Celebrating Black Harpists in a New National American Family Insurance Commercial
From stage to screen, representation drives my artistic journey at every turn. Who knew it would lead to a national commercial! I’m excited to shine a light on Black harpists and continue the legacy of representation across the country with this opportunity.
I'm thrilled to share that I was recently featured in a new American Family Insurance commercial. Here’s a bit about my journey and experience during this exciting project.
The commercial came about through an open national call from American Family Insurance. Although I was new to commercial acting, my family's history in film and production sparked my interest in this opportunity. The chance to showcase Black artistry on screen was especially meaningful to me, as representation has always been a driving force in my artistic journey. I was thrilled to highlight cultural representation in the harp community through this commercial and hope it inspires young harpists of color across the country.
After a taped and live virtual callback audition, I was overjoyed to be offered the role. About two weeks later, I was flown to Los Angeles to prepare for the shoot. We spent a week in Los Angeles with a packed schedule that included fittings, rehearsals, and makeup and dress trials, plus filming. It was an incredibly busy week! Fitting the shoot in between cross-country gigs—leading sessions for the Music Educators Workshop at Carnegie Hall in New York City and playing alongside Peloton instructor Chelsea Jackson Roberts in a meditation set at the Brooklyn Museum—was a real calendar puzzle. While it was an exciting stretch of cross-country performing, I definitely took some time off at the end of it all!
Finalizing the music was quite an adventure. The producers decided on the final selection, Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1, just two days before filming, with a pretty involved computer-generated arrangement. The exact section of the piece was chosen about one minute prior to the start of filming, and we played with a track on-set to keep timing solidified. We spent the days before filming memorizing the arrangement and preparing as much as possible while remaining flexible to the director’s and crew’s needs and adjustments. Thanks to a bit of Hollywood magic, everything came together perfectly in the end!
Stephanie Bennett was incredibly helpful as the harp coach for Adriana Murigu, the actress who played the young harpist. Although Adriana had a musical background, this was her first time playing the harp. Stephanie taught her the necessary skills to feel confident on set. We were all impressed by Adriana’s quick learning and her ability to act, take direction, and play for the extended recording days, which included filming in front of a live audience of 50 extras, a crew of over 80, and 15-plus moving cameras, lights, and audio equipment on us at all times!
The most rewarding part of this experience has been seeing the commercial air and witnessing its impact. Hearing young musicians express how meaningful it is to see themselves represented and celebrated on a national level has been incredibly fulfilling. I’m excited to watch the ripple effect and can’t wait to see where this journey with the harp takes me next!
