Big Ideas A song for every feeling? Pub Choir's Astrid Jorgensen with Natasha Mitchell
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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.
