
Daniel Akira Stadnicki
Select Discography
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T. Buckley, Before I Get to Turn Around (2021)
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Dana Wylie, How Much Muscle (2021)
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John Guliak, Fisherman (2020)
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Braden Gates, Kitchen Days (2021)
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Farhad Khosravi, Mosafer (2020)
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100 Mile House, Love and Leave You (2020)
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Deepak Shivan, Jazz Sutra (2019)
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Daniel Gervais, Mostly Original (2019)
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Maddie Storvold, Freedom, Books, Flowers & the Moon (2018)
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Braden Gates, Pictures of Us (2018)
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Farhad Khosravi, Sleeping in Sorrow (2017)
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Dana Wylie, The Earth That You’re Made Of (2017)
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Spencer Murray and Pipeslinger, Sound and Fury (2016)
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Elliot Thomas, Through the Darkness and the Cold (2016)
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Jaron Freeman-Fox and the Opposite of Everything, Self-titled (2013)
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Liam Titcomb, Shuter Street Sessions (2013)
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Jaron Freeman-Fox and the Opposite of Everything, Manic Almanac/Slow Mobius (2012)
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LCON, The Ballad Project (2012)
Drummer/Percussionist
Drummer/Percussionist
Daniel Akira Stadnicki is an award-winning drummer, percussionist, and educator based in Edmonton, Alberta. Originally from the suburbs of Toronto, he quickly became a key fixture in Alberta's thriving roots, jazz, and world music scenes, including work with: Farhad Khosravi, T. Buckley, Maddie Storvold, Braden Gates, Christine Hanson, Bardic Form, Cristian de la Luna, Deepak Paramashivan, Spencer Murray and Pipeslinger, Cam Neufeld and the Gadjo Collective, Martin Kerr, Daniel Gervais, Jeremiah McDade, Shannon Johnson, Elliot Thomas, Billie Zizi, 100 Mile House, Brandon Wint, Dana Wylie, Audrey Ochoa, Mark Times, Ben Sures, Maria Dunn, Kent Shores, among many others. Inspired by found-sounds, eclectic timbres, and deep, vintage drum tones, Daniel Akira thrives in string-based, acoustic music settings and has a passion for learning folk music traditions from around the world.
Over the past 20 years, he has worked with a number of Canada's finest singer/songwriters and instrumentalists, including Jaron Freeman-Fox, Liam Russel (Titcomb), Quinn Bachand, Lisa Conway, Ken Whiteley, Jake Charron, Mike Evin, Hannah Georgas, the Weather Station, Kevin Breit, as well as 90s rock band Serial joe.
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Daniel Akira is a Prairie Debut Touring Artist (2021-Current) and proudly endorses Turkish Cymbals, TruRoot Cymbals distribution, and YC Drums.
I. Globally-Inspired, Adaptive Drum Kit
Awards
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Recognitions
Braden Gates, Kitchen Days
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Canadian Folk Music Award (Nomination) for 'Traditional Album of the Year' (2022)​
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Farhad Khosravi, Mosafer
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Edmonton Music Prize (Winner 2021)​
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Dana Wylie, The Earth that You’re Made Of
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Canadian Folk Music Awards (Nomination) for 'Contemporary Singer of the Year' and Edmonton Music Prize (Nomination) for ‘Adult Alternative Recording of the Year' (2018).
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Farhad Khosravi, Sleeping in Sorrow: Songs of Child Labour –
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Western Canadian Music Awards (Nomination) for 'World Artist of the Year' and Edmonton Music Prize (Nomination) for 'World Music Recording of the Year’ (2018).
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Elliot Thomas, "Pull Devil, Pull Baker" - " Jazz Recording of the Year Nomination (Edmonton Music Awards)
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Jaron Freeman-Fox and the Opposite of Everything, Self-titled
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​Canadian Folk Music Awards (Winner), ‘Pushing the Boundaries’ and ‘Instrumental Group of the Year’ (2013)
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Jaron Freeman-Fox and the Opposite of Everything, Manic Almanac : Slow Mobius
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Canadian Folk Music Awards (Nomination), ‘Best Instrumental Solo Artist of the Year’ and ‘Pushing the Boundaries’ (2011)
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Serial joe, Face Down (2000)
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​Certified Canadian Gold Record
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Canadian Radio Music Awards for the song “Mistake.”
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‘Best New Band’ (Nomination), Juno Awards
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Over the past decade, my collaborations with various traditional, folk and classical musicians have led to the development of a 'hybrid' percussion kit. Though modified to suit each project, I typically build it around a mounted tambourine (using pitch-bending techniques), prepared floor tom (emulating a bombo drum, commonly found across South America), and various bells and found objects. I am largely inspired by Sweden's incredible folk drummers, such Petter Berndalen (This is How We Fly), Andrea Ferrari (Bokanté, Snarky Puppy), and Jens Linnell (Sver), but enjoy integrating rhythmic ideas from South India, Brazil, Afro-beat, and even the complex sound effects used in foley.
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In addition to a more typical kit set-up, I also utilize a mix of open, muted, and 'melodic' strikes with a free left hand, which attempts to mimic the sound of various animal-skinned drums from around the world. In my right hand, I use either a wooden drum stick, bamboo rod, brush, or wooden tipper of my own design.
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Farhad Khosravi, "Day of Creation" (2020).

Spencer Murray and Pieslinger, "Dowd's Favourite" (2016)
Jaron Freeman-Fox, "Auctioneering Everything" (Official Video) (2014). Video by Ben Clarkson
"Duetymology" (Live) with Jaron Freeman-Fox (2018)
'Alberta Spotlight' - Online Performance with Farhad Khosravi, sponsored by the National Music Centre (2020)
Elliot Thomas, Live @ Vacancy Hall with The Northern Sessions (2017) - "Shhh"
Jaron Freeman-Fox and the OOE, Live in Helsinki - "Flabbergasp" (2014)
"Hallelujah Leonard Cohen Hallelujah" (Live) with Dana Wylie (2018)
Daniel Gervais and 2E Fiddle - "Reel of Isabelle" (2017)
"Dana Wylie - "The Earth That You're Made Of" (Live) (2017)
"Reach Out to the Darkness" (Live) with Martin Kerr (2018)

II. Roots/Canadian Folk/Americana
Since moving to Alberta in 2012, I have been very lucky to work with some of the province's most celebrated singer/songwriters, in addition to ongoing collaborations with Nashville- and Toronto-based artists. These projects challenge me to come up with appropriate drum parts that support the song (often recorded live off the floor), as well as re-create vintage drum sounds and explore interesting textures.
T Buckley, "Before I Get to Turn Around" (2021)
Maddie Storvold, "Wild Geese" (2018)
"Into the Mystic" (2012), with Liam Titcomb (Russel).
"Test the Timber" Lyric Video - Hundred Mile House (2020)
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Liam Titcomb (Russel), "Old Wound" (2013)
Liam Titcomb (Russel), "I Wanna Go Back" (2013)

Dana Wylie, "Let No Man Steal Your Thyme" (2017)

Spencer Murray and Pipeslinger (feat. Elliot Thomas), "Nancy April" (2016)