Sisters Haruka and Rika Fujii are keenly aware of their musical lineage; their mother, Mutsuko, is a pioneer when it comes to the marimba.

"It's still difficult for us to generate the kinds of sounds that our mother was able to," Haruka says with some pride. "She can do it like nobody else can."

The sisters' musical abilities are also quite impressive, however. Haruka recently returned from San Francisco where she is currently based. She studied at The Julliard School in New York and performs as both a solo percussionist and chamber musician with Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble.