1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,400 Speaker 1: Have you ever heard of a pub choir? It's this 2 00:00:02,520 --> 00:00:05,920 Speaker 1: new thing taking the internet by storm. Astra Jorgensen, who 3 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:08,240 Speaker 1: was actually born in New Zealand, thirty four year old 4 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:12,920 Speaker 1: former schoolteacher, goes on America's Got Talent, massive audience and 5 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:17,160 Speaker 1: puts this video online. It gets huge views and clicks. 6 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:20,520 Speaker 1: People are absolutely loving it. She gets hundreds of audience 7 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: members to sing together. They don't know what's going on 8 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:48,319 Speaker 1: until they arrive and this happens. It's pretty cool. That's 9 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 1: a choir that didn't know it was going to be 10 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:52,639 Speaker 1: a choir before they arrived there. Astra Jorgensen is the 11 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 1: Australian vocalist and conductor and joins me this morning, good morning. 12 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 2: Good morning. So nice to chat with you. O, nice. 13 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: To have you here. That it's going viral, it's all 14 00:01:01,960 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 1: over the world. What was it like doing it? 15 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 2: I mean, it's sort of crazy because it happened a 16 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:10,399 Speaker 2: long time ago. For me. I did it all the 17 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 2: way back in March in America, and then I had 18 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 2: to hold onto this secret for like six months and 19 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:19,120 Speaker 2: I couldn't tell a single person, and so I had 20 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:23,760 Speaker 2: this strange experience that I went through and then suddenly 21 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 2: it popped up on TV and then it exploded online. 22 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:31,400 Speaker 2: Over a hundred million people have watched me at work, 23 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:34,759 Speaker 2: I guess, which is wild. I sort of can't really 24 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:37,039 Speaker 2: fathom it, If I'm being honest, I don't really think 25 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 2: about it that much because it's just too big to know. 26 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 2: You know that a hundred million people or something crazy 27 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:45,840 Speaker 2: like that have seen me do my thing. 28 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: Ashould Africa's obviously an iconic song people know, are there's 29 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: some songs that work, some that don't. Have you had 30 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 1: any flops? 31 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 2: Well, I mean I've done probably I do a different 32 00:01:56,920 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 2: song at every show or every tour, so I mean 33 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 2: I would've done about four hundred shows, So I've tried 34 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 2: a lot of songs. I mean, obviously some some are 35 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 2: better than others. But it's more that I arrange the 36 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 2: song for each audience. And so it's not just that 37 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,799 Speaker 2: the song is important for the show, but it's more 38 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 2: that the way that I decide to split up the 39 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 2: notes and write some new harmonies, and depending on how 40 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:28,360 Speaker 2: the audience feels like every show is entirely unique. So 41 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 2: for sure, some shows are better than others, but it 42 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 2: depends on so many things, how people feel, how I've 43 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 2: done the arrangement, you know. But what's exciting for me 44 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 2: is it's unfolding in front of us all. Like the 45 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:42,799 Speaker 2: point of the show for me is that we can 46 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 2: make art together in real time. And so even if 47 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 2: it even if it's not everyone's favorite song, or if 48 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 2: I give some weird instructions sometimes because I'm figuring out 49 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:55,359 Speaker 2: on stage, it's exciting to me that it's always unique, 50 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 2: and I really want people to feel excited about that too, 51 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:01,280 Speaker 2: that we can make something that exists just for us 52 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:04,920 Speaker 2: tonight and it will feel new and good and we 53 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 2: were the creators. 54 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 1: Music's an energy thing, isn't it. It's transferring energy from 55 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 1: one to another. And to have so many people involved 56 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:15,080 Speaker 1: in doing it, I mean you look at the people's 57 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: faces and they almost get it. They get a mess 58 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 1: of buzz out of the fact that it is them 59 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 1: doing it. 60 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:22,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it looks like a great show. I'd 61 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 2: love to attend myself. I'm always doing it. But I mean, 62 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 2: like you are for sure right that it is something 63 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:33,679 Speaker 2: really deeply human, Like you can't be in acchoir by yourself. 64 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 2: You have to sing with other people, you have to 65 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 2: work together. And I think it's this really joyful, equalizing experience. 66 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 2: Like we've all sung in groups before, it really hits different, 67 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 2: you know, when there's a thousand voices carrying something together. 68 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 2: It's this strange mix between I am contributing and also 69 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:57,040 Speaker 2: I am not that important. And I think it's like 70 00:03:57,080 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 2: a really nice line to walk as a person who 71 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 2: sings in the choir, to realize that you are making 72 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 2: the choir sound different because your voice is unique and 73 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 2: you are contributing, but just as much as everybody else. 74 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 1: And so that's and safety in numbers, Safety in numbers too. 75 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 1: That Well, I've always been curious America's Got Talent? Did 76 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 1: you apply to go on that show? Or how does 77 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:22,280 Speaker 1: it work? Do they go and ask people to appear? 78 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:25,160 Speaker 2: Well, I'm not sure if I'm allowed to even say, 79 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:26,919 Speaker 2: but I'll tell you what they did ask me to 80 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:30,280 Speaker 2: apply because I'd never even seen the show. I don't 81 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 2: know how to watch America's Got Talent because I live 82 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:35,280 Speaker 2: in Australia. I was I was born in New Zealand, 83 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:37,720 Speaker 2: but I live in Australia. I don't even think we 84 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 2: show their show. But they did get in touch online. 85 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:44,359 Speaker 2: I think they'd seen some videos because pub Qua has 86 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 2: been going for eight and a half years. I've been 87 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 2: doing every single show the whole time, and I think 88 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:52,039 Speaker 2: they must have seen some of my clips online and thought, 89 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:55,360 Speaker 2: oh that looks fun. Yeah, and I mean I'll say 90 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 2: yes to anything once. You know. 91 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:00,360 Speaker 1: Ester, lovely to talk to you. Thanks so much for 92 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:01,159 Speaker 1: being on the show. 93 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:04,159 Speaker 2: I've had the loveliest time singing across New Zealand, so 94 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 2: thanks for having me. 95 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 1: Ah, yes, are we any good at singing? 96 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 2: You're so good at singing. There's an incredible singing culture 97 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:13,560 Speaker 2: across New Zealand. I mean, you know, I do live 98 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 2: in Australia and they're okay, but New Zealand is really, 99 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:20,520 Speaker 2: I don't know, seem to tap into something together and 100 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 2: to share that moment really nicely and you laugh a lot, 101 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 2: and I just have the best time with New Zealand audiences. 102 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 1: Nice flattery. Estra Jorgensen, who's with us Australian vocalist and conduct. 103 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:33,880 Speaker 2: Him for more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge. 104 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:35,479 Speaker 1: Listen live to news Talks. 105 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:38,800 Speaker 2: It'd be from five am weekdays, or follow the podcast 106 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:39,719 Speaker 2: on iHeartRadio.