Drum circle keeps musicians upbeat
LYNDORA — Joining a music group usually takes a lot of skill and talent.
But to join a drumming circle, members need only their hands and an open mind.
Even the drums are provided on alternate Mondays when Jason Lynn of New Castle leads a drum circle at the Butler Senior Center, housed in the Tanglewood Center onAustin Street.
With access to Lynn's collection of more than 20 drums and other percussion instruments, drummers of all ages can try one or all during the hour-long sessions.
At the beginning of a session, Lynn introduces some basic rules and techniques, though he says "there's no such thing as a mistake."
The extent of the theory taught in Lynn's drumming circle is basically a down beat and a handful of different rhythms that the group experiments with. He said if drummers ever get lost or confused in the rhythms, they can just go back to the down beat until they catch up.
<table width="300" height="275" border="0" align="right" valign="top" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><embed src="/assets/mov/BE63328121.MOV" width="320" height="250" autostart="true" loop="false" ></embed></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/" target="_blank"><span class="style11">Requires Quicktime Media Player </a><br><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Times New Roman">Video by Brandon Gerthoffer</font></span><td></tr></table>In Monday's session, participants got a good grasp of the down beat and much more. They created rhythms by listening to one another and letting their own drumming adjust to others in the room."All we've gotta do is listen to one another. If it changes, it changes. Let it be," Lynn said.He also taught the drummers how to call and respond, a technique in which he drums a specific rhythm while the others drum the down beat. Then they respond by recreating his rhythm.He also encourages them to focus on breathing well."We're here to relax, and you can't relax if you're not breathing."Lynn's emphasis in drumming circles is that drummers shouldn't judge each other for how they drum. He said that they are there to relax and let the music flow through the drum.Many drumming circles have different spiritual roots and purposes, but Lynn prefers to "go as broad as I possibly can," he said. Because the drumming circle participants come from a variety of backgrounds, he doesn't want New Age or Native American spirituality to conflict with their own religious beliefs or scare them away from drumming.The 16 people attending Monday's circle included many senior citizens who already attend the center, but also included other age groups.Zachary Geyer, 7, and his brother Austin, 5, attended the drumming circle with their mother."I want them to learn to love music like their dad," said Sue Geyer of Center Township, whose husband is a guitarist.Zachary preferred to listen and watch while his younger brother tried out as many percussion instruments as he could.
Also present was Tracey Miller of Clinton Township, who drums at home to music. She met Lynn online through their interest in drumming, and she encouraged him to start drumming circles in the Butler area."It's a fabulous experience," she said. "I want to learn more."Janie Beatty, Butler Senior Center manager, also participates in the circles.As a drumming circle facilitator, Lynn travels all over Western Pennsylvania and into Ohio, leading circles for community and support groups. He also teaches drumming professionally.Although his technical title is drumming circle facilitator, Lynn also calls himself a "rhythmystic" because of his interest in studying the rhythmic undertones throughout the world.As the class drew to a close, Lynn encouraged the drummers to "take a little bit of the drum circle out into the rest of the world with you. Take that carefree att
