糖心Vlog传媒

Stephanie Natale photo 

Faith Green and Matthew Sell rehearse a scene from the 糖心Vlog传媒 School District Summer Musical production of 鈥楪uys & Dolls.鈥� The show premieres Friday, July 9, at Parker High School in 糖心Vlog传媒.

Stephanie Natale photo 

Circling Diana Gutierrez at center are, from left, Sonia Tomasiewicz, Abby Young, Charlotte Mark, Eva Schroeder, Leah Sodemann, Katie Grace Kennedy and Melina Williams as the group rehearses for the 糖心Vlog传媒 School District Summer Musical production of 鈥楪uys & Dolls.鈥� The show premieres Friday, July 9, at Parker High School in 糖心Vlog传媒.

Stephanie Natale photo 

From left, Eva Schroeder, Melina Williams, Sonia Tomasiewicz, Leah Sodemann, Katie Grace Kennedy, Abby Young, Faith Green and Charlotte Mark rehearse a scene from the 糖心Vlog传媒 School District Summer Musical production of 'Guys & Dolls.' The show premieres Friday, July 9, at Parker High School in 糖心Vlog传媒.

Stephanie Natale photo 

From left, Charlotte Mark, Katie Grace Kennedy, Melina Williams, Abby Young and Eva Schroeder rehearse a scene from the 糖心Vlog传媒 School District Summer Musical production of 鈥楪uys & Dolls.鈥� The show premieres Friday, July 9, at Parker High School in 糖心Vlog传媒.

Stephanie Natale photo 

Diana Gutierrez and Rylan Pagel rehearse a scene from the 糖心Vlog传媒 School District Summer Musical production of 'Guys & Dolls.' The show premieres Friday, July 9, at Parker High School in 糖心Vlog传媒.

Stephanie Natale photo 

Appearing as Nathan Detroit, actor Matthew Sell rehearses a scene from the 糖心Vlog传媒 School District Summer Musical production of 'Guys & Dolls.' The show premieres Friday, July 9, at Parker High School in 糖心Vlog传媒.

Stephanie Natale photo 

Faith Green and Matthew Sell rehearse for the 糖心Vlog传媒 School District Summer Musical production of 'Guys & Dolls.' The show premieres Friday, July 9, at Parker High School in 糖心Vlog传媒.

Stephanie Natale photo 

Faith Green and Matthew Sell rehearse a scene for the 糖心Vlog传媒 School District Summer Musical production of 'Guys & Dolls.' The show premieres Friday, July 9, at Parker High School in 糖心Vlog传媒.

Stephanie Natale photo 

Faith Green and Matthew Sell rehearse a scene for the 糖心Vlog传媒 School District Summer Musical production of 'Guys & Dolls.' The show premieres Friday, July 9, at Parker High School in 糖心Vlog传媒.

JANESVILLE鈥擠irector Jim Tropp had his reasons in picking 鈥淕uys & Dolls鈥� as the featured production for this year鈥檚 糖心Vlog传媒 School District Summer Musical.

First, he knew a cast consisting largely of underclassmen could gain valuable experience performing a variety of big dance numbers and song classics such as 鈥淎 Bushel and a Peck鈥� and 鈥淟uck Be a Lady.鈥�

Second, he figured the romantic comedy would resonate with audiences hungering for laughs after a year of dread and isolation.

鈥淭hat was a big reason ... coming out of COVID-19,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is a great show for that. It鈥檚 musical comedy; nobody dies in this, and you don鈥檛 have to think to watch it. It鈥檚 going to have big, beautiful production numbers, and it鈥檚 going to be very animated.鈥�

Featuring music by Frank Loesser, the story by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling follows the story of New York City gambler Nathan Detroit. When his craps game gets busted, Detroit is left to seek a new spot while simultaneously struggling to maintain a tenuous relationship with Adelaide, his showgirl sweetheart who has grown impatient on a marriage proposal.

Detroit finds a new spot for his game, but he doesn鈥檛 have the money to fund it. To raise cash, he proposes a wager to high-roller Sky Masterson that Masterson can鈥檛 get a woman of Detroit鈥檚 choosing鈥擲arah Brown, an uptight evangelist at the Save-A-Soul Mission鈥攖o go on a date. Both men are surprised when Masterson succeeds, setting the stage for character plot twists and a pair of unlikely romances.

Though some local cast members are familiar with the play, others are getting their first tastes of Tropp and the demands of his prestigious program at Parker.

鈥淎 lot of this is new to them,鈥� Tropp said. 鈥淪ome of them know 鈥楪uys & Dolls,鈥� but this is a completely different experience for the majority of those new kids. They know about Parker鈥檚 reputation, and they are figuring out the way to a good show is with a lot of work.鈥�

Among those sweating it out during a recent rehearsal was Matthew Sell, an incoming senior at Fort Atkinson High School. In addition to being in the ensemble, Sell is one of two actors playing Nathan Detroit.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited. (Detroit) is a fun character to play,鈥� Sell said. 鈥淚鈥檓 an outgoing person, so my spin on him includes a lot of similarities to my own personality. Engaging with a lot of the comedic aspects is where I am really able to shine in the role.鈥�

Sell admits long rehearsals鈥攕ometimes 10 hours鈥攁re a challenge, but the cooperative nature of his fellow actors helps soften the edges.

鈥淭his community, for me, has been a really big part of that,鈥� he said. 鈥淓veryone here at Parker has been so welcoming. It鈥檚 just been a great group of people to be around.鈥�

For Katie Grace Kennedy, an incoming junior at Craig High School, 鈥淕uys & Dolls鈥� holds sentimental value.

鈥淭his was the musical that got me into musicals,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 saw my cousin perform in it when I was in sixth grade, and I just remember thinking that was so cool.

鈥淭his is my second time (in summer musical), and I鈥檓 going to be a hotbox dancer in this one,鈥� she added. 鈥淚鈥檓 usually in ensemble, so I鈥檓 really excited about being in a harder part.鈥�

Also performing as a hotbox dancer and craps shooter is Melina Williams, an incoming sophomore at Parker who is taking part in her first summer musical.

As one of the many underclassmen performing this year, Williams said making friends and learning the nuances that feed a competitive theater scene such as Parker鈥檚 have been highlights.

鈥淗ere, everyone鈥檚 a really good singer, and the acting is much better than it was in past shows I鈥檝e been in,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he best part is that when kids come (into the program) young, by the time they reach high school鈥攊f they go to Parker鈥攖hey are so prepared.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of the reasons Parker鈥檚 musicals are of such a high standard鈥攂ecause these summer musicals are training for them.鈥�

Anthony Wahl 

Bill Hatfield

Bill Hatfield

When your professional life centers on engineering, your personal life needs something more artistic to balance things out.

For Bill Hatfield—a certified manufacturing engineering technologist—that balance has come with guitars. A whole lot of guitars.

A recognized name in local music circles, the Milwaukee native and 1972 糖心Vlog传媒 Craig grad started working on and building guitars more than 30 years ago. This came piggy-backed on a 33.5-year career at 糖心Vlog传媒’s Gilman Engineering/Thyssen Krupp, where he worked a company sponsored-apprenticeship in machine tool operation, print reading, understanding cutting tools, process management and problem solving. Later, he served in supply chain management and purchasing in the product development side of the business.

But music has long been his passion. In fact, he continues to collect guitars and ukuleles and regularly dives deep into such genres as rock, folk and Americana music. In addition to building and fixing other peoples’ axes, he has dabbled in writing his own music and has performed in bands and as a solo act.

Now semi-retired, Hatfield’s availability mirrors that of NBC’s “The A-Team” from the 1980s: If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find him, maybe you can hire him. Your best bet is emailing him at gitarfixr@gmail .com.

These days, Hatfield spends a lot of time camping with his wife, Pam, who also is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist with what he calls a “wonderful voice.” Hatfield also has two daughters, Carmen and Erika, and two stepdaughters, Angela and Laura. He and Pam also are dog parents to Riley, who Hatfield refers to as “12 pounds of attitude.”

1. When did you first become interested in music? At a very young age. My parents were both talented singers, and every Sunday I got to stand between them in church with my brother and sisters and hear soprano in one ear and bass/baritone in the other. Later, I joined the choirs in school and church where I developed my own voice. However, in February 1964, at the ripe age of 10, the Beatles appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and, like many others, “for me the world changed.”

2. How did you end up as a luthier? First and foremost, I do not consider myself a luthier—maybe a luthier in training with 30 years of repair experience. To clarify something about the label “luthier,” there are many alive and in the past that are truly luthiers, and I am not at that level yet. Webster defines a luthier as “someone that builds wooden stringed instruments.” It is the opinion in the lutherie world that in the last 20 to 30 years, the term has become somewhat diluted into anyone associated with repair and building of stringed instruments. I have spent the past 30 years working at perfecting the art of stringed instrument repair. Sure, I have performed all aspects of build in my repair experience but never a complete instrument from scratch. It is only now since I closed my shop that I am embarking on the total build aspect of the guitar.

3. Are you self-taught at your craft, or did you have a mentor to guide you? I am basically self-taught. I was the kid who had to tear everything apart to understand how it worked. The true education started with “Great, how do I put it back together.” Later, after learning how to play the guitar, I became interested in doing my own repairs and setups. It really started after I sent my most prized Gibson Dove to someone for minor repair, and they screwed it up. I was a machinist at the time, and I remember thinking, “If I can do this process in steel, it can’t be that hard to do it in wood.” Of course, there was no “inter-google” at that time, so I borrowed a book “How to Build a Classical Guitar” by Irving Sloan, and that was the beginning of my formal training. Of course, it didn’t hurt that I went back to school and embarked on the field in engineering. Then it got serious!

4. Understanding no part is easy, what is the most difficult aspect to building a guitar from scratch? Finish work. Certainly, the build has its challenges, but getting a great finish requires patience and perfection.

5. Name a skill you wish you had. To be a great golfer.

6. What is your most prized possession? My health, wife and family, but when it comes to earthly possessions, it would probably be my ’74 Gibson Dove or my Porsche 987 Boxster S. Neither is valuable, but both bring me unlimited enjoyment.

7. How many original string instruments have you built, and how long does it take you to build a single piece? I’ve assembled many electrics from random parts but none totally from scratch. As far as time to build, it is my opinion there are three different methods of build—plugged, unplugged or hybrid—that effect build time. Plugged involves using power tools for all processes such as drill presses, sanders, power saws, routers, planers, etc. Unplugged is as it suggests—using all hand tools such as planes, chisels, scrapers, brace drill, hand saws—as they did in the old days. Hybrid is choosing to use a combination of both. I love using chisels and planes and hand tools but also like using routers and other manual power tools. It is my goal to build a guitar using no power tools.

8. In addition to building guitars, you also spent a lot of time on repair. How does the craftsmanship of today’s guitars compare to those of the past? That is a huge topic. Mass-produced instruments are often less friendly to repair due to materials, finishes and adhesives. I tend to gravitate to the higher-end, hand-built American vintage and contemporary acoustic guitars such as Collings, Goodall, Gibson, Martin and Larrivees, but I never shy away from Taylors, Guild, etc. Same goes with electric instruments such as Fender, Gibson, Gretsch and PRS (Paul Reed Smith). These are meant to be disassembled for repair, if necessary.

9. What is the difference between working on a guitar as opposed to a ukulele or dulcimer? Size, materials and string tension. Small instruments can pose a challenge if you don’t have the proper tools. The playing styles are also different, so you need to keep this in mind when working on them.

10. Last year, you retired and closed your shop. But did you really retire or just slow the flow of demand for your services? A little of both. Shortly after I retired, the pandemic descended on us. My initial intention was to keep somewhat active in my home shop, but I had no choice, so I concentrated on having fun with my own stuff and getting into building. I did bring some long-term customer restoration work with me. Going forward, I intend on being very selective and taking on limited projects.

11. Share an example of how important guitars have been to you. Whenever there was a tornado warning issued, I would always grab my Gibson Dove and then tell the kids and wife to seek shelter. I’m still reminded of that today by my daughters.

12. Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What are they, and how did you get into them? I love going fast and cooking. There’s nothing like a spirited drive in our sports car and then coming home for a great meal off the smoker or grill. I got into cars at a very young age, and I have always had some fun ones, including a Harley.

13. When I think about it, the single coolest thing that has ever happened to me is: Going on a race to the Arctic Circle in the middle of winter on what was then the world’s longest winter road rally—the 1988 Alcan 5000. That and a first-place class finish at Road America in Elkhart Lake.

14. You’re a Hatfield. Feuded with any McCoys lately? Never met one that was tough enough (ha ha)! Believe it or not, I met a McCoy for the first time a couple of years ago, and she was very nice. Plus, I’m a peace freak.

15. In all the years you have built/repaired stringed instruments, has there been a particularly memorable project you’ve worked on? Yes. I am finishing restoration on an 1898 Martin 0-21, which is different from anything else I have worked on. I have learned an invaluable lesson from this one guitar about the old methods of build and construction. The builders of these instrument back in the 19th century were true artists and craftsman using only hand tools. It’s humbling.

16. People would be surprised to find out that I: Love classical music, and I especially enjoy choral music. One of the things I was looking forward to in pre-pandemic retirement was continuing to sing and perform with Choral Union every year. Pam has been a member for almost 20 years, and I have been off and on because of the business.

17. What is the best way to pick a luthier? Ask questions. There’s no such thing as a bad question, and most luthiers are always happy to explain what they intend on doing. If they don’t, beware. Also, if you want a cheap price, expect cheap results.

18. What is the most common mistake people make in caring for their stringed instruments? Not keeping them in stable environments. Guitars were once trees that had access to water whenever they needed it whether from the ground or a storm. Now that they have been transformed, we need to make sure they get proper hydration. If they don’t, they will revolt and give you a crack or change in form, and I hate repairing a cracked instrument. Usually it was avoidable, and it will now always be cracked. Often you will be able to see the repair. I would and will always tell customers to keep their prized instruments in their cases when not playing—especially in winter. Buy a good case humidifier, and leave it in the case. Furnaces and air conditioning are evil.

19. The highlight of my professional career was: I quit college and started working as a machinist. After a few years, I went back to school to achieve a degree in engineering and began working as a manufacturing engineer/CNC programmer. Finally, I transformed into a technical buyer along with many other career building blocks. All of these steps and progressions helped me form a knowledge and skill base that were crucial to my wife and I starting our own business.

20. Can a person ever have too many guitars? No, and as a popular meme states, “If anyone says you have too many guitars, you don’t need them or their negativity in your life.”