anyone can – A Serbia-based amateur pop choir has expanded rapidly, offering no-audition singing as stress relief and social connection amid political and economic strain.
BELGRADE, Serbia — In a country where everyday life can feel dominated by conflict and uncertainty, one simple idea is catching on: show up and sing.
Misryoum reports that Pop Hor. an amateur pop choir that began with a couple dozen singers in a small Serbian town. has grown into a nationwide community for people who want music without pressure.. The group’s motto—“Anyone can sing”—has drawn hundreds of mostly women across a wide range of ages. including people who say they’ve never tried singing before.
The model is deliberately welcoming.. There are no auditions and no voice tests, and newcomers don’t have to read sheet music.. Founder Nenad Azanjac. a trained music teacher. has framed the choir less as a performance project and more as a space where participation matters more than polish.. Members arrive as total amateurs. often describing themselves as having “no clue” about singing—then leaving with a routine. friends. and a reason to look forward to the week.
Misryoum notes that the choir’s growth is striking for Serbia, where community choirs are still relatively uncommon.. Starting about four years ago. Pop Hor has expanded to roughly 10 towns across the Balkans. with a plan to keep spreading.. The group packs halls and venues frequently. performing popular songs mainly in Serbian. while sometimes including music from Croatian and Bosnian artists.. Even as an amateur group. it shows up at festivals and public events in Serbia and abroad. turning a casual premise into something that looks and feels bigger than a hobby.
For many participants, the appeal goes beyond music.. Nevenka Bila. 72. described the choir as a necessary counterweight to the strain of daily life shaped by political tension and protest activity.. In her view. the choir offers a break from activism and worry—a place that feels good in moments when those feelings can be hard to find.. Radmila Kozarac. 62. said she rarely misses a class. not only for the music but for the after-class time—chatting. connecting. and sharing coffee.. In a society where people can feel separated by stress, Pop Hor is intentionally designed to bring them back together.
That sense of belonging is also part of what Misryoum says psychologists emphasize about group singing.. Psychologist Aleksandra Djuric, who teaches at Singidunum University, links singing in a group to potential neurobiological and psychological benefits.. She described how shared performance can reduce stress responses—mentioning the role of cortisol—and support positive emotions through connection and “union and happiness.” Beyond the chemistry. her message to students is a practical one: in an environment saturated with information and pressure. people still need spaces to calm down. relax. and reconnect with others.
The timing matters.. Serbia endured years of wars. sanctions. and economic crisis in the 1990s. and today the country remains politically divided while continuing to struggle economically.. Misryoum adds that youth-led protests flared in 2024 after outrage tied to a train station tragedy blamed on negligence and corruption in large state infrastructure projects.. In that context. a choir that asks nothing of people except to show up for practice can feel like a form of relief—one that doesn’t require agreement on politics. but still builds community across differences.
Misryoum also highlights that some members join after therapists suggest singing as an anti-stress activity.. Azanjac says people often come to find belonging and enjoyment. describing it as a “feeling of togetherness.” Notably. the choir’s own priority order is simple: singing comes second; socializing comes first.. That framing turns the typical “talent” narrative on its head.. Instead of starting with skill. Pop Hor starts with comfort and familiarity—then lets confidence grow from repetition and shared effort.
In total, about 2,000 people have sung with Pop Hor since it began in Gornji Milanovac in 2022.. Misryoum reports that Azanjac is not treating this as a closed chapter.. His stated ambition is to have the whole region sing—suggesting the choir could become a broader community movement rather than a single-town success story.. If it continues to expand. the project may serve as a template for how cultural activities can function as mental-health supports and social infrastructure. especially in places where public life can feel heavy.
While Pop Hor is happening in Serbia, the underlying lesson is portable: community can be engineered by lowering barriers.. When people are invited in without auditions, training becomes less about judgment and more about participation.. For members who are fighting stress on their own. that shift—from exclusion to invitation—may be the real performance happening in the room.