Their house is alive with the sound of music.
Stephen and Karen Hickok, who respectively earned a Ph.D. and master's degree in music education, have given music lessons out of their home for 15 years, primarily to kindergarten through fourth grade children in the Auburn-Opelika area.
"If you're classically trained, you can play anything," Karen said.
While both offer private lessons--Karen for piano, Stephen for guitar and voice--the Hickoks now run group sessions for four students at a time.
The younger children enjoy working with their peers and even competing with each other, Karen said.
What stands out, however, is the studio Stephen built in their basement for group lessons.
He connected four electric keyboards to computers, allowing students to visualize their playing by matching the notes played on the keyboard with the monitor.
Each keyboard is then wirelessly connected to a single input unit that permits the instructors to listen to one or more students at a time through headphones and send back specific instructions to the children's headphones.
With this setup, the Hickoks can track each student's pupil's progress individually, getting the personal connection of a private lesson with the added benefits of the group dynamic.
Stephen plans to hook up electric guitars to the unit in a similar fashion for his group guitar lessons.
Despite the advanced learning techniques used in the home-studio, the Hickoks still have a traditional approach to instruction. They provide incentives to young students who keep up their practicing in the form of "money" that can be used toward prizes and parties at the end of a semester.
That traditional attitude creates a comfortable, familial atmosphere, even in the high-tech studio.
Both Hickoks understand the likelihood of one of their students growing up to be the next Glen Gould or Andres Segovia, but they are content simply to pass on a bit of knowledge to children who want to learn.
Lessons cost $325 for 18 lessons per semester. Private lessons last 30 minutes, while group sessions stretch to an hour.
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