TWO LIVES, ONE STAGE: JASON COETZEE

Caitlyn Miles

@Kaitlynmiles123

 

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” – Albert Einstein.

 

Shredding solos, speakers blasting, and lights flashing. Jason Coetzee thrives in the spotlight. A dynamic guitarist, the adrenaline charges him up, creating a space of comfort. Off stage, however, Jason Coetzee is the IT whiz with dreams of a strong family and a cosy homelife. Living two lives, and living them well, he is constantly moving between passion and practicality, never fully abandoning either world.

 

A guitarist for two bands, Kerkstraat and Veervol, his musical roots were planted young. Surrounded by music from childhood, he started with the acoustic guitar at nine years old and finished a grade 8 level in pop & rock electric guitar at seventeen. “As a baby, I was surrounded by music,” he explains. “My grandfather is a guitarist and vocalist.”

 

Having achieved the most advanced grade in pop & rock electric guitar with a heritage of performance, the transition into a student band was inevitable. While studying for a Bachelor of Science in IT at the time, he realised his passion had become a successful brand when people started recognising him and venues began contacting his band unexpectedly. “I am almost two different people when I’m on stage and when I am off stage, busy with my studies,” he says.

 

As the band gained traction, some of South Africa’s biggest artists began recognising their work, while messages from aspiring guitarists slowly started appearing in his DMs. Yet despite the growing attention, Coetzee views the bands not as an industry machine but rather as a brotherhood built around shared passion. He expresses this, saying, “Performing live gives me that excitement and adrenaline, and I feel complete. But most importantly, I feel I belong; I am comfortable.”

 

When the bands began bringing in income, he realised it could grow into a future, but he also recognised the reality of the South African music industry and remained committed to his studies. We are making money from our shows, and I would love for music to become my main source of income one day, not just to survive,” he shares. He further explains that even if it doesn’t happen, it won’t change my vision of music.

 

His band, Kerkstraat, released their single MK Dae, capturing their hopes for their musical futures and their frustrations with the industry. But beyond the music itself, Coetzee found a family in his band, people who shared his passion and an appreciation for artistry.

 

Although he shares that balancing performances, rehearsals, and stable incomes remains difficult as band members move across the country, Coetzee believes in his brotherhood and his personal connection with music as a passion. “I will always be playing in the house, teaching others, and writing my own songs, even if it means only my wife and kids are going to hear them,” he says.

Jason Coetzee (Source: Jason Coetzee, @j_.p_.c).

 

Edited by Isabel Burgers