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Lawyer to compete to represent Australia at Eurovision
Voyager, a Perth-based pop-metal group, is set to compete to represent the country at Eurovision later this year; their frontman being a boutique law partner.
Lauren Croft
On 26 February, Voyager, led by boutique law partner Daniel Estrin, will compete on Eurovision – Australia Decides and will be up for selection to be the Australian contingent to take on the best of the best in Eurovision 2022.
Speaking to Lawyers Weekly, Mr Estrin said that “law can be very insular and blinkered”, and music keeps his “reality in check”.
“It’s not just the musical brain that helps with lateral thinking in the legal context. Touring the world with Voyager over the last 20 years has exposed me to people, situations and experiences that are massive assets to my skill set,” he said.
“It’s logistics, it’s project management, it’s people skills, dealing with different cultures, systems, networks and bureaucracies; I feel that all these things make me a better lawyer, a better colleague and a better supervisor.”
Despite juggling both a busy legal career and a musical one, Mr Estrin believes everyone has the same 24 hours in a day.
“One minute on the BBC giving immigration law commentary on the Djokovic case, the next on the stage playing heavy melodic pop metal; hey, there are 24 hours in a day – enough to run a law firm, be an immigration law nerd, be in a touring band recording album number eight, spend time with my amazing wife and two children and occasionally still enjoy some downtime,” he said.
“Truth be told, early on I saw a lot of people give up studies and career for music and it didn’t always end up well. I’m quite a risk averse in nature so that was never an option; I always made sure I balanced both my career and a serious hobby.
“I certainly couldn’t have done it without the support of my wonderful past employers, in particular the Australian government solicitor (vale Graeme Windsor), who tolerated my all too frequent ‘just a quick European tour’ leave requests. Now, as a partner of a firm with 27 staff, I’m on 24/7 anyway – whether in the office, at home or in the studio laying some synth tracks.”
Having such a passion outside of the legal profession has helped Mr Estrin find a healthy work/life balance – something he said was “phenomenally important”.
“Law is incredibly stressful and, to be honest, rarely compatible with a work/life balance. Whoever can find that perfect balance has found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow – I just don’t think balance exists if you treat the law as a calling and as a passion,” he said.
“The trouble is that having a band is not conducive to any kind of work/life balance. Quite the opposite actually – it’s extremely demanding and often a job in itself! Alas, the creative ‘right brain’ side – the music – is what makes it all worthwhile. It’s food for the soul and without it, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
Lauren Croft
Lauren is a journalist at Lawyers Weekly and graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism from Macleay College. Prior to joining Lawyers Weekly, she worked as a trade journalist for media and travel industry publications and Travel Weekly. Originally born in England, Lauren enjoys trying new bars and restaurants, attending music festivals and travelling. She is also a keen snowboarder and pre-pandemic, spent a season living in a French ski resort.
