Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1042214
14 S T U F F • 2 0 1 8 • StuffMadeinMA.com P H O T O / M E L T A I N G recalls. "But there's so much more that you can do. I never would have thought when I was in high school that I would be making instruments for some of the most highly regarded musicians in the world." Guitarist and vocalist, by night Hannah Liuzzo – a product specialist at Verne Q. Powell Flutes in Maynard – echoes that idea. "You don't have to just set your sights on being famous or a performer," she says. "You can be involved in the industry in a lot of different ways and make a living." Liuzzo is involved in the industry in multiple ways herself. By night, she performs at venues like Royale and Great Scott as a guitarist and vocalist in the Boston band Lilith. But her first love was the flute. She majored in flute performance at the University of New Hampshire and was working a music teacher when she came across a job posting on Powell's website while shopping for a new instrument. She started as a sales representative and now manages the Powell Sonaré brand, overseeing everything from marketing and product development to production, quality control and the supply chain. "My favorite part is definitely being involved with the workshop – going upstairs and getting to learn about the handwork and really be a part of it happening," Liuzzo says. Making for the Boston Symphony Fellow flutist Katharine Smith understands the appeal of the workshop firsthand. She earned a bachelor's degree in music education but wasn't sure if teaching was the right path, so she embarked on a year-long instrument repair program at a tech school in Minnesota. Now, as a body maker at Acton flute manufacturer Wm. S. Haynes Co., she tackles the earliest steps in the production process, working on raw metal tubes with both small bench tools and powerful machines. "I really like working on machines," Smith says. "You have to be Hannah Liuzzo, 28 Powell Sonaré product specialist Verne Q. Powell Flutes, Maynard Products: Flutes and piccolos Education: Bachelor of arts in flute performance Favorite artist: "Oh man, I would have to say Sufjan Stevens." Average salary for her position*: $73,080 *Based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data "My favorite part is definitely being involved with the workshop – going upstairs and getting to learn about the handwork and really be a part of it happening." - Hannah Liuzzo