You may already recognize some of the posters pictured in this article! Originally designed for the American market, they are now being translated into different languages and coming to harp publications near you soon. The talent behind their photographs, design and text is Rebecca Finch. Rebecca, as you can go on to read, began
designing this series for Camac because she is a great graphic
designer and harpist, but she is also an artist and jewelry designer.
She lives with her husband, a youth pastor, in New York, and is
involved in a lot of his work supporting teenagers.
"I had been working for MJ and David D’Arville at the Virginia Harp Center, helping in the store itself and also doing their graphic design, when they recommended me to Jakez for Camac’s Harp Column ads. And so began the discussions over the possibility of working together. Camac wanted someone to help them with the American publications, so it was helpful that I was American as well as a harpist. I needed to understand the company, harps, and harpists in general, and also to bridge the gap between French and American advertising. Different cultures are spoken to in different ways, so it seemed important that this was not an in-house project.
I had never been out of America, so going to France to work with a harp company was a huge thrill for me on many levels. I have always had a thing for France – the beautiful language, art and architecture – my friends were quite jealous yet happy for me as I went on my big trip! I am also a harpist, so working for a harp company and being able to go to the factory to watch parts of the harp being made and to learn how it is assembled gave me more appreciation than I already had for my beautiful Athena. And then of course, I’m a graphic designer and to have all these loves in my life be combined into one job is a dream come true!
On my first trip to France, I presented many ideas to Jakez and Eric. Several of them just didn’t fit the company so we threw those out. One idea worked and we developed the details together, which then materialized into the most recent grouping of ads seen in the Harp Column. The ads focused on the many strengths found uniquely in Camac harps: more spacing in the upper register, the pedal cuffs instead of felt, balanced design and sound, pedal cables instead of rods, a more reliable and precise mechanism, and so on.
We needed to emphasize Camac's continued traditional harp-making production, while explaining to the public that Camac also make design changes when they find a better method or material. We addressed many misconceptions in the ads, too. All in all it was a good place to start for a first ad campaign, explaining who the Camac company is, and why they do what they do.
I am looking forward to the next ad campaigns, scheduled to hit the Harp Column March/April issue and the coming issues of the Folk Harp Journal!"
Rebecca recently made a second trip to visit us in France."I felt so enriched with information on the country and on Camac during my first trip to France, but I had even more unique experiences on my most recent trip this past November. I was able to see the city of Paris again, and was privileged to photograph Janet Harbison’s master class and concert. It was wonderful for me that some of it was in English so while I was a photographer, the harpist in me was soaking up all the information that Janet was sharing. After a weekend in Paris I was off to lovely Mouzeil to photograph the workers in the factory. The trip out along the plains, hills and villages was enriching as Eric told me all sorts of interesting facts about France, the countryside, French history, and I even received some French vocabulary lessons. The workers recognized me from my last trip and were so helpful and kind.
The Camac workshops in Mouzeil, taken from the air
It was important to see the relationship that Jakez and Eric have with the workers. It seemed that each morning when they came to the office they made it around to each worker to greet them and chat a few minutes. I saw not just a business, but also a passion for harpmaking. They care very much about the workers, about the harpists who will play their instruments, and I see the great concern they have for quality as the harps are developed.
On my last day Jakez and I took several pedal harps to the Brittany shore, and also to the walled city of Guerande. I saw so many wonderful places that day. I ate lunch in a building that was older than my own country. I saw the other side of the Atlantic Ocean and felt the strong winds whip around the rocky coast of Brittany, France. I’m still slowly enjoying my caramels made from the sea salt collected there.
I
look forward to the future of Camac, but I am also thrilled with the present. It is a privilege to work for such a company."
