On Tuesday, Feb. 15, Lunch and Lead hosted their second event this year featuring Tim Brennan, a Kingswood Oxford alumnus and the lead guitarist and vocalist of the Celtic punk group the Dropkick Murphys.
As a 20-year member of the band, Brennan has had an extremely successful career. Brennan attributes much of this success to his time at KO and relayed to students the importance of building connections with others. “My biggest takeaway [from the event] was to be kind to everyone you meet and that establishing connections is so so important which, from what I heard, was a big reason why he ended up getting a music career,” junior Alice McClure said.
This event was a great opportunity for students looking to pursue a career in music or students who are simply unsure of their future to learn from a knowledgeable professional. “Honestly, I’ve been questioning what path I really want to take in life, career-wise,” freshman Alex Segal said, “so getting to listen to him talk about something that I love really gave me a whole new perspective. It also gave me ideas and help as to what classes I want to take in these upcoming years of high school. Hearing from an adult who followed their passion lets me know that if I really wanted to pursue what I love, I know that I could do it in many different ways.”
Alice agreed, noting that Brennan’s connection to KO provided a unique perspective. “He was really inspiring because of the way that he spoke about why he loved music and what influenced his decision to go into a music career,” Alice said. “As a KO alum, it was interesting to hear his point of view because he knew a lot of the teachers and he was able to speak on how KO influenced his music career.”
Brennan’s visit was not only exciting for students interested in musical careers, but also for students simply looking for a good time. “I remember [History Teacher Peter Jones] played the Dropkick Murphys for us in history class my sophomore year, so I wanted to go see a member of the band speak,” senior Samhita Kashyap said. “I thought it would be really cool.”
The Lunch and Lead club is dedicated to informing students of different career paths and fields and giving them the opportunity to explore their various interests. “We bring in people from many different professions to give students an idea of what these career fields are like, what the process is like, and, ultimately, if it is interesting to them, maybe they want to pursue it,” senior JJ Kanaan said.
Since JJ – who was in charge of organizing this event – was looking for a person in the music industry, he reached out to Tim Brennan because of his unique connection to KO. “He was chosen partially because he was an alum and because he just has a really successful music career that I thought would interest many students,” he said. “He wanted to come in as well just to see the school again, and he was a really cool guy.”
This program has inspired many students to explore career avenues that they hadn’t previously considered, and the KO community is certainly looking forward to future Lunch and Lead events. “I’d honestly love to hear from more people like him, not just in music, but also other career fields,” Alex said. “It gives me a wider perspective on life that I didn’t know I needed.”
