Life As A Musician & Human Rights Lawyer-In-The-Making: How Meghna Balances Both Worlds

I recently graduated from a double degree in Law and Global Studies, specialising in Human Rights. People always look at me funnily when I answer the question, “What inspired you to study law?”

It’s not the catch-all response, “because I want to become a lawyer,” much to their surprise.

I studied law to supplement my music. “What?! You studied at university for six years, accumulated a HECS debt that will last you until the cows come home, and learnt a whole new referencing system JUST for your music?”

“Yup.”

I’ll preface this op-ed by saying I am so lucky to have had the privilege of studying human rights law. I do not take this lightly. But I went into the degree with a purpose. I was already writing songs about human rights. I wanted to put my money where my mouth was and learn about human rights, justice, the nuances of world issues, so that I could become a better songwriter—a more informed artist and agent for social change, as most young people are.

I was always a ‘bleeding heart’ when I was younger, crying over things happening on the other side of the world. This would be much to the annoyance of people around me— especially since I used to arc up at family TV time. “We’re just trying to watch the latest episode of Law and Order!”

I knew I had a keen interest in human rights, so to ameliorate my bleeding heart, I would write. This was also because I had just started singing lessons with a wonderful teacher who encouraged me to think about songwriting.

After writing during basically my entire school journey, Year 12 came—the stress of exams, ATAR, not knowing what comes next. I was lucky to have always wanted to pursue music. But I knew I didn’t want to study it at university. I thought it would most certainly take the fun out of it for me. University open days came and went, and then came the time to make a choice about what I would study.

I had to study something; I do come from a brown household, after all. But what? My mother suggested, “Why don’t you try law and human rights?” I realised this would be the perfect opportunity for me to stop talking about social issues and to actually do something about them in some capacity. It was the perfect plan. I would learn about things in class, then utilise my newfound knowledge as song inspiration. 

It worked so well—I wrote so many songs in university. I met other law students who were also musicians and found a strange correlation between the two. So many lawyers are musicians, and so many musicians have law degrees. It must use the same part of your brain. Although I found that hard to believe when I was in the trenches retaking my failed trust law exam!

At the same time I was experiencing a music renaissance in my personal world, I was also given many opportunities to work in advocacy through my studies. I volunteered to help asylum seekers apply for humanitarian visas, I completed placement at a human rights legal clinic and volunteered for the YES campaign for the Voice to Parliament. The two worlds were starting to complement each other in weird and wonderful ways.

It was a little weird when I had exams, and I had to really practice time management to ensure that I could do my music, which was my priority, actually. BAD PRACTICE and definitely don’t do this—but there’d be a few instances where I’d start studying for an exam a few days before (ok, you got me, it was one night before), finish the exam and head straight to a performance with nothing but Red Bull in my stomach and a dream. It was not easy balancing the two commitments. My biggest fear was becoming a jack of all trades and a master of none.

With time, I got used to balancing both. Now that I have graduated, it all feels a little strange. I’m in that transitional phase where I studied for my entire life, and now everyone is treating me like an adult, and no one is giving me a student discount.

Human rights and social justice continue to inspire me every day, and it has definitely shaped me into the musician and performer I am today. My studies, perhaps more than anything, have shaped my lyric-writing. I don’t know WHAT I’d be writing about without the inspiration of justice, the human condition and human rights. Probably a whole lotta nothing.

Human rights aside, it also doesn’t hurt that law taught me contracts, copyright and other useful music business-related stuff so that people can’t swindle me, because believe me: prior to the law degree, I have been taken for a riiiiiiideeee.

People tend to prey on young, independent artists. To take advantage of our desperation, our willingness to dream. So if nothing else, take this from this op-ed: Don’t try to scam me just because I’m a young artist and woman of colour who seems all happy-go-lucky. I know the law…and sometimes I even write songs about it.

Meghna’s new EP, A World Full Of Idiots, is out now. You can listen to the EP here.