“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”
Although today’s realities encourage people to become more practical, there are people like Brad brownfield, who are more inclined to aim for dreams beyond the stars.
A goal-getter by nature, Brad Brownfield followed his passion for music while serving the country. When he was deployed in Afghanistan, he would write down some of his songs to keep himself entertained while being in one of the most challenging moments of a military man’s life.
Interestingly, Brad’s passion for music goes way back when he was still a 12-year-old kid growing up in Doddridge County, West Virginia. Brad would play southern gospel in church together with his father and two brothers. When this continued for some time, his love for music grew into something more than just a pastime, turning the passion into a career in the entertainment industry.
However, Brad never thought about delving into a music career exclusively. He believed that for him to achieve the many goals he had set for himself, he needed to widen his horizons. While he was planning his route of becoming a musician, he thought about getting a degree in the meantime. After all, gaining a career in a cutthroat industry like that in the entertainment world needs a bit more time.
Brad studied Civil Engineering at the United States Military Academy. As a passionate student and Truman Scholar he went on and obtained a Master’s degree in the same field at the prestigious MIT. He became fit and prepared for the Army’s elite Ranger School which he attended after graduation from MIT, and soon found himself deployed to Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division.
Brad’s deployment was a complete detour from his original plan of becoming a musician, but he never thought of his assignment as a roadblock. For Brad, serving the country is a fulfilling task that any dedicated and strong-willed person would have done. But Brad never lost sight of his dreams. He would write songs and play music in bars and breweries outside of his post when he was off duty in Georgia.
By the time Brad returned from Afghanistan, he had transformed his written drafts to songs. He then released a song entitled ‘Tacoma,’ which is a blend of pop, rock, and country. Currently, it is available on Spotify with over 600,000 streams all over the world.
Brad’s song, Tacoma, is a representation of his love for country music. In his upcoming EP, the bulk of Brad’s songs is centered upon his favorite genre. Also, because Brad is an army veteran, he shaped the EP to embody his love for his country, in the hopes of sending a meaningful message of patriotism to his listeners. The EP is set to release sometime in 2021.
For Brad, life is indeed something to be enjoyed. He hopes that by letting people know his stories about his triumphs and failures, he can inspire them to achieve more. After all, nothing is impossible for one who is determined.
Learn more about Brad Brownfield’s inspiring stories by following his Instagram and Facebook pages.
Opinions expressed by NY Weekly contributors are their own.
