Combining film and live textural soundscapes with ceramic instruments,
Mud Meditation is a portrait of an artist’s inner world and the emotions which accompany the creative process.
The 50-minute work continuously moves from one musical soundscape to another representing the stages of ceramic making: molding, firing, and washing bisque. The film, which is projected onto different areas of the stage during the live musical performance, not only shows moments of the making process, but explores the inner feelings associated with these processes: peace, deep meditation, exploration, vulnerability, fear, doubt, anticipation, tension, and fragility. Mud Meditation is an ode to the creative process and the emotional landscape of an artist, inviting the audience to feel what an artist feels when they create, instead of just seeing the end product.
The work is currently being revised, will be ready to perform in 2027.
Website: https://www.katalinlafavre.com/blog
MEDIA
Excerpt of the film.
Live performance of the original version (without film).
Performed at the Cleveland Uncommon Sound Project in June 2024.
Mud Window
Singer Naomi Columna and percussionist Katalin La Favre created their duo, Mud Window, in 2022 and and felt an immediate artistic connection. Column’s nuanced voice mixes with La Favre’s maverick touch on unusual instruments in projects spanning original compositions, to early music.
Naomi Columna is also a film maker. Mud Meditation is the duo’s first interdisciplinary collaboration.
Artist Bios
Katalin La Favre
Standard Bio:
A classically trained percussionist on a non-traditional path, Cleveland based artist Katalin La Favre blends classical mastery with contemporary innovation. As a Fulbright grantee, Katalin spent 9 years in France specializing in interdisciplinary collaborations and contemporary music. This time abroad was transformative and broke open insatiable curiosity, expanding her role to composing, improvising, and making ceramic instruments. Relocating to the US in 2021, she is a founding member of the experimental voice and percussion duo, Mud Window, and percussionist for the Cleveland based new music group, No Exit. She teaches at Cleveland State University and directs the percussion ensemble, where her students engage in experimental collaborations with the composition and dance departments.
50 word bio:
Cleveland based artist Katalin La Favre blends classical mastery with contemporary innovation. As a Fulbright grantee, she spent 9 years in France specializing in interdisciplinary collaborations. Upon her relocation to the U.S., she began making ceramic percussion instruments. Katalin plays with the new music group, No Exit and teaches at Cleveland State University.
Naomi Columna
Standard Bio:
Naomi Columna is a musician and artist focusing on new/experimental works and multidisciplinary collaborations. With a BM in Vocal Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music, (2016), and MM in Vocal Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, (2019) Columna uses her western, classical training as a framework to reference, as well as a medium to manipulate. Columna has recently performed at Heights Arts, Trinity Cathedral, Murray Hill Galleries, and is frequently featured in CUSP, the Cleveland Uncommon Sound Project, including debut performances of her own compositions, in ensemble Halumnen, a trio for Harp, Voice and Electronic Processing, as well as a guest performer for groups like the Jelly Ear ensemble, and performer for Annea Lockwood. A staple of Columna’s practice has been collaborating with composers to bring their pieces to life, and she has premiered over 20 soloist pieces, including two new works just last month. This summer, Columna will be recording an album of living composers’ works with Enharmonic Records. Through projects supported by SPACES Gallery and the Andy Warhol Foundation, as well as Maelstrom Collaborative Arts, Columna has composed and directed original works/projects for multidisciplinary ensembles, such as ‘DANCING_BANANAS.GIF,’ with directorial partner Melanie Emig, for live musicians and video, and ‘Belong To You,’ for Prerecorded Ensemble, Video Installation, and Live Dancer. Later this year, Columna and partner, Katalin La Favre, Percussion, will be releasing their debut album, Mud Window Mud Mirror, for their newly founded duo of the same title, MWMM.
photo credit: Paul Blackmore
photo credit: Steven Mastroianni
Technical Rider
photo credit: Jeff La Favre
Artist Contact:
Katy La Favre: 440.586.7659 // katylafavre@gmail.com
Contact Katy for any questions concerning sound
Naomi Columna: 334.477.4728 // naomicolumna@gmail.com
Contact Naomi for any questions pertaining to image projection
Hospitality
Naomi Columna and Katalin La Favre would both travel and be present for performances.
If more than 90 minutes from the Cleveland area, 2 hotel rooms will be required.
A Green Room with water and light snacks would be preferable.
Day of Show Sheet requested from venue at least one week prior to performance including the following information:
Load-in time and instructions:
Parking and Entry:
Green Room Location:
Wifi:
soundcheck time:
Doors time:
Load-out instructions:
Hard out time:
Emergency Contacts
Venue Manager Cell:
On-site Tech/Audio Lead:
Nearest Hospital: