Nat Hickman Merges Photography and Music
By Tony Killian, marketing director of Columbus Pride Bands
Nat Hickman works at the Columbus Symphony as their marketing coordinator. For Nat, the most important thing about working for musical organizations is community building. He is the Columbus Symphony Pride staff liaison. Nat has performed with the Columbus Pride Bands since 2023 as a band member, a section leader and has recently been elected onto the board of directors. He’ll appear with the Columbus Pride Concert Band and Wind Ensemble’s Divas and Dragons concert on Nov. 22 at the Lincoln Theatre.
Tony: What got you interested in music?
Nat: My grandparents! My grandma, Janet Hickman, had a piano in the front room and I would always just noodle simple melodies on it and then start adding my left hand to try and mimic her. Then my Grandma Ida was the piano and organ player at her church and would sometimes accompany my somewhat musical cat-like howling. My Grandma Hickman, with love, always called me Nat the Noisy. From there, my uncle Bill had an old saxophone my cousins abandoned and I started playing on in fourth grade. Then, in sixth grade, I switched to bassoon after being told it was a scholarship instrument. The rest is history! I studied with Betsy Sturdevant, Principal Bassoon at the Columbus Symphony, in high school and college at Capital University.
Tony: Who has influenced you as an artist?
Nat: While I am a musician, I am also a photographer and love making visual art. I have always been drawn to queer artists and composers before I even knew they were in the LGBTQIA+ community. For example, I love Benjamin Britten’s works. I had no idea he was part of the community until the Columbus Symphony performed his War Requiem last May. Same with Omar Thomas and Viet Cuong. Visually I loved Francis Bacon’s art and Wolfgang Tillman. The raw energy in their images and paintings give me a visceral reaction.
I also want to say that every single person who has conducted me, played with me, taught me or given me the opportunity to shine, has inspired me.
Tony: What’s the best thing about the Columbus art scene right now?
Nat: Right now, I’m really excited to see organizations like the Columbus Pride Bands work with other organizations like Swing Columbus and other local queer groups like Black Sheep. It is so important to remember that no single institution is the torch bearer of culture.
Tony: What music do you have on repeat?
Nat: For me, I have really been into the Imani Winds, a woodwind quintet. I had the privilege of hearing them play at Capital University two years ago. My favorite recording of them is probably Valerie Coleman’s Red Clay & Mississippi Delta.
Tony: What have been some of your favorite memories or experiences when working with the Columbus Pride Band.
Nat: My favorite memory was performing John and Jim by Viet Cuong at the National Pride Bands Alliance conference 2024, here in Columbus at the Davidson Theatre. The piece is about the story of John and Jim Obergefell and their Supreme Court case that legalized gay marriage. It was the world premiere of the piece, which was then later featured on PBS. There was a musician in every single inch of the theater, the stage, the balcony and many of the aisles were full with musicians from across the country. In a time where queer voices are being silenced, it motivates me.
Tony: I know you are a photographer as well! How does it allow you a different creative outlet in addition to music?
Nat: When I take photos, I think of the composition, style, tone, the main theme, etc. In its own way, my camera is just another instrument in my repertoire that I play. What the camera focuses on is the melody but the background and light are just like the rhythm and other parts of the music and they help shape the composition of whole image.
You can catch Nat performing with the Columbus Pride Concert Band and Wind Ensemble’s concert Divas and Dragons on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. at the Lincoln Theatre.
This article is part of a bi-weekly column brought to you by the Greater Columbus Arts Council as part of the Art Makes Columbus campaign. Explore a calendar of events, public art database and artist stories at columbusmakesart.com. To learn more about GCAC grants visit gcac.org.