This is a printer friendly version of an article from the Wausau Daily Herald front page July 21, 2006

Chad Brecke performs with The Brewins. The D.C. Everest Junior HIgh teacher and coach and the rest of the group will open tonight for Confederate Railroad at Dale's Weston Lanes. Contributed photo

Family first, job's great; add band and Everest instructor's got it all

By Jake Rigdon
Wausau Daily Herald
jrigdon@wdhprint.com July 21, 2006

WESTON -- Chad Brecke is no Jack Black.

Sure, he's a teacher and a rock 'n' roller, like the actor Black's character in the 2003 movie "School of Rock."

But unlike the film character -- an aimless, childless single guy who faked his way into a classroom when his band dumped him -- Brecke is a full-time teacher at D.C. Everest Junior High School whose music career must fit around his family.

"My daughter and my son like music, but if I (played) full time, I wouldn't be able to spend enough time with my family, so I play when I can," said Brecke, who will play Friday night when he and his band open for Confederate Railroad during Weston Fest.

"So I guess you could say now that family is my niche," he said. "School fits in that and music -- but it's all around my family."

Brecke, 34, of Weston is a vocalist and guitarist for The Brewins, who will play as part of a free concert starting at 7 p.m. at Dale's Weston Lanes.

Organizers of Weston Fest, a weeklong festival, have dropped the $20 cover charge for the concert. Angie Zahradka, chairwoman of the Weston Fest Committee, said the move is a gesture of goodwill to the community.

All proceeds from the concert will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Brecke is a technology education teacher for eighth- and ninth-grade students at D.C. Everest Junior High; he's also the junior varsity boys basketball coach at the school.

His career in education stems indirectly from his passion for athletics.

Brecke played safety and punter for his college football team, Lawrence University in Appleton, but he hurt his knee before his junior year. He was pre-med at the time and played gigs at night with various bands. After his injury, he had more free time, so Brecke volunteered as an assistant coach for a local high school team.

That's when he fell in love with teaching.

"It was a reality check for me," he said. "I decided, do I really want to help a few kids daily if I become a doctor, or do I want to have a greater impact than just a five-minute appointment?"

So, he switched gears and took education classes.

Brecke started his career as a biology teacher in Clintonville, but he didn't like it and quit after one year to play in a band in Florida. On his way there, the principal persuaded him to come back, saying the school needed a shop teacher.

The opportunity to have more hands-on teaching opportunities and the challenge the course presented appealed to Brecke, so he came back. He later took courses to learn more about shop, and he fell in love with it. He's been teaching the course ever since.

Brecke married about two years after he started teaching. He and his wife, Stephanie, moved to Weston in 1998.

Jon Tomcek, 24, of Schofield and a bass player and vocalist for The Brewins, said Brecke did what it took to accomplish his goals.

"Everyone has their own path in life," he said.

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