community to recognize and therefore distinguish the difference between chasing a “big break” vs. developing a career in the arts. Big breaks find you, not the other way around. — Jeff Hartman

Jeff Hartman is an award-winning actor & music director and a graduate of Appalachian State University. Jeff has been teaching and touring professionally for almost two decades. Please visit hickoryarts.com for more information.

There is a strong emphasis on autonomy. Your drive, availability and your needs determine your curriculum and progress. The music program is mostly for those interested in pursuing an active career as a singer/songwriter & recording artist. Instrument instruction is available upon request only as an addendum.

ACTING

Technique/Method | Movement | Audition Prep | Public Speaking | Improv | Acting for the Camera | Character Development | Stage Makeup | Scene Study | Direction

MUSIC

Transcription | Notation | Collaboration | Industry | Songwriting | Performance | Public Relations | Accompaniment | Recording | Production | Engineering | Management | MIDI | Worship

RATES

• Private Sessions are $30 per 30-minute, weekly lesson.

• Group is $15 per student. Private students are encouraged but not required to attend weekly, 1-hour collaborative group classes. Group is held every Thursday from 7 pm and is exclusive to private students.

• Instrument Instruction is $30 per 30-minute, weekly lesson.

*Internships & Scholarships are available under certain circumstances.

MORE

• Sessions & Group are currently held in Jeff’s branch of Down to Hear Studios (now Hickory Arts).

• There are countless myths surrounding Nashville, Hollywood, Broadway and the entertainment industry in general. We work in a 90%-rejection industry. Mythbusting and “keepin’ it real” are fundamental to our relationship and your success.

• Session time is neither practice time or rehearsal time. Failure to demonstrate a reasonable work ethic will result in elimination from the program.

• There may be instances when we decide to take group on site to a concert or theatre production.

*Writing, arranging and recording is a full-time gig. Acting is a full-time gig. Space and focus is everything if you want to be the best you can be. Sometimes it’s more obvious to others what one should be doing with his or her time. I got that speech later than sooner.

CONTACT

Down to Hear Studios (now Hickory Arts)
1717 Highland Avenue (now 720 Second Avenue SW)
Hickory, NC 28601 (now Hickory, NC 28602)
downtohearstudios.com (now hickoryarts.com)
Located next to Johnson Piano & Organ Exchange, above The Garage Bookstore (now behind ITP and across from Hickory Optimest Park)

ATTENDENCE

• Make up classes are not offered for missed classes. If you cancel a gig, you don’t get a make-up gig. I rest my case. See more below.

• Out of respect to your classmates, your teacher and your art, punctual attendance of classes, lessons, and events is expected.

PAYMENT POLICY

• You must pay in full per month prior to sessions/classes.

• Down to Hear Studios (now Hickory Arts) does not accept payments for Jeff unless it’s directly related to Down to Hear (Hickory Arts).

*There is a $30 fee for any returned checks.

PRIVATE SESSION 24-HOUR CANCELLATION POLICY

There is a 24-hour minimum notice for canceling private lessons. To cancel a lesson, call or leave a message at 828-291-0509. Late cancellation fees equal the full amount of scheduled lesson. If you are more than 15 minutes late for a lesson without notification, your lesson will be cancelled and you will be charged. We are in demand as teachers, performers, and session musicians; these policies are designed to honor and respect our time.

Jeff Hartman, in cooperation with Down to Hear Studios (Hickory Arts), makes every effort to provide the best possible instruction and optimal environment for learning. In the unlikely event that a class must be cancelled, you may apply the amount paid as credit towards any other classes or programs or you may request a full refund, to be issued no later than 48-hours after the published start date of the class.

CONTRACTS

We will not compete or negotiate with any pre-existing management, publishing or recording contracts.