When Dr Graham Sellars isn’t performing plastic surgery he’s feeding his passion for music, playing in Sydney cover band Jack’s Avenue.
One instrument isn’t enough for Sydney plastic surgeon Dr Graham Sellars. Not only can he play the acoustic, electric and jazz guitar but he can also play the saxophone and sing backing vocals for his band Jack’s Avenue.
“I find music very central to life. I have music playing while I’m at work, while I’m operating – it’s relaxing and helps me focus,” says Dr Sellars.
“Music is also my hobby; it allows me to unwind and enjoy the social aspect of playing in a band. I make playing music a priority in my week. I schedule it in, just like my operating and consulting time. We also have social weekends away which we refer to as ‘band camp’, which involves some very intense practice but also serves as a lot of fun.”
Dr Sellars discovered his passion for playing guitar just after finishing high school and has now been playing for more than 30 years.
From playing with friends in the shed to forming a band with like- minded people 10 years ago, Dr Sellars says you never stop learning and that there are always different ways of exploring musical knowledge through hearing a
nd playing music.
“I played acoustic guitar and it gradually led itself to electric guitar as a style. I have a number of different guitars, and I use different applications of acoustic, classical, jazz guitar and electrical guitars that are good for 60s music, rock music and funk,” says Dr Sellars.
“I’ve been playing the saxophone for three years, so it’s a fairly new thing for me, but I really enjoy it and that’s something I use to sonnet some of the songs in our band.”
Formed in 2011, Jack’s Avenue is a six-piece cover band that caters to individual events, playing in pubs, clubs, corporate functions and wedding venues. “It’s always very rewarding to see a crowd enjoying the music and having a great time. We performed at a corporate function at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, which looks out over the iconic Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. There was a great crowd who were really into the music and we were just doing what we love – playing music.”
When asked who would make up his ultimate dream band, Dr Sellars pauses – it’s not an easy question. Or is it? “I would have Dave Grohl from Nirvana on drums and Paul McCartney on bass. Clarence Clemons from the E Street Band would be on the sax, with Stevie Ray Vaughan on guitar and I’d choose Freddie Mercury as the lead singer with Steve Winwood on keys.”
