Our collective voice rose into the sky at dusk.
Huddled around a fire, hundreds of drummers pulsed into the evening and night, all in the name of an old school beach party.
On behalf of Three8six.com and Drum4Wellness, we thank everyone who helped make the Fire Up the Beat event a stellar success.
Expert drummers pounded out the rhythms for newbies like me and Chrissy Clary to follow. As organizers of the party, we were overjoyed to listen to ya'll demand that we do it again.
That's just want we wanted to hear.
Watching the flames rise into the night, I took a break with a couple of volunteers to play with the crowd near the fire pit. It was surreal to see the drum circle pretty much run itself. People were decorated in glow sticks, smiles abounded and a beautiful impromptu belly dancer undulated beside the bonfire.
Chrissy and I were especially elated to overhear good conversations, such as the connection between a couple of 30-something women who complimented each other on their skills.
"It's like our drums are communicating for us," one said.
Musicians came from as far away as Orlando, including one guy who said he even made fliers to pass out in Lake Mary. (Thanks Mark!)
And it wasn't only about drumming. Equipped with an amp and a generator, we managed to project some harmonica, flute, didgeridoo and guitar sounds onto the beach.
Our facilitator, Karl Miranda, owner of Drum4Wellness, graciously lent out drums and other instruments. With crowds estimated at between 300 to 400 people, it was the largest circle he'd ever helped oversee and despite the size, it went smoothly.
"I was put to the test, that was for sure, but it was a good test" said Karl, who is already planning to buy more drums and make his sound system more compact for the next time.
Special thanks go out to each of you who contributed to the party, whether that was through your poi ball light show or lending out your hula hoops, (which many people took advantage of after 15+ years of hiatus. They were awesome!)
We also want to give a shout out to the people who helped clean up the site and pack up Karl's and Three8six.com's gear.
For those of you want to know when we're going to do it again, we're working on it. Mark your calendar for Friday, April 3rd, in New Smyrna Beach. Meet at 7 p.m. on the beach located off of North Beach Community Park (on the corner of Sapphire Road and North Atlantic Avenue).
Please note that this will be the last ocean side bonfire until November because sea turtle season (May 1 through October 31) requires that no light sources be projected from the beach.
Also, if you haven't already, don't forget to submit your photos to our site by e-mailing info@three8six.com .
Tell us what you thought of the party and if you want to volunteer for the next one, please e-mail me at kelly.cuculiansky@news-jrnl.com .