By: AfroMonk (www.afromonk.com)

If there is one thing that I have learned since I have started going to parties, it’s that there is a strong sense of community. In keeping with industry vocab, we have all adopted the term 'scene' to describe the throngs of people we encounter before, during and after our various outings, but let’s get real - it’s a community of people on a local,domestic and international level.

Obviously, one of the main reasons we continue coming back for more is because of the music. But we also come back because of the sense of being part of something bigger - that sense of community. I can't explain how evident that sense is when traveling to new cities for shows, for example. No matter how strange, or even how mundane, a city or venue seems, that warm sense of community always seems to envelope me. The same goes for a party - there are producers, DJs, VJs, promoters and fans alike who are all actively part of the bigger picture. We all play a vital role within this picture. I don't believe that any one role becomes singly more important than another, considering that if one doesn’t fulfill their role, things fall apart.

As these roles coagulate at each and every party, show and after party, the most interesting aspect of the bass community becomes glaringly evident: its utter uniqueness and breadth. Of course we all unite around bass music, but you’d have to be deaf to not notice the variation in music, culture, outward appearances, environment and faces.

In turn, with community comes obligation and responsibility. Within the bass community, our ultimate responsibilities and obligations lie in having fun and perpetuating its growth. Many of us support our local scene, then take it to the next level when traveling - hoping that the experiences will grow bigger, better and more meaningful each time. I, like many others within my community, personally try to do as much as possible to divulge the sounds I love everywhere I go. That being said, I feel we all need to stop and realize how important it is to support our local community; they are family, after all. Make your voice known and get involved. Keep your local community alive and help it thrive. Even if you are too busy to contribute anything significant, a simple thank you and encouraging words to the people who are active goes a long way.

Community in its most grand manifestation takes the form of festivals. The journey to a festival will, without doubt, change your life forever. At a festival, innumerable communities join together as a family and enjoy the many great things we all love about this music. I can't say enough how barren things were for me due to the lack of community in the particular music I enjoy while living in Miami. It's not that the community there is lacking at all - it's simply a different style of community entirely. My saving grace was taking a leap of faith and venturing to a music festival. It changed my life for the better.

So, as lineups and tickets become available for this year's festival season, pledge to yourself to go on an adventure. If it means scrounging cash from here until then, so be it. Be responsible - start with a weekend pass, if you have to. Rest assured that if you've never been to a festival, it will open your eyes and introduce you to more likeminded individuals from all over the country than you could have ever imagined.

Not a camper, you say? I’ll be the first to admit that I quite seriously enjoy each and every one of my indoor accommodations. And I’d never camped a night in my life - that is, until Lightning in a Bottle. I couldn’t help but be taken back by the beauty of the world, and more importantly, the beauty of community, that I experienced during an unforgettable weekend at LiB.