10 Sep 2019
By: Francis Floresca
With the HSC examinations right around the corner, Punchbowl Boys’ Year 12 music students received an unexpected surge of inspiration from two of the school’s most legendary old boys.
Last week, alternative rock legends Peter Black and Raymond Ahn returned to Kelly Street to speak to current students about the importance of resilience in building a musical career.
“Just keep going. Just keep doing things and putting stuff together and it’ll keep happening. Just don’t stop,” Black told the current students who are also members of the school’s award-winning band, 320.
“All the exhilarating things you feel now – it’ll just keep making you hungry,” he continued. “If you really want to do it, I don’t think anything can stop you.”
Ahn, now in his 50s, recalled how crucial his formative years in Punchbowl Boys were to the band’s journey to stardom and longevity.
“When you go to school here – it’s your home. It made us,” the bassist said with pride. “We felt like we were ready for anything. When we got out there - we didn’t find it that tough.”
“Punchbowl Boys is a fantastic breeding ground for mental growth and toughness,” Ahn added.
Current school captain, Micah Papalii-Talanai, applauded the school’s ongoing commitment to developing musical talent.
“This school has given us so many opportunities. We have taken everything from one opportunity to another,” said Papalii-Talanai who is also 320’s lead vocalist. “Meeting Mr. Ahn and Mr. Black showed me that what we are doing now is simply a continuation of the tradition of excellence that has always been here.”
Yoosuf Mohamed, one of the band’s guitarists, keenly told the old boys about their band’s legendary adventures, “Earlier this year, we were at TEDxSydney and just last week we were at the Sydney Opera House.”
Asked about the immediate impact of the old boys' visit, Mohamed, who has always been known for his way with words, said, "It was inspiring to see our predecessors. The wisdom they shared with us was unparalleled. Band 320 has always been about paying homage to our roots, and this opportunity really helped us appreciate the soil from which the seed of good men grows."
Ahn, impressed with the boys’ musical prowess, extended another once-in-a-lifetime offer to the band, “We should do a gig together.”
The boys and their mentor, Mr. Michael White, welcomed the idea with smiles on their faces.
“It’ll be a cool combination of styles,” Mohamed said.
White, who has been around since 320's humble beginnings, expressed his gratitude to Ahn and Black for their visit.
"It was a blast from the past that will surely keep inspiring our current and future students," he said.