Full Moon Drum Circle

Greetings all who take this in: Awesome DRUMMING fun! Got there with 4 friends, carpooled from Orange, and stayed 'til the end! The ocean was magnificent, a VERY high tide, I found out after hearing about the HIGH TIDE ALERT... And NOW the "DANCE ALERT": if you have a bone at all... given to rhythm, you will NOT be able to contain yourself!!!  Although couldn't see the MOON, last night JUNE 3rd, 2012, not until we had all gone to our cars, but it was a beauty! The MOON Was hiding under the marine layer! But we were all entertained by the Fire Dancers, the Glow-in-the-Dark Hula Hoop girl, and the Glowing glow balls, undulating in the beat of a large and happy group of people!

I went to the fullmoon drum circle for my first time on 11.10.11 and it was a very interesting experience that I don't quite know how to describe. It was a culminations of many kinds of people from all walks of life. There were young, old, kids, dogs and a cat (my cat :) there. The people were very welcoming, seemed spiritual but basically there to dance and have a good time. I'd highly recommend this event to anyone wanting to explore new things, have a good time and meet people.

You can read about my and my cats first drum circle experience here. <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fthebestcatblog.wordpress.com%2F%3Fp%3D121%26preview%3Dtrue&s=ecbb03aae424c856c694f255beb09d84035d025ed290f6848b92a82e08e109f2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://thebestcatblog.wo…</a>

From wiki: A djembe (pronounced /dmbe/ 'JEM-bay') also known as jembe, jenbe, djimbe, jymbe, yembe, or jimbay, or sanbanyi in Susu; is a skin-covered hand drum shaped like a large goblet and meant to be played with bare hands. According to the Bamana people in Mali, the name of the djembe comes directly from the saying "Anke dje, anke be" which literally translates to "everyone gather together" and defines the drum's purpose. In the Bamanakan language, "Dje" is the verb for "gather" and "be" translates as "everyone"[1].

I've been wanting to go to this drum circle for many years now- but was always intimidated by the fact that I might show up to the bonfire, not knowing anyone, and find myself in a weird situation with a bunch of naked people high on drugs dancing around a fire.

Last night was the first full moon of the summer, and I had purchased my djeme just 2 weeks ago in order to be prepared for this event! There sure was fire, and, some people on drugs, and dancing. But sort of like an Angel game- the people of OC know how to "whitewash" everything, and the event didn't get as tribal as one might hope or think. So for any newbies- don't be intimidated!

The parking at Aliso on the beach side is ridic- I drove around the tiny lot like 8 times before giving up and parking across PCH on the hill side, where parking was plentiful. Be sure to plan for that possibility when you are packing your beach gear- you may have to lug it a bit. There is a nice tunnel that goes under PCH (who knew!?) that leads from the alternate lot to the beach. A little dark and scary (especially on the way back at 10 pm), but much better than having to try and outrun the speeding drunks on PCH in the dark.

The "circle" was already playing when I got there, about 15 minutes before sunset. It sounded like a loud mess. There was a potluck set up, and it's helpful to bring some wood to add to the bonfire. Also, make sure you bring your blankets and chairs- duh.

I set myself and my djembe up next to a friend that I had convinced to meet me, and their friend they brought along. They had two different kinds of drums. I threw some percussion shakers into the mix as well. Basically, if you have anything from the percussion, bell, or even flute family- you are good with bringing that. The website says that you can play some extra instruments they have, but I wouldn't count on it unless you arrive early. Hippie-types are usually quick to share, so if you make friends, I am sure you will find someone letting you try their instrument out for a bit.

So, back to the crowd. There was about 150 people of all different sorts; soccer moms, old people, babies, hippies, OC housewives, guys and gals with dreads, people wishing they were at EDC, high schoolers, wannabe belly dancers, the elderly, and the curious. After taking it all in, remind yourself that you are probably experiencing a moment of life in the OC that doesn't happen quite often or widely spread-- this is where people come to be free and express themselves, and not judge. It's an interesting thing to get use to, as you watch the size 0 OC housewife dance and shake her tiny ass and large tambourine right next to the doped up tattoed-laden dreadlock guy, who was meditating with incense and sage. Very odd to see, but VERY cool to be a part of. The coolest thing this drum circle (and probably many drum circles) is yes, the whole non-judging thing, but also how you are forced to live in the present, and not think about the normal boundaries of everyday life. It doesn't matter what you do for a living or what kind of car you showed up in. It doesn't matter what others think about you. As long as you feel good, you are doing good. You don't have to be a musician to be here-- hell, you don't even need an instrument. If you just want to show up and let the beats take over your body, just do it. You won't regret it.

This is a place where EVERYone gathers together, just as the djembe is supposed to do.

The circle itself is more like a large mob. It's good times, but I want to sit up closer to the fire next time. That's where the main action takes place. The drum circle leaders do a pretty good job of leading the circle from one rhythm into the next. You can play or stop as you please, there's no pressure to do anything, quite frankly. It is such a freeing feeling! At the end of the evening , I was having the most fun. A lot of the crowd was gone already and it was a lot easier to hear what sounds I was contributing. It seemed like everyone was a lot more aware of the leader's directions, and we all started to sound really good.

Then, at 10 PM sharp, the Laguna police let us know (quite rudely) that is was time to go by turning 4 squad car's spotlights on the group, and blaring their lights and sirens.

Laguna police- give me a goddamn break. It was a total buzz kill to end such an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G evening like that.