Experience a blend of music with Noah I MUA.

For the first time, Noah I MUA and his band will be performing at the Black Swamp Arts Festival on Friday at 5 p.m. on the main stage.

Noah I MUA is a local artist based out of Toledo, who writes and performs his own music. His band classifies as a jam band, but he said they play many different types of genres, often mixing them together. He often blends folk rock and indie rock, but other genres may be involved too.

His debut album, titled “The Road Ahead,” was released in 2020 and features 17 tracks. At the festival he said he would most likely be performing his own music but may perform a few covers or songs written by his bandmates.

Music means a lot to Noah I MUA, as he has been playing guitar since he was 10 years old. He began to get serious with writing and performing when he was around the age of 12.

Around this time, he said he was facing some personal issues and music gave him peace and helped him connect with his spirituality.

Due to his deep connection with music, he said people who come to watch his performance can expect an authentic experience that is meant to make them happy and connect them with their spirituality.

“I’m definitely very connected to my spirituality and I find that my music is a direct conduit to that for myself,” he said. “And so I hope just to reach people spiritually with our performances so it’s not just a fun time, but it’s also enriching and can touch people emotionally and help them feel something and release something as well.”

When he first began performing on his own, he decided to pick I MUA as his name. I MUA is a Hawaiian word that means to move forward and progress. He said he chose that name for himself because he liked the meaning and at the time was in a place in his life where he had to start moving forward.

“I chose that name to remind myself to keep moving forward and to send that message out to anybody listening to the music that we can grow, and we can progress, and we can be triumphant, all of us together,” he said.

Noah I MUA said his music is about building community and being inclusive to all different types of people.

For him, being inclusive is for both the people listening and the people he works with. He said he loves collaborating with people and he encourages people to let him know if they want to be involved in his music.

Since this is his first time performing at the festival with his band, he said he is looking forward to the experience and getting to share his music with people.

“I’m definitely really excited about it and grateful and humbled to be amongst all these other great artists that have played and will be playing,” he said.

More information about Noah I MUA can be found on his website www.noahimua.com.

“I feel good about the message that I’m sending out and everything and I just hope that anybody coming to the Black Swamp festival just really enjoys our music and all of the amazing musicians and culture that we’re just really lucky to have in our community,” he said.

Noah I MUA

Noah I MUA his band will be performing at the Black Swamp Arts Festival on Friday at 5 p.m. on the main stage.