Novice drummers find their rhythm in Greensburg park

About 20 people got an outdoor drum lesson Tuesday at an unorthodox “drum circle” in Greensburg’s St. Clair Park.

“This isn’t really a drum circle, it’s more of a weird drum line, semicircle kind of thing,” said Matt Mikeska, who led the event.

Participants were seated on the park’s bleachers rather than in a circle to maintain social distancing.

Satya Yoga of Greensburg hosted the event. The studio has held indoor drum circles before, but this was its first time bringing the event to the park.

“It gets you into the present moment, it gets you out of your head and into your body,” said Michelle Keenan, owner of Satya Yoga.

The studio has been holding free yoga weekly classes in the park, which have proven popular, Keenan said.

Mikeska has been drumming since he was a child. He has a large collection of drums and other percussion instruments, representing styles from all over the world.

He loaded up his van with as many drums as it could carry and let participants have their pick Tuesday.

Most attendees had never taken part in a drum circle before. Mikeska gave them a quick lesson in the basics.

“The drum is the most approachable of all the instruments, all you have to do is beat it with your hands,” Mikeska said.

Drumming in a group is a great way to get the hang of the instrument without pressure, because individual performances are lost in the larger rhythm, he said.

“It’s something that we can create that’s bigger than any one of us,” he said.

Keenan said that sense of being part of a group is especially important during the coronavirus pandemic.

“We knew people were hurting, and needed a place where we could be a community,” she said.