As a teenager, Frank would often play in his father's band, the Pitjantjatjara Country Band. In 1988, he played with them at the Festival of Aboriginal Rock in Darwin. He performed his own music for the first time at another festival in Darwin later that year, playing with an acoustic guitar. His biggest hit, though, was "Make More Spear", written by his father. He played it again at the Port Fairy Folk Festival in Victoria later in the year. In 1989, Yamma recorded an album with a project called "Ulpanyali", released through the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA). The song "History" was the biggest success and was later included in CAAMA's 25-year anniversary compilation album.