Sunday Surf City Drum Circle

Every Sunday on the north side of the pier, people gather at the steps to form a drum circle. Which is also known as drum circle-tainment (drum circle + entertainment). 

Walking by, the sounds and rhythm just strikes a curiosity that has to be fulfilled. Residents and visitors gather around watching, listening and even dancing. 

On the surface, this seems like just a simple display that is so intriguing. But after speaking with a few of the participants who are also facilitators, I learned much more than meets the eye. 

Back in the early 2000s, a number of gentlemen formed the Huntington Beach or Surf City drum circle. It was a way of getting out of the house and gathering together to enjoy the weather and the beach. The group first started out on the sidewalk and they would move under the pier when it rained. Over time they migrated to the steps and the circle has grown with an open policy to anyone who wants to join in. It is now the largest recurring drum circle all year long - reliably playing every Sunday at 2pm until dark unless there is another close proximity event. Then the drum circle participants are courteous to not disturb any other conflicting activity. 

The playing begins with a facilitator that will start a beat and the rest of the participants play off of it to keep in tune. There are people with different types of skill level involved although having a music background does help. Different types of drums are used such as djembe, congo, afro-cuban and more. Being a part of the group helps form a comradery, a place to express oneself, and even networking contacts. To the onlookers and the group, it brings joy for this is a positive gathering. People want to get up and dance - whether it is the regular tantra dancers or a newcomer, all are welcome. Since this is such a reliable event, people from out of town that happened to catch the drum circle and had such a good time, come back again bringing revenue back to our city. 

Speaking to the drumming individuals, I gained more insight into the background of the people involved. Not only is drumming a chance to hear a form of live spontaneous music, but it is used in health awareness and spirituality. A facilitator, Stephen Dolle, who runs the Meetup.com site for the drum circle, is a neuroscientist who studies and holds conferences on the effects of drumming for people with disease and injury. And another long time participant, Stan Corpus, who plays with the early creators of the circle, studies and teaches the cultural aspect of drumming along with making his own percussion instruments. I learned so much speaking to these two gentlemen and holding another appreciation beyond just holding an interest to a musical sound walking by. 

For more information on joining or finding out any other information about the HB drum circle, please visit: http://www.orangecountydrumcircle.com/ 

To find out more about Stephen Dolle’s drumming studies and information please visit his website: www.dollecommunications.com 

And to check out Stan Corpus’ percussion instruments please visit his website: www.pacificcoastpercussion.com


Story courtesy of HBcool Writer:  H. Maxum