Calgary’s Japanese Taiko Drum Performance Ensemble, Yama no Oto presents YUKI, a virtual celebration of snow and winter in Calgary. Starting with HATSU YUKI (the peaceful first snowfall of the season) and ending with HARU (looking forward to Springtime), Yama no Oto will perform taiko drums, shamisen, shinobue, and other percussion instruments to celebrate winter. Please tune into our social media channels and to Chinook Blast for these special winter taiko performances! We acknowledge Treaty 7 territory—the ancestral and traditional territory of the Blackfoot Confederacy: Kainai, Piikani and Siksika as well as the Tsuu T’ina First Nation and Stoney Nakoda First Nation. We acknowledge the many First Nations, Métis and Inuit whose footsteps have marked these lands for generations. We are grateful for the traditional Knowledge Keepers and Elders who are still with us today and those who have gone before us. We recognize the land as an act of reconciliation and gratitude to those whose territory we reside on or are visiting. Performances were filmed individually on location in Calgary, Cochrane, Kananaskis, and Lethbridge according to public health guidelines at the time of filming. Feb 22, 2021: HATSU YUKI, The First Snowfall Feb 24, 2021: FUBUKI, Snowstorm Feb 26, 2021: YUKI ASOBI, Playing in the Snow Feb 28, 2021: HARU, Looking Forward to Spring

Calgary’s Japanese Taiko Drum Performance Ensemble, Yama no Oto presents YUKI, a virtual celebration of snow and winter in Calgary. Starting with HATSU YUKI (the peaceful first snowfall of the season) and ending with HARU (looking forward to Springtime), Yama no Oto will perform taiko drums, shamisen, shinobue, and other percussion instruments to celebrate winter. Please tune into our social media channels and to Chinook Blast for these special winter taiko performances! We acknowledge Treaty 7 territory—the ancestral and traditional territory of the Blackfoot Confederacy: Kainai, Piikani and Siksika as well as the Tsuu T’ina First Nation and Stoney Nakoda First Nation. We acknowledge the many First Nations, Métis and Inuit whose footsteps have marked these lands for generations. We are grateful for the traditional Knowledge Keepers and Elders who are still with us today and those who have gone before us. We recognize the land as an act of reconciliation and gratitude to those whose territory we reside on or are visiting. Performances were filmed individually on location in Calgary, Cochrane, Kananaskis, and Lethbridge according to public health guidelines at the time of filming. Feb 22, 2021: HATSU YUKI, The First Snowfall Feb 24, 2021: FUBUKI, Snowstorm Feb 26, 2021: YUKI ASOBI, Playing in the Snow Feb 28, 2021: HARU, Looking Forward to Spring

Calgary’s Japanese Taiko Drum Performance Ensemble, Yama no Oto presents YUKI, a virtual celebration of snow and winter in Calgary. Starting with HATSU YUKI (the peaceful first snowfall of the season) and ending with HARU (looking forward to Springtime), Yama no Oto will perform taiko drums, shamisen, shinobue, and other percussion instruments to celebrate winter. Please tune into our social media channels and to Chinook Blast for these special winter taiko performances! We acknowledge Treaty 7 territory—the ancestral and traditional territory of the Blackfoot Confederacy: Kainai, Piikani and Siksika as well as the Tsuu T’ina First Nation and Stoney Nakoda First Nation. We acknowledge the many First Nations, Métis and Inuit whose footsteps have marked these lands for generations. We are grateful for the traditional Knowledge Keepers and Elders who are still with us today and those who have gone before us. We recognize the land as an act of reconciliation and gratitude to those whose territory we reside on or are visiting. Performances were filmed individually on location in Calgary, Cochrane, Kananaskis, and Lethbridge according to public health guidelines at the time of filming. Feb 22, 2021: HATSU YUKI, The First Snowfall Feb 24, 2021: FUBUKI, Snowstorm Feb 26, 2021: YUKI ASOBI, Playing in the Snow Feb 28, 2021: HARU, Looking Forward to Spring

Calgary’s Japanese Taiko Drum Performance Ensemble, Yama no Oto presents YUKI, a virtual celebration of snow and winter in Calgary. Starting with HATSU YUKI (the peaceful first snowfall of the season) and ending with HARU (looking forward to Springtime), Yama no Oto will perform taiko drums, shamisen, shinobue, and other percussion instruments to celebrate winter. Please tune into our social media channels and to Chinook Blast for these special winter taiko performances! We acknowledge Treaty 7 territory—the ancestral and traditional territory of the Blackfoot Confederacy: Kainai, Piikani and Siksika as well as the Tsuu T’ina First Nation and Stoney Nakoda First Nation. We acknowledge the many First Nations, Métis and Inuit whose footsteps have marked these lands for generations. We are grateful for the traditional Knowledge Keepers and Elders who are still with us today and those who have gone before us. We recognize the land as an act of reconciliation and gratitude to those whose territory we reside on or are visiting. Performances were filmed individually on location in Calgary, Cochrane, Kananaskis, and Lethbridge according to public health guidelines at the time of filming. Feb 22, 2021: HATSU YUKI, The First Snowfall Feb 24, 2021: FUBUKI, Snowstorm Feb 26, 2021: YUKI ASOBI, Playing in the Snow Feb 28, 2021: HARU, Looking Forward to Spring

Recital segment for the Asano Taiko US Recital, streamed online on Jan 24, 2021. Sheet music and practice videos are available at https://www.calgarytaiko.com/single-post/_imua

Video performance in support of the Leukemia Lymphoma Society of Canada, Oct 2020

こんにちは 私はポーラ　みどり　二エッカーと申します。 カナダのカルガリーという街で１０年間太鼓を叩いています。 太鼓を初めたきっかけはカルガリーにある深夜太鼓会に参加し、そこで演奏者から始まり、指導者、そして２０１８年にこの深夜太鼓会を去るときには、ダイレクターとしてステージを任されるようになりました。 ２０１５年、「山の音」という太鼓のグループを立ち上げ、その時アメリカのオーディション番組で優勝された蛯名健一さんや、マジシャンの方たちと一緒にカルガリー提燈祭りに参加しました。 「山の音」というグループ名にした理由はロッキー山脈の近くに住んでいて、そこで小石がゴツゴツした岩肌を転がる音、ターコイズ色した湖に山の雪解け水が流れ込む音、そして木と木の間をすり抜ける風の音、その「音」に刺激をうけ「山の音」と名付けました。 それと同時期にマウントロイヤル大学で和太鼓を教えることになり、そこで５０人以上生徒も集まり生徒と一緒に「ロッキー山脈太鼓アンサンブル」というグループも立ち上げ、この新しい組織で素晴らしい方たちに出会えたことに感謝しております。 私はこのカルガリーで主催されるお祭りやイベントに参加させていただくのを誇りに思っております。そこで、ダンサー、オペラ、サーカス、中国の楽器、コーラスなど、沢山のジャンルが違う方達と一緒に演奏させていただくのも、ここのお祭りに参加する醍醐味だと思っております。日本やアメリカの和太鼓奏者がカルガリーに来てくださる事もあり、彼らの演奏を直に聞けることもとてもいい経験になっております。 ホッケー、ラクロス、フットボール、バレーボールやサッカーなど、プロのスポーツチームの試合で、和太鼓を今まで見たことも聞いたこともない観客の前で演奏することもあります。 大学の他に自宅でも教えています。そうすることで大人から子供まで幅広い年齢層の方達にも和太鼓を学ぶ環境を提供しております。 このコロナの影響で、大学で教えることやイベントに参加することが出来なくなり、今は個人的に場所を借りて教えています。それに「山の音」としてパフォームできる所がないか模索しているところでもあります。 気温が下がるにつれ、コロナ感染者数が急激に増えてきています。この先どうなるのかわからないのですが、和太鼓を叩き続けることに変わりはないと思います。 もしカルガリーに来ることがあれば、私の方に連絡いただけると光栄です。新しい出会いが待っていると思うと嬉しい気持ちを抑えきれません。 ２０２０年３月に「ロッキー山脈アンサンブル」としてサドルドームでNHLゲームのときの演奏させていただいた映像を添付します。 それではご自愛ください。

When Covid forced taiko classes to shift online in March 2020, I taught Shunpuu to the performing ensemble at MRU for the first crack at online teaching. It was such a learning curve to abruptly abandon the yearly lesson plans and switch to teach music over the internet with everyone playing on their own practice drums inside their own homes. Earth Celebration also moved online, and requested people around the world to play their Kodo One Earth Music on video for the festival. Some of my taiko friends who learned Shunpuu got together safely in a park, and we recorded 5 tracks which were overlaid into a single video to make it look like we were playing together. Can you find us?? Thank you Kodo for offering your music to the world, especially a Spring piece like Shunpuu, and also for including the world in your Earth Celebration. One day I hope to travel to Sado and see you in person.

March 7, 2020: Members of the Rocky Mountain Taiko Ensemble perform at centre ice for the Calgary Hitmen Multicultural Night, celebrating multiculturalism in Calgary. www.rockymountaindrums.com