For the last three months, the Egelands have held indigenous flute and drum circles at The Grand Center for Arts and Culture with the hopes of expanding the circle and interest from the community.

For about a decade the Egelands have take part indigenous flute and drum circles. The couple first began attending circles while living in south central Iowa. Deb Egeland found she enjoyed playing the flute in a group setting.

“I am no virtuoso,” she said about her flute abilities, “but I do like playing them. I find it very relaxing.”

However, must of the fun involves playing in a group setting. While living in Iowa, the Egelands had no trouble finding musical circles to play in, but after moving to New Ulm three years ago they had limited options. The couple decided to start their own circles at The Grand. For the last three months, the couple have setup a circle during the third Tuesday of the month. So far, their circle has been small, but they are hoping to grow it.

During the most recent circle, the Egelands were joined by the Evers family. Adrianna Evers brought her young boys Mercer and Connor to join. Mercer and Connor took to drumming quickly. The boys helped keep the rhythm for the circle. The drum was made from a deer skin.

Paul Egeland said it was the best time to play these drums because of the weather. The cold temperatures eliminated humidity and prevented sagging. It gave the drums a sharper sound.

Paul also made some of the flutes used in the circle. He said it was a new challenge and he learned by making mistakes. At first, he made the holes too big. He was able to cover over the holes and start over.

Paul said he got a lot of the enjoyment out of making the instrument. He has long been a fan of woodworking and he enjoys talking about the technical aspects of the instruments.

Indigenous flutes are the length of a person’s elbow to the tips of their fingers. The wind chamber is the width of a hand. Since no ones forearm and hand width is the same, no two flutes are alike.

The flute has only five air holes, making the scales relatively easy to play. Deb Egeland said the simplified design makes it easier to catch on. She said there is sheet music available for the flute, but in their circle it is not necessary.

“It’s about letting your feelings come out,” Deb said. “Like being a boat on the wave.”

As the Evers family practices, she told Mercer and Connor to “pretend you are in a forest with wind blowing through the trees.”

The Egelands encourage anyone who is interested playing in the circle to attend next month. Anyone is welcomed to join. Experience is not required.

“You don’t need a lot of musical talent to do it,” Deb said.

The group meets at 3 p.m. the third Tuesday of the month at The Grand Center for Arts and Culture. Any children attending needs to be accompanied, and supervised, by an adult.