Heart Beat of City: Pat Sergi's musical journey began when his father brought home a guitar with two missing strings.

Instrument/s played: Guitar, ukulele and vocals

What was your first experience with music and what inspired you?

I was 14 years of age, I can still see my dad riding his push bike, coming home from work, in one hand holding an object in a hessian bag. He hopped off his bike and said, "Pompeo (Bob Vardanega, his boss at Premier Nursery) asked me to give this to you".

In this hessian bag was an old acoustic guitar with two strings missing.

A few days later, I went to the Record Centre and purchased two bottom strings. The owner, also a musician asked, "do you play guitar?" "No, I said. But I'd like to learn".

So Peter Taylor, the owner, gave me a book called Learn to Play Guitar from A to Z.

I picked up played guitar fairly quickly. By this time, I had a job working at Calabria Wines with a long time friend, Bill. We were working together in a small winery.

We had an old record player and we'd tape a 10 cent coin on the head so it wouldn't jump tracks, we'd play vinyl records all day, by The Rolling Stones, Cream featuring Eric Clapton and The Beatles just to name a few, we called it the British Invasion.

While we were making good wine and filling up wine barrels, life was so much much more simple back then.

Bill at the time was playing guitar in a band called 'Living End' and then went on to play in 'The Echoes' and I used to tag along.

During this time, early 1970s, I formed my own band with Peter Jones, called 'Sherwood'.

From 1972 to 1986, together with Vince Staltare and Dennis Rebellato and later on, on drums Robert Lariva.

We played at many venues throughout the state including 10 consecutive years in the snow fields, and promoted many other bands including 'Cold Chisel' to Griffith.

From 1987 Gary Salvestro and I formed 'Party Boys Rockin'' and we still play together .

In 2013 I had the privilege of going to play in China at the ZhangJiaJie International Country Music Festival together with Gary Salvestro, Angelo Peruzzi and Ian Ippoliti as 'The Spaghetti Cowboys'.

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Favourite gig and why?

I love each and every one, but I guess I love the challenge and satisfaction of putting on events such as, in 1980, Rock for the Age: Raising Funds for Yenda Retirement Village and Scalabrini Village, Hey Hey It's Friday series one and two, for St Mary's School Yoogali, Leeton's 'It Takes Two' series one and two, Griffith's 'It Takes Two' series one, two, three, four and five and many tribute shows.

What do you listen to?

I listen to everyone, I have over 300 vinyl records and over 260 CDs, but in this day of technology I listen to YouTube.

It depends on the mood I am in, but I lean towards Keith Urban, Brad Paisley Good American Country Rock.

Every musician and band has their unique style.

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How do you feel about the music scene in Griffith?

My experience starts from the 1970s, there were a lot more bands and venues, and musicians were working constantly.

That's how we started the Musicians Club.

If someone couldn't make it to a gig, we would ring around to see who could fill in or swap around, and it created a great bond and fellowship.

The Music Scene changed in the early 80s during the "Disco Era", which hurt the live music scene.

Then in the late 80s into the 90s, musicians together with better equipment and production made a comeback, with a different social scene.

Today I believe young musicians are a lot smarter with the technology and they learn how to play online tutoring and YouTube videos.

I see that with young musicians at the Griffith Musician Club Awards night, showcasing it their talent, technique and musicianship, which we didn't have in the early days.

The Griffith Musicians Club Annual Ball with all club members performing and each member, young old, showcase their talent together on the evening.