Average at Best: A memoir from the creator of Pub Choir®

by Astrid Jorgensen

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.

By its very nature, ‘best’ is rare and you’re not going to get much of it in life. And I sure don’t want to miss out on deeply experiencing the fullness of my one precious existence, searching for the sliver of ‘best’.

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.

Astrid has performed on stages around the world, rubbed shoulders with Prime Ministers and celebrities, and has taught hundreds of thousands of people how to work together in literal harmony. Along the way, she low-key became the best at something, while sometimes feeling the worst. Is that … balance?

From almost becoming a nun (seriously) to committing unspeakable crimes against a chip packet, this joyful, inspired debut traverses the divide between confidence and doubt, performance and authenticity. Because most things happen between the extremes. This is an imperfect perfectionist’s account of how all of it counts in the end.
 

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Memoir, Biography

256 pages, Paperback

Expected publication August 11, 2026

Reviews

[Grace Woodward · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband did a dangerous thing this week… he bought me a book.

My rude and ungrateful response was “Don’t you know that I hate it when someone buys me an unsolicited book?” I am a big reader and I have a long and carefully curated TBR, and if that book isn’t on that list, I’ve just been given a job to do! No thank you, that’s an obligation read!

Well, I am eating my hat because this was actually really great.

You might not know the name Astrid Jorgensen but you’ve probably heard of her brainchild Pub Choir. She and her small team travel the world doing gigs where she teaches a venue full of people, with no presumed musical talent or knowledge, how to sing a popular song from start to finish. You learn it together over the course of an hour, sing it together once or twice, and then leave with a smile on your face and your heart full of joy.

This book is a memoir of sorts, about her early life and the creation of Pub Choir. It was a light, quick read, clever and interesting and honestly laugh-out-loud funny.

I was fascinated to read about how Astrid’s brain works - she has no inner monologue, but it’s like she can visualise music, and this has helped her to create the unique way she teaches a song to us amateur enthusiasts. She also HATES noise, and loves silence, which was an interesting tidbit for someone who has made a career around music!

Trigger warning - there is a chapter on disordered eating. It’s not a deep dive and is written from a place of recovery. But could be confronting.

Thanks hubby, and sorry I was so ungrateful! This book is a gem.

If you haven’t been to a Pub Choir yet, you’ve been missing out! It’s so fun, and Astrid is just fantastic.

[Norita · Rating 5 out of 5]

maybe biased because I adore Astrid and have been attending Pub Choir since 2018? maybe.
however, this is the first book I have read in a day in years. Astrid's earnest, funny and inspirational nature is so perfectly captured by her words and story. championing that the arts are for everyone and making space for it to be accessible for all is such a near and dear topic. reading this made me want to start creating again. I hope I do.

[Belinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best memoir I’ve read in ages. Astrid is brave, vulnerable and laugh out loud funny. I love reading memoirs by people who take risks and live life to the full. Astrid even at her tender age of 34, fits that bill. Thank you 🙏

[Jinty McTavish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loveddd this book! Astrid’s sense of humor for the crazy things she’s been through made me laugh out loud at times. The way she’s developed Pub Choir is such an inspiration, and it was nice to hear the long story of it. Highly recommend, super quick read!

[Alan Marr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not sure what to make of this. It ranged from very insightful to overly self indulgent. But I couldn't put it down.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was funny, honest, and full of Astrid’s quick wit. So glad Astrid read it herself. Astrid’s storytelling offers a joyful glimpse into her life beyond the microphone and I physically laughed out loud.

[Andrew McMillen · Rating 5 out of 5]

On stage, Astrid Jorgensen transforms from introverted music nerd into a choral colossus. In these pages, she is revealed as a beautiful writer who blends heart, wit and insight with rare skill.

[Morgan Herrera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, quirky memoir.

[Britten Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's fun to hear the back story of one of my favorite entertainers. She's just as funny in audiobook form as she is on stage!

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

going to pub choir has been on my bucket list for ages. This memoir is fantastic. she is also a great writer amongst a million other talents. laugh out loud funny. loved it. and highly recommend.

[heather | booksbyheath]

This was hysterical

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightfully written, funny and a genuinely interesting glimpse into the woman and story behind the phenomenon that is Pub Choir. Astrid Jorgensen absolutely radiates energy on stage and she’s no different on the page. Definitely better than average!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This memoir is funny and inspiring. Now I really want to attend a Pub Choir event myself!

[Kylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Astrid is as captivating on the page as she is on stage. Unputdownable, I laughed my way through to the final chapter, where I inevitably cried my way through a beautiful love story. Thank you Astrid for sharing your stories of singing, scissor lifts, and shit. Incredible work.

[Julie Eisentrager · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book!
It's clever, chaotic in the best way, and somehow both deeply relatable and totally unexpected.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, Loved this book, super funny, very entertaining for so many reasons and just brilliant to hear a story of someone following their own path with a fun success story 😁 and made me feel being average at best is actually pretty great!

Just one question... whyyyyy talk about accessible venues for wheelchairs and learning Auslan but refuse to read a section of the book on audio because you deem it too boring thereby making visually impaired miss out? ...maybe that's going to be in book 2 🤣 ... please don't ignore visually impaired 🙏 also all the people who need accessible venues and facilities that aren't actually in a wheelchair and visibly different....like many visually impaired just for starters.

I've listened to several audiobooks where they have managed to describe or read out various charts, tables and visual materials. If I get this book for my mum I will literally have to read out the table of names and deeds to her in a much more boring voice, likely with eye rolling and sighs as she complains about how I'm reading it 😱 sad for all the people that miss out (including the library e-audiobook borrowers) as it's pretty interesting! Love a bit of dirt and imagining who did what!

Still 5 stars and I feel my review backs up the author's experience of getting complaints no matter what you do 😜 much better than average book, totally recommend
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Andrew Mina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love it when a book surprise you - honestly! Be it a plot twist, update on facts previously held, perspectives that needed updating, and even how you're reflected in the authors words - bring it on!

A few things that surprised me in this book:

* Astrid Jorgensen is not Scandinavian, but born in New Zealand and is Australian - initially I thought she was
* Even I think I could do okay at a Pub Choir lead by Jorgensen - tone deaf but happy be in the unity of a choir
* You can tell all kinds of stories, even personally horrifying stories, in your memoir - but you must be very brave

Jorgensen powerfully, energetically, and creatively shares her stories from her life thus far, but they not just simply retold "And then I, and then, and then I...." they dropped before you as if on a tray that you forgot was hot and picked up with your bare hands.

At the end of this book the final chapter simply moves your heart and you're compelled to review all the stories you'd read up to this point with the new information. Wow. This book is not just Astrid's story but the story of amazing women in her family who have overcome.

One of the key take aways from this book is not find your Ikigai but a splendid retelling of the matrix of Jorgensen's hard work, courage, pluck, the right time and sacrifice.

I hope one day to join a Pub Choir.

[Maine Colonial · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 2017, Australian Astrid Jorgensen was having a difficult time figuring out what to do for a living. Though talented musically, she wasn’t good enough to make a living as a musician, and she didn’t enjoy teaching music to high school students. Her boyfriend suggested that with her keen sense of observation, quick thinking and attention to detail, she might consider becoming an air traffic controller. She passed the preliminary screening exams and was scheduled for an interview when a friend asked if she would be willing to lead an all-school mandatory choir starting up in their town. And that was how Astrid discovered she was meant to be a music conductor; in particular, one who could train large groups of any and all musical talents, using simplified methods.

Pub Choir, Astrid’s brainwave, began as a Facebook post inviting anyone in Brisbane interested in a guided singalong to a popular song to come to a pub. Astrid expected maybe a dozen friends and family, but she got over 70 people. She developed a simplified notation system that could be projected on power point slides. She could teach the attendees over the course of about an hour, then they would sing the song in three-part harmony while a videographer captured the event for posting later. Check out Pub Choir on YouTube and you’ll see groups from around 100 to many thousands joyously joining in song, and you’ll see how Astrid’s seemingly simple concept galvanizes people of all ages and talents to join together as one.

In this book, Astrid explains her journey to Pub Choir and relates some of their adventures in the early years. There are also vignettes about her years-long eating disorder, her relationship with her boyfriend, her family, and her worst Pub Choir experience. The stories are heartfelt, but always with plenty of humor.

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t remember the last book that made me laugh this much. Astrid is literally laugh out loud funny. I thought the layout and pacing was perfect. The ending was a beautiful moment to finish on. Astrid was also very honest, in many different ways. I appreciated this, as often I feel memoirs are too shiny. Throughout the book I was reminded that she, like all of us, is a complex, imperfect character. But her bright moments outshone her bad. In fact, she is such an accomplished force of nature that the only thing that bugged me slightly was the book’s title- ‘Average at Best’. I assume this was to better-appeal to us plebeians, but it felt like a bit of a reach. I’d rather the book was titled more boldly, along the lines of- ‘Astrid’s Out Of This World’s Adventures!’ Etc. The book’s contents feel like the latter, so it would be a better match. I listened to the audiobook which had delightful harmonies and reading by the author. I learnt a lot, about music and life, and will be thinking about this book for a long time. 5 stars 🌟🎤😍

[Kathryn M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.25

The memoir of Australian Pub Choir founder and director, Astrid Jorgensen, this book is, simply, great. Funny, moving, interesting, charmingly written, and I even learned some things about music that I (the most unmusical person to ever live, at least vocally - I can play piano somewhat) did not know before. Astrid's writing voice is so strong and individual that it achieves the feat that all memoir strives for but not all pulls off - making the reader feel connected and privy to a real person's inner world and authentic experience.

I haven't been to a Pub Choir show yet, but fully intend to rectify that at some point after reading this! Highly recommend this one to all readers, but especially to Australians, memoir fanciers, and those interested in contemporary music.

[Sharron Terrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book!!!

I loved this book for so many reasons.
1. Astrid talks about her very quirky self with honesty. We can hear the way she thinks all over the place. Lots of people are embarrassed about their quirks. But Astrid just tells it like it is. I admire anyone who can do that.

2. What a relief to hear someone say average is okay. Astrid says who is amazing at everything. If you take the sum of all the best parts of someone and the sum of all the worst parts of someone, then, they'll come out average at best.

3. It is interesting to hear how she got to where she is now.

4. It's a great read.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun! And, unsurprisingly after enjoying being on her Pub Choir mailing list, funny and well written. Was great to read the day after going to her show! Cos there's no time in the show for her to tell any stories, and you can tell she's got great stories in her.

Great stories, good at telling them, nice tidbits of insight. She genuinely comes across as such a great person, my parasocial relationship wants us to be friends hahaha.


(ooh just found out she reads the audiobook herself, that'd be worth tracking down!)

[Redsetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paperback, and I also watched some YouTube clips of her Pub Choir
My book of the year! Astrid is such a wonderful force of nature and her book really represents her. Read for bookgroup and it's a book I keep recommending to everyone. Her stories are funny, gentle, touching, excruciating, reflective and often hilarious and downright astounding at times. It's an absolute joy of a book and one I'll return to. Considering buying the audio version too just to hear her narrate it.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had never heard of Pub Choir, but this book was a fun listen. Read by the author, she is not too proud to describe some pretty cringy things that happened on her way to creating this highly successful company that brings singing and joy to the masses. And the audiobook has some of her group's singing which is gorgeous.

[Dan Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smashed it in a day. While Astrid is a proud Aussie she will always be a Kiwi to me.

Loved the whole book. Laughed out loud heaps and really got her Aussie humour. The storytelling is awesome.

Then cried on the final chapter - wow! Talk about a legacy.

So proud of you Astrid. Keep smashing it.

[Emily Abbott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can we start a petition for Astrid to become a audiobook narrator? Gosh she narrated this with so much life! It was a bit chaotic - but I get the impression that Astrid is also a bit like this. It was fascinating hearing how her musical brain works & how she created Pub Choir. The last chapter is a really beautiful conclusion to the story.

[Farrells Bookshop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utterly delightful. Astrid, creator of pub choir, is quirky, introverted and instantly relatable. Her story of career, chaos, odd jobs and finding her way feels like a pep talk from your funniest friend.

Read by Juz

[Paula Whitehouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome read! I attended my first Pub Choir last week (Bucket List ✅️) and to read the history behind it and Astrid has been thoroughly enjoyable. An easy to read memoir with lots of serious stuff as well as comedic goodness! Well done, Astrid! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Anne Porier · Rating 4 out of 5]

While most will probably read this book because they know about Pub Choir, I learned about it through this memoir. Now I really hope to attend one! I love the concept, and this book was pure delight from start to finish!
Thanks to libro.fm for the advanced listener copy.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Astrid is witty and has led an interesting life. She explains her techniques well and shares some hilarious moments,
I did however think the book was a bit too long but overall an easy enjoyable read.