In 2020, Mary Ruth Follett began to dream of incorporating music into the Strasburg, Virginia town park. But it was a big dream, and “something like this doesn't just happen,” she said. Follett, the former president of the Strasburg Rotary Club, shared her ideas with fellow Rotarians, and the club found grants and sponsors – including Wind River - to turn the dream into reality.
In July of this year, Wind River Vice President Patty Baisden, who also serves as the current president of the Strasburg Rotary Club, helped unveil the completed Sensory Garden at Strasburg Town Park. Joined by the town mayor, fellow Rotarians and even the local poet laureate, Baisden excitedly helped to dedicate the first music garden in the Shenandoah Valley.
The sensory music garden, which includes colorful instruments like petal drums, a xylophone and a color-coded music book, is a place for people of all ages and abilities. The garden sits next to the playground in the park, and music filled the background of the dedication ceremony as children ran from one instrument to another, testing each one out.
For Follett, the garden is about more than a sensory play space. “Music brings so much to the heart and soul,” she said. Baisden underscored the depth of meaning in the space. She said that the garden will be inspiring harmony in the park for many years to come.
