Siesta Key Drum Circle Sunday Nights

After growing up on Siesta Key and being in Sarasota for most of my life, I thought it was probably about time that I visit Siesta Key Beach during the bewitching hour one Sunday night . . . that’s the hour before sunset every Sunday night on the beach.  So, away we went on that Sunday evening, a couple of weeks ago with my children in tow.

By the time we arrived, there was so much activity that we felt compelled to get out to the beach in a hurry.  With the circle of people in chairs surrounding this unique, free wheeling group of individuals, we were hard pressed to find an opening to set down our 4 chairs and snacks so we could see what all of the commotion was about.  Even though it took a while to find a parking space, the wait was certainly worth the sites of the carnival-like atmosphere with the most gorgeous sunset hanging in the balance.  This is a site that is hard to describe and that you must see some time in your life!

Siesta Key Drum Circle Action

Drum circles are probably one of the most ancient forms of community building known to man. In the drum circle, people who are not necessarily professional musicians come together to create an improvised composition that becomes the score for  their own lives. The drum circle provides a portal into musical expression, making it an accessible experience for anyone at any age or level of ability. In it’s simplest form, the drum is an accessible tool for creative expression.

Drum circles are happening in many places. This demonstrates the importance of establishing a rhythmaculture in our Western world. People attend these events not to become better percussionists, but to reduce stress, build community, and have fun. It is a recreational activity that engages the mind, body, and spirit. Arthur Hull, father of the modern day drum circle, developed his unique approach to facilitating drum circles in the 1980s through an observation of the need that extended beyond percussion skill development. According to Arthur, “when we drum together, it changes our relationships and helps us cope with whatever challenges life hands us.”

A Fabulous Siesta Key Sunset

So if you get a chance, stop by Siesta Key Public Beach in Sarasota, Florida, on Sunday nights about an hour before sunset.  You can’t miss the crowds as they will gather just behind the main pavilion.  Bring a chair and a camera.  You won’t believe it until you sit in the drum circle!

Quartz, also known as silicon dioxide, is a mineral found abundantly all over the earth.  Over the course of many, many years (like millions of years), the rise and fall of the Gulf of Mexico left deposits of white, quartz sand along Florida’s west coast.   The soft texture of the sand is due to the fine grains which have been transformed by the natural processes of wind and movement.   This sand does not have any coral or shell fragments in it, hence its soft and silky feeling to the touch.

In 1987, Siesta Beach sand was voted the FINEST, WHITEST SAND IN THE WORLD during a challenge hosted by area enlisted scientists who asked the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute of Massachusetts to judge the “Great International White Sand Beach Challenge”.   Since the challenge, Siesta Key Beach sand has won many awards and has made several of Dr. Beach’s top ten beach lists.

This November, 2010, the Inaugural Siesta Key Crystal Classic Master Sandsculpting Championships will be held on Siesta Beach.  This event has attracted Master Sandsculpting teams from all over the country to compete in this 1 week event to create the most incredible sandsculptures anywhere, most of which will tower more than 8’ in the air.  These sculptures are created with just sand and water and the results will be a testament to Siesta Key’s beach sand.  (This event shouldn’t be confused with the 1 day amateur sandsculpting contest that is held every May hosted by the Pelican Press.  Amateurs can eventually become Master Sandsculptors, but must endure many amateur and Master competitions along the way in order to be invited.)

With live music, a trendy Vendor Village and 20 of the most incredible sculptors competing for $28.000 in prize money, this is a family, friendly festival that should not be missed.   The event will be held November 18 through November 21^st, 2010.  For more information about the event schedule and discount accommodations at host hotel, Holiday Inn Express-Siesta Key/Sarasota, please visit www.crystalsand.org or www.hiexsarasota.com.