Hagen/Nehlsen/Swan Family
by Jennifer Graham
Back by popular demand, the Hagen/Nehlsen/Swan family will be singing
at the Red Barn on Friday, August 15 at 7:30 p.m. Distinguished by the
fineness of their close harmony and their humorous presentation, this
multi-generational group of native Islanders has performed throughout
Wisconsin, most recently at the Third Avenue Playhouse in Sturgeon Bay.
A dozen musicians with an appeal as broad as their span of years,
these family singers range in age from 14 to 82. The grandparents of
patriarch Jack Hagen were among the first Scandinavian settlers of
Washington Island in the mid to late 1800's. Back then, singing together
was their main form of entertainment. Passed down from one generation to
another, their tradition of singing as a family was enhanced when Jack
learned to play the guitar as a young man. Raised in the family
farmhouse on West Harbor Road, Jack’s parents built the log cabin next
to the ball field on Main Road. They ran it as an ice cream parlor and
restaurant with the help of their four children: Jack, Joy (Gunnlaugsson),
Margie (Bjarnarson), and Virgie (Walden). The ice cream was made from
milk from cows on the family farm.
Jack, his wife Marcella, and their children Leila, Linda and Julian
continued to sing together for fun. "Singing was what our life was
about," enthuses Linda Hagen Swan, "There was a natural
progression of the children growing up and keeping the family tradition
and ties going [through song]." Their singing together has evolved
through time, through the family branching out and growing, "like a
strawberry plant putting out its runners," says Linda.
Frequently accompanied by talented violinist Lynn Gudmundsen, the
family sings a wide variety of songs: folk, country, oldies, and gospel,
as well as numerous original songs. In 1995 they produced a CD of
favorite tunes entitled A Long Line of Love. A popular singer
throughout Wisconsin in his own right, Julian Hagen has also produced
several tapes and CD’s of original music. Most recently he was
interviewed by two TV stations and a radio station as part of the Artists
for Independence show in Sturgeon Bay.
Seasoned performers, the Hagen/Nehlsen/Swan family has sung at the Alice
in Dairyland concert and in the Cherry Blossom Queen contest.
The program they sang on the Michael Feldman Show on National
Public Radio in 2001 has been re-aired on numerous occasions. Sally
Swan was one of the ten finalists in the Wisconsin/Illinois division of
the Nashville Star Competition in 2002. Daniel Swan was one of
three scholarship winners for music in the Wisconsin Music
Association’s annual competition in 2003. Rachel and Janelle Swan
have performed in many school and community performing arts events. Jack
and Marisa Nehlsen are veterans of Island Players theater
productions. Marisa also sings in the Faithful Friends, a
six-voice teenage vocal group here on the Island.
The family’s future performance schedule includes singing at the Christmas
Tree Festival in Ogema, Wisconsin on September 27 and at the Third
Avenue Playhouse in Sturgeon Bay in early December.
"My favorite part is being with the family. Many people have
said that in this day and age, it is so good to see a family being happy
together," Linda says. "Our desire is to encourage
people," affirms Leila Hagen Nehlsen, "[Our goal is to
provide] fun, good, clean, family entertainment."
This unique and talented group of performers can be heard locally at
their annual Island concert at the Red Barn on Friday, August 15 at 7:30
p.m. Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for children ages 5-12.
