PERCUSSION PARK OFFICIALLY OPENS
Recently, Murphy Park has gotten a little more upbeat thanks to the addition of percussion playground equipment. On Saturday, a ribbon cutting was held to officially open Percussion Park in Taylor. The playground is located in Murphy Park between the lake and the swimming pool.
Taylor Parks and Recreation Superintendent Tyler Bybee said Percussion Park is the first all inclusive, accessible playground in the city.
“We have some other pieces at other parks, but this is the first fully accessible for all ages playground we have,” he said.
The concept for the play- ground was originally brought to the city by Good Life Taylor, an organization founded in 2012 to promote healthy families and outdoor activities. The playground was created in the shape of a musical treble clef and features an ensemble of functioning musical playground pieces. The idea was to create a vibrant, creative, musical space within the city’s parks system where people of all ages can gather, create music and enjoy the outdoors.
Julie Rydell, founder of Good Life, said the organization has been working on Percussion Park for four years, and she is happy to see it come to fruition.
“It took a really long time. We’ve been patient,” she said. “It’s beautiful and amazing, and I’m so proud for it to be a gift to the community ... It just shows you what regular people can do.”
Funding for Percussion Park was made possible in part by a grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Local Park Grant Program that was approved by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission in August 2020. Additional funds were provided through donations raised by Good Life Taylor and a portion of the Taylor 2018 bond fund.
This was the first Good Life project Bybee has seen to completion, and he said this was just the beginning. Trail work, resurfacing the track at Memorial Field and adding fitness amenities at the field are all upcoming projects. He credits Percussion Park as the igniter to start more park projects.
“It’s huge,” Bybee said. “It’s a spark for plans we have at Murphy Park.”
In addition to Murphy Park, Bybee said there are plans in all of the local parks, which has been considered one of the best parks systems in central Texas.
Bybee said the connectivity of the parks in Taylor is what makes it one of the best parks systems in the state.
“You start at (Fannie) Robinson Park and you come through Murphy, and you have all your major parks along the hike and bike trail, connected along a creek, so that connectivity,” he said. “We also have Taylor Regional (Park), which is, and has been, one of the best sports complexes in the area.”
Good Life has been responsible for the disc golf course in Bull Branch Park and other projects. Rydell said the organization has its sights set on Memorial Field next.
“We’re helping the city with their track restoration and fitness park,” Rydell said. “We’re adding a beautiful mini-park with fitness equipment within the track.” Rydell said Good Life continues to work to help the community from eyes of the residents.
“It’s for the community. As residents, and parents, we see opportunities that maybe other people managing it don’t necessarily always see or understand what the community wants,” she said, “Good Life is able to work with the community and figure out what the wants and desires are.”
