Steve Barnett
Copyright 2009
After the army, went to Wits for a couple years, 1 year of engineering where I realised that I was not cut out for the formal life of rugby and beer, and 1 year of straight BSc which included philosophy and astronomy and other star gazing, and then I dropped out which I thought was quite hip at the time.
But the greatest value taken from university years was joining SAVS (South African Voluntary Services) which was a student organisation that would go off into the rural areas and build schools and clinics during varsity breaks ? an incredible educational and bonding experience ? that led to my first employment, which was ?73-?74 teaching in a village school in the foothills of the Maluti mountains of Lesotho, English and Maths to Form 1,2&3 ? imagine Romeo & Juliet to 60 Kids 6 to a desk, in Basotho blankets ? and I wasn?t half bad at it either. And Friday afternoons everything would stop, the boys would go out and collect dung for the girls to spread on the classroom walls and floors to keep the dust down (get the picture?)
1975 ? set off on 3 and a half year of ?world? travel (the world being much smaller then as we were restricted to fewer countries), mostly hitch-hiking through Europe Asia, US & Canada, Some interesting work experience, like building stone bridges in Turkish villages, harvesting fruit in Italy, being a cowboy (ranch hand) in Colorado, a house painter in San Francisco, building wooden houses in Oregon.
I met Kathy on independence day 1976 in a field by a stream in Myrtle Creek , Oregon ? there is a movie in the story of our meeting, which includes hitch-hiking British Columbia to Alaska and travel through timelessness ? but we haven?t identified who should play the lead roles yet.
Returned to SA in 1978 and moved into the amazing Crown Mines community, a group of lefty students, newly-qualifieds and activists, in an old mining village just outside of Joburg town, which had more than a small impact on the new South Africa to come, but in which my main role was that of soccer team and musical jam organiser.
Spent some years being a commercial photographer, manufacturing orchestral xylophones using indigenous materials, and started making built in cupboards for friends, which led to a small cabinet making and house renovating business that I stayed with for a while.
Married Kathy in Sept 1982; our 1st daughter, Nina born in Jan 1983. Our 2nd daughter Brigette born in April 1986, and I continued cabinet making and renovating
Time out of mind, ?88-?89, when thought I could make some money in the ?entertainment? field. Bad move! Went into partnership in a disco/nightclub in Eldorado Park with a ?coloured? business partner ? named Cohen ? 18 months of sleepless nights, blood and guts, fear and loathing. What was I thinking?? (Money?? ? Not!)
1990 ? Back into my wood workshop, interior designers, and house renovating, buying fixing selling, and starting to play music again.
1995 ? Started community drum circles that inspired the business of ?corporate drumming? that has become so popular worldwide. This was the kind of showbiz that really appealed to me.
Found my niche as The Worlds Premier Motivational Non-Speaker, conducting and orchestrating audiences of non-musicians at conferences and events ? a different approach to communication, cooperation & celebration.
This adventure that has taken me performing to 30 countries, on all continents except the Arctics, and put me centre stage in some remarkable places (Cricket World Cup Opening Ceremony Newlands, Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Stadium, London etc) and met some remarkable people (Presidents and Noble Laureates etc). And if I can sometimes lift a few spirits, in a few people, even for the briefest time, then I am doing okay.
But at heart still an old hippy with an old 750 Honda motorcycle and a Kombi ? most of our holidays are still throw the mattress in the back and head for the back-roads, even sometimes with my grown-up, highly talented kids
Nina, is now 26, an artist (video and animation) living in New York; and Brigette, 23, just finishing a drama degree at Wits and wondering what she is going to do next.
Kathy is a landscape designer and gardener, looking into a new venture with natural swimming pools (no chemicals!?!) and wetland gardens
Hobbies- Travel, supporting Liverpool FC, & recently took up hiking in the Berg? huddled in a tent at 3500 metres snow and wind-chill factor outside of ?15 degrees, keeping me young, I think.
