Kristina Wild.
Sneezing, scratching and slurping are just a few public habits that Kiwi conductor Astrid Jorgensen lists as driving her to “fury”. Yet what the 35-year-old musician never imagined was her struggle with misophonia – a condition involving irritation and intolerance to certain sounds – would lead her to front the world’s noisiest live music act, be praised by Mariah Carey, perform for Sir Richard Branson, appear on America’s Got Talent and be the impetus for publishing new book Average At Best: A Memoir From The Creator Of Pub Choir.
“My attention to noise became an asset,” she tells Woman’s Day ahead of touring Aotearoa with Pub Choir, a crowd-participatory musical phenomenon that sees her split audiences into a three-part harmony and conduct mass singalongs.
Hearing what others don’t
“I can hear things not everyone’s listening to and imagine music in ways everyone else can’t, so it was about putting that to use.”
Raised in Hamilton by Singaporean mum Elvira and Kiwi dad Stephen, she learnt piano from age two, before taking up violin lessons, funded by her late grandmother June. The family then moved to Gore, where Astrid’s passion for music blossomed through singing waiata.
Yet once the family moved to Brisbane after Stephen landed a job there when Astrid was eight, she found the music in Australian schools lacking. Sadly, her violin lessons became “torture” because of years of emotional bullying from her teacher. That finally ended after Stephen walked in to find Astrid crying and hyperventilating on the floor.
A talent quest turning point
Astrid’s relationship with music remained clouded until she performed Vanessa Carlton’s A Thousand Miles to roaring cheers at a talent quest.
“It was then I saw that you could both listen to music and love creating it,” she says.
Still, a carousel of jobs – from barista to funeral singer – followed before Pub Choir was born in 2017. Inspired by the joy she felt directing a school choir in Townsville, the concept has become a worldwide craze.
A life on stage
From touring the world, to having a performance of the Backstreet Boys’ I Want It That Way go viral, then going on stage with the Rolling Stones, it’s all validation of the choice she made to improve her health.
Unknown to loved ones, prior to the formation of Pub Choir, Astrid suffered through an eight-year battle with bulimia after losing weight while living as a nun in Zambia. On her return home, she remained eager to stay slim and began throwing up after meals, crushing her voice, body and spirit.
“I can’t even describe how debilitating it is,” she reflects.
Finding support
Eventually, she plucked up the courage to tell her boyfriend Evyn Arnfield about her condition, and he compassionately began joining her for meals and guiding her through it.
“I was so embarrassed, so having one person who didn’t judge me changed everything,” she reflects.
“It was like, ‘I don’t need to be ashamed of having something go wrong in my life’. “To see how my life blossomed once I trusted myself again is incredible. I got help, made changes, then Pub Choir happened.”
While conducting a mass singalong has led to some epic moments, a pinnacle of which was appearing on America’s Got Talent, it’s not been without its challenges. While judge Simon Cowell applauded Astrid’s knack for getting the entire audience singing, Mel B, aka Scary Spice, wasn’t impressed.
An out-of-body experience
“I was born in 1990, so I’m a child of the Spice Girls,” says Astrid.
“We idolised them. To be near my childhood hero was an out-of-body experience, then for her to say, ‘I don’t love it,’ was heartbreaking. “The show changed my life, so I won’t grumble, but it was weird being there, thinking, ‘I love you!’ as she dug her heels in.”
Although Astrid knows Pub Choir isn’t for everyone, she loves the army of fans who have embraced it around the world. But what she enjoys most is conducting at home. In November, she’ll return to New Zealand for her sixth tour.
Coming home to New Zealand
Her dream Kiwi guest is Neil Finn. She enthuses, “It would be cool to have him there for some Crowded House and Split Enz – the soundtrack to my childhood!”
She’s also bringing 35-year-old doctor Evyn with her. Seventeen years after they met at uni, he’s been by her side through it all. Plus, as she hilariously writes in Average At Best, he even stuck around after she confessed to going number twos in an empty chip packet because their cleaner was busy in the bathroom.
“May such love find everyone!” she grins.
Average At Best is available to buy at Paper Plus, Mighty Ape, and Amazon.
Pub Choir’s tour kicks off 10 November in Auckland, before heading to Wellington and Christchurch. For tickets, visit pubchoir.com.au.
If you need help with an eating disorder, visit ed.org.nz or call 0800 2EDANZ.
