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An unusually cool temperature swept through Norfolk last weekend just in time for the 33rd annual Stockley Gardens Arts Festival. The Hope House Foundation holds the festival twice a year – in May and October. Thousands of people flock to view vendors who display artwork, jewelry, plants, and the like. There are also food vendors and live music to enjoy while you absorb the beautiful scenery.
This year, WHRO attended the event and set up a tent of their own. Our very own Wayla Chambo, host of 90.3 WHRO FM Afternoon Delights, manned the station with intern Tristan Morris-Mann and volunteer Jennifer Priest. They gave away recorders to children as they passed by their booth. Chambo taught some of them how to play songs like “Mary Had a Little Lamb” which quickly filled the entire garden with the occasional “toot, toot” sound.
Chambo has always had a love for music. When she was a child, she wanted to play the violin. She asked her parents and they told her they had a flute instead. The rest is history. She now has a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Texas. She plays the flute, piccolo, and a little bit of the piano. She attributes this love of music to a teacher she had and to her parents who listened to all sorts of music when she was growing up.
She was not always certain, though. Chambo admits, she has asked herself, “Should I be doing something else? Something more practical?” When she brought this concern to her mother, she looked no further. Her mother prompted her, “Imagine the world without music.” This though-provoking suggestion reassured her that she was doing the right thing. She says that music is not only a joy to listen to at a basic audible level, but studies have shown that it has the ability to influence cognitive function. Music can identify generations, exude feelings in film, and bring back memories – it is a powerful thing that Chambo hopes to continue sharing with Hampton Roads.
To learn more about the Stockley Gardens Arts Festival, visit the Hope House Foundation website. To learn more about Wayla Chambo, read our article about her and tune to 90.3 WHRO FM Afternoon Delights weekdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
