Hickman became a member of the Lansing Symphony Orchestra in 1997 by winning the position of Second Trombone.  In 2001 he was appointed the position of Principal Trombone in the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, a position he currently holds.  He has also performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Michigan Opera Theatre Orchestra, Grand Rapids Symphony, and Toledo Symphony as well as the Detroit Chamber Winds, Western Brass Quintet, and Great Lakes Brass.  He has traveled and performed with various groups throughout the world including Switzerland, Spain, China, and Mexico and played in world renowned venues in the United States such as Carnegie Hall, Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. He has also soloed with the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra and the Western Michigan University Trombone Choir.

His principal teachers have included George Oliver, Bill Booth, Dennis Smith, and David Langlitz. He has also studied with members of the Chicago Symphony, Detroit Symphony, and Los Angeles Philharmonic. He has held teaching positions at Grand Valley State University and Goshen College and taught privately around the state of Michigan.  He has had former students attend Juilliard, Michigan State University, Western Michigan University, and DePaul. He currently teaches students in Kalamazoo and Portage, Michigan.