Big Ideas A song for every feeling? Pub Choir's Astrid Jorgensen with Natasha Mitchell
Dec 10, 2025
Astrid Jorgensen, founder of the viral Pub Choir and author of the memoir Average At Best, shares her journey from a Zambian convent to leading communal singing events worldwide. She reveals how embracing mediocrity led to her success and the power of music as a spiritual experience beyond religion. Astrid discusses the importance of nostalgia in song choices and her creative process, including teaching thousands to sing live. With a unique sound sensitivity, she encourages everyone to find their voice, highlighting the communal joy of singing.
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Songs As Social Medicine
- Astrid believes songs can treat moods like medicine and that there is a song for every ailment or feeling.
- She selects music to match group needs rather than just popularity or personal preference.
Zambia Convent Sparked Her Love
- At 16 Astrid secretly flew to Zambia to live with nuns and nearly became a nun because of the church music and ritual.
- That experience revealed her love of communal singing and began her path toward Pub Choir.
500-Student Choir Moment
- Teaching a compulsory 500-student school choir in Townsville was the moment Astrid realised she knew how to lead large groups to sing.
- That experience became the genesis of Pub Choir and her confidence to run mass singalongs.
