the Miyumi Project ensemble. The Miyumi Project has had a varying number of musicians; the only continuous members have been Aioki and Mwata Bowden. With drummer Afifi Phillard they originally called the group Power Trio. In 2016, the Miyumi Project ensemble was the official musical presenter for Yoko Ono's Skylanding installation at Jackson Park in Chicago. Ono produced the band's album Skylanding. In 2017, the Miyumi Project contributed to And Then They Came for Us, a documentary about internment of Japanese Americans and released an album of the same name. For twenty years he has played bass for saxophonist Fred Anderson. He has also worked with Hamid Drake, Von Freeman, Nicole Mitchell, and Jeff Parker and has had extensive recording processes with Roscoe Mitchell, Don Moye, Wu Man, Joseph Jarman, and Malachi Favors. Aoki's suite Rooted: Origins of Now, a four-movement suite for big band, premiered in 2001 at Ping Tom Memorial Park and was performed at the Chicago Jazz Festival and MCA Stage as part of the Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival. Additional albums include Basser Live (1999) and Basser Live II (2005), recorded live at MCA Stage; Symphony of Two Cities (2002); and Posture of Reality with Wu Man (2003). In 2016 he toured as part of Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble. He leads Tsukasa Taiko, a traditional Japanese drumming group, and has performed with Toyoaki Shamisen Ensemble and Shubukai Classical Dance As executive director of Asian Improved arts Midwest, an Asian American cultural arts presenter organization, Aoki has initiated and managed several programs to advance the understanding of traditional arts, including the annual Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival, the Tsukasa Taiko Legacy, and the Toyoaki Shamisen arts residency projects. He began making films in regular 8 gauge in early childhood. His biological father, Wahei Hoshino, was a movie producer in the 1960s and influenced his work in small gauge, experimental filmmaking. His super 8 diary films and experimental films with optical printing have been screened around the world. He presented the documentary That Asian Thing in 2008 and worked as a composer for the short film Farewell, Mr. Griswell in 2010. He has published sample versions of films such as FLUX Project, Gate, Puzzle - Part III, Ah Sou Desuka: Is that So!, and Solution A. Awards and honors 2001 Chicagoan of the Year, Chicago Tribune 2007 Milestone Award, Asian American Institute 2010 Cultural Achievement Award, Japan