Northern Books is pleased to present
Astrid Jorgensen in Conversation with Clare Bowditch
Join Clare Bowditch at the Kyneton Mechanics Institute for a conversation with Pub Choir's ®
Astrid Jorgensen as we celebrate her success, her energy, the joy and positivity she's brought to people across the world and most importantly, her new book, Average at Best.
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Astrid Jorgensen is on a mission to teach the world to sing. But she’s not promising to make anybody better at singing – she simply wants people to feel less ashamed of whatever voice they have.


About the book
Average At Best is a powerful, funny, and deeply honest memoir about embracing mediocrity if you want to get anything done. As the creator of Pub Choir ® – a global phenomenon that unites complete strangers to connect, laugh, and make beautiful music – Astrid takes you behind the curtain as she unflinchingly stares down her dizzying highs, her crushing lows, and everything in between.
This is an imperfect perfectionist’s account of how all of it counts in the end.

About the author
Astrid Jorgensen OAM is a choral conductor, composer, entertainer – and now author – who believes that everybody can sing: not well, but literally. Founder and director of Pub Choir ® and its online adaptation Couch Choir, Astrid is a global leader in communal, accessible music-making. Armed with a razor-sharp wit and an unmatched enthusiasm for collaboration, Astrid has delivered her live, improvised comedy music lessons to hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. Her work has been praised by the likes of Mariah Carey, Kate Bush, KISS, Radiohead and Sir Barry Gibb. Astrid’s ability to enchant audiences and guide untrained singers to musical greatness has featured in international news outlets including BBC World News, The New York Times, Vogue Magazine and NPR as well as on TV shows including Australian Story, Australia’s Biggest Singalong, Spicks and Specks, and The Project. In June 2025 she wowed judge Simon Cowell when she appeared on America’s Got Talent. Under Astrid’s leadership, Pub Choir has raised more than $550,000 for local grassroots charities – a number that continues to climb. In 2020, she was a finalist for Queensland Young Australian of the Year, and in 2024 received the Medal of the Order of Australia for her service to the community as a musical director. Beyond Pub Choir, Astrid is a valued contributor to Australian television, radio and print media. She previously worked as a high-school music teacher, and her original choral works are frequently performed around the world. Astrid lives in Brisbane with her partner Evyn, and a furious chihuahua called Penny.

Astrid will be in conversation with Clare Bowditch
Date:
Thursday November 20 2025
Time:
7 00pm to 9 00pm
Venue:
Kyneton Mechanics Institute, Mollison Street, Kyneton
Cost:
$30
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