ERIKA NINOYU 

Musician Educator

Erika is a MUSICIAN-EDUCATOR and has taught music, wind band, jazz band, movement, percussion, taiko, music technology and choir for all ages and settings, including East High School, Central Middle School, Winterberry Charter School, EnviroBEAT, UAA Theater for Young People, AK Percussive Arts Society and privately. Ms. Ninoyu has studied TAIKO drumming with Chabo of Shidara, Tiffany Tamaribuchi of Sacramento Taiko Dan, Art Lee of Wadaiko Ensemble Tokara, among others. She FOUNDED many performing groups, including Wadaiko Alaska and neoclassical world fusion group, DEFusion. Her training in CONDUCTING has been influenced through her studies with Mallory Thompson, Allan McMurray, Gary Hill, Eric Rombach-Kendall and Mark Wolbers.

During 2013-2015, Erika spent a year and a half as a trainee with SHIDARA, a world-renown professional Japanese taiko (drumming) group that has preserved her ancestor's 750 year-old festival, "Hanamatsuri" within the mountains of Toei, Japan. Through Shidara's national tour and her personal travels, she has had the opportunity to connect with people throughout Japan, Nepal, Thailand, China and more. During 2018-2019, Erika joined Odaiko New England as a guest performing artist and she currently performs with the Mark Rooney Taiko Connection throughout the DMV area.

 

Policy Analyst 
In the second stage of her career, Erika graduated with a Masters in Education Policy and Management from Harvard University and consulted Boston Public Schools to explore expansions of their virtual education program. She also collaborated with the National Congress of American Indians to develop recommendations to form their task force on climate action. Over the past year, Erika has worked for Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY), as her Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) Congressional fellow, to expand her education and civil rights portfolio, increase federal funding for education through the appropriations and COVID-19 stimulus packages, introduce legislation such as the COVID-19 Language Access Act, Supporting Survivors of Sexual Harassment in Schools, and the 21st Century Youth Entrepreneurship Act, and pass legislation, such as the House Resolution 908 Condemning Anti-Asian Sentiment Due to COVID-19. 

​

Cultural Ambassador

Erika is also passionate about improving and impacting her COMMUNITY. As the founding president, she has lead the Japanese Society of Alaska's transition into the Japan Alaska Association, a 501(c)3 non-profit. She also continues to work to empower the next generation of Japanese American leaders and promoting stronger U.S.-Japan relations as a 2016 Emerging Leader and Vice Chair of the U.S.-Japan Council ELP Steering Committee. She has worked to promote civic engagement through the Welcoming Anchorage initiative, the Anchorage School District, and Leadership Anchorage of the Alaska Humanities Forum in partnership with the Mayor's Office, and the Japanese American Citizens League, Alaska, New England, and D.C. Chapters. She has worked to bridge community and schools as a School Business Partnership Coordinator, serving the school district's Multicultural Education Concerns Advisory Committee (MECAC), the Music Curriculum Committee, Alaska Music Educator's Association, and was a FOUNDING MEMBER of the Alaska Band Directors Association, Japan Relief Fund of Alaska, Spenard Jazz Fest, among others. 

​

​