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This Veteran's Plan is to Volunteer, Play Music and Drive the Sports Car Now

A GPS literally pointed the way to a life that's rich with music, helping others and a dream fulfilled

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August 8, 2022
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Sixty-seven-year-old Perry Brake is a man who recognizes a "carpe diem" moment.

When he and his wife Diana were returning to their home in Gainesville, Florida, from a music workshop in Tennessee 12 years ago, they came to an intersection. The GPS said turn right, but Brake recalls, "the map showed a twisty little road to the left, so I went left."

It was a turn that mapped out their future.

Perry Brake with two of his passions - his Miata and his banjo  |  Credit: Perry Brake

They drove through the tiny town of Tellico Plains, Tennessee, population 850, located between Knoxville and Chattanooga, "up against the mountains."

"We didn't stop then, but we made note that it was a pretty little town and we should return in the future," says Brake.

The GPS said turn right, but "the map showed a twisty little road to the left, so I went left."

A year later, with encouragement from their combined three adult children and grandchildren (they'd both been married before) they moved away from family in Gainesville to Tellico Plains.

Two years ago, in another "seize the day" moment, Brake and his wife agreed to buy a brand-new Mazda Miata when he turned 70, just because he says, "I wanted it."

I met Perry Brake at a filming of the WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour in Lexington, Kentucky, in April 2022. His cherry red Miata was in the parking lot of the Lyric Theatre. Brake is 67. So, what happened to the plan to get the car at 70?

He Didn't Want to Wait

Five years ago, Brake had seen his mother suddenly get sick at 83, go into the hospital and never come home. Currently, three close family members have serious health issues.

"All around me, people were not well," says Brake. Suddenly 70 seemed too long to wait.

"So, we decided it was the time to buy the new car," he says. He got it in February 2022. "It's fun to drive. Diana likes to go riding in it and it makes me happy when she's happy."

Enjoying that car with his wife is one of many elements in Brake's life plan for physical and mental health as he looks toward 70 and beyond. He enjoys snowboarding, paddleboarding, kayaking, hiking and camping.

At the WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour, Brake is a volunteer mobile camera operator, roving on-stage during the performance to get close-ups. The camera he balances on his shoulder weighs more than 20 pounds. He thinks it helped strengthen his shoulder after rotator cuff surgery last year. It's a weekly activity that's become another satisfying part of his life: volunteering to help film the TV and radio live broadcast that goes to more than 500 stations around globe, as well as the Armed Forces Radio Network.

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Every Monday, the day WoodSongs is filmed, he leaves his house at 10:30 a.m., drives four hours to Lexington, helps with set-up, works the camera, then gets back home at 1:30 a.m.

He's made life choices that allow him that freedom to volunteer. Brake served in the Air Force, then completed his college degree in environmental science at Florida International University. He had a 35-year career as an environmental scientist and consultant. He retired three years ago, so he no longer focuses on what he laughingly calls "methel ethel bad stuff."

Music is the good stuff that fills much of his life.

Once a month, Brake offers an open invitation to gather at the community center to play music and sing or just listen. Usually 20 to 30 people show up, ranging in age from three to 101.

The musical part of his life increased when met Diana 30 years ago. He began playing guitar as a teenager, then put it away for many years. Diana plays piano, violin, bass and cello and when she found out he played music, she bought him a guitar. That grew into a musical partnership that's expanded over more than two decades. He and Diana perform together at events and play music in church.

They formed a nonprofit and teach children in grades three-12 as part of Junior Appalachian Musicians, a multi-state organization based in Independence, Virginia. They teach guitar, banjo, mandolin, singing and dancing in Tellico Plains and Madisonville, Tennessee, with all lessons and instruments free to the children. Perry Brake also teaches private lessons for adults.

Music is 'The Good Stuff'

In Tellico Plains, Brake started a SongFarmers chapter in 2016, the fourth chapter in the nation. SongFarmers is an outgrowth of the WoodSongs network. Once a month, Brake offers an open invitation to gather at the community center to play music and sing or just listen. Usually, 20 to 30 people show up, ranging in age from three to 101 years old.

Perry Brake filming for the WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour in Kentucky  |  Credit: Courtesy of Perry Brake

Brake says the songs are kept simple so everyone can join in, but the impact is powerful.

"Music is therapy. There's been many, many times where I'm in a sour mood, lots of stuff on my mind, and I don't want to go play music," says Brake. "But I'll go play music and everything is better."

He thrives on giving time and energy to music, and he also gives in other ways to his community. He's on the Tellico Plains Town Council and the library board.

Sometimes more ways to give show up. For example, one of the restaurants in Tellico Plains, called Senior Lopez, where Perry and Diana Brake and other musicians play, was recently destroyed by a fire. The owner lived above the restaurant and fortunately wasn't hurt.

"SongFarmers raised $1,300 to help them rebuild," says Brake. "And our entire town came together to raise money to help them rebuild."

Meanwhile, the owner set up a tent, kept his employees and the restaurant is temporarily operating out of a food truck. The owner continues to offer live music.

In a recent Saturday phone call to Brake, in getting details about Senior Lopez, Brake said, "I'm playing there tonight."

And on Monday, he'll make his usual trip 15-hour roundtrip to volunteer at WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour.

He will enjoy the drive in his cherry red Mazda Miata.

Rhonda J. Miller is a writer and audio producer based in Bowling Green, Kentucky. She has been a reporter and audio producer for WKU Public Radio, Mississippi Public Broadcasting and Rhode Island Public Radio. She is creator of the podcast The Age of Being Real featuring stories of people of any age who have discovered their unique path in life. Rhonda has been the recipient of the Journalists in Aging Fellowship, sponsored by the Gerontological Society of America and Journalists Network on the Generations, to produce stories on elder refugees and an employment program for older workers. Read More
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