Music at the Edges: Peripherality in the practices of popular music

June 29 – July 1, 2026
University of Aberdeen, Kings College, Aberdeen, Scotland

For this meeting of the UK and Ireland branch of IASPM we invite scholars to explore and reflect on the conceptof peripherality as it relates to the diversity of practices undertaken in relation to music making anddissemination. We consider peripherality here in both its literal (spatial and geographical) forms and in themore metaphorical ways that attitudes and behaviours are shaped by a perceived distance from an impliedcentre. To this end, we encourage considerations of the ways in which peripherality may influence how musicis created, performed, recorded, and disseminated within and from such locales. This may include locationsthat are geographically isolated, taking into consideration the positive and negative influences on the localmusic scenes and their functioning. Peripherality may also refer to the ways in which the music markets withinsuch locales might be considered satellite markets for other centres of production. We also recognise theways in which specific genres of music may be considered ‘underground’ when positioned in relation to‘mainstream’ genres and hence are considered peripheral within specific markets. Furthermore, we recognise the ways in which digital and internet technologies can break down traditional barriers between the centre and the periphery and the tensions which may arise as a result of this.

Specific activities may also be conceptualised hierarchically within a core-periphery relationship, such assuperstar performers (core) and their backing band, backup singers and/ or stage crew (peripheral) or howthose who are onstage performers (core) sit in relation to backstage crew (peripheral). What’s more, those whowork behind-the-scenes in music may also have their roles conceptualised within the core-peripheral relationship. These relationships may also be evidenced in relation to the upholding (or leveraging) of dominant discourses and preferentiality in the supporting of music within place-specific initiatives such as music city frameworks, and/ or the ways in which music histories may perpetuate dominant discourses and understandings. By extension artists and/ or listeners may be marginalised or even exploited by dominant power structures.

To this end we invite submissions exploring the diversity of the ways in which we understand peripherality as it broadly relates to the creation, recording and dissemination of music as well as the sustention of music scenes, their associated ecosystems and music careers more broadly. This may be related to (but is not limited to):

• The ways in which peripherality – real and/ or perceived – influences music activities within and beyond locales labelled as peripheral
• The influence of peripherality on the development and sustainability of music careers within andfrom such locales, their scenes and the discourses associated with them
• The ways in which a peripheral-to-core shift may occur through the emergence of genres and scenes ofnote within mainstream music popularity, which may be considered with contemporary and/or historical examples
• The ways in which dominant (core) discourses may be challenged through the emergence of newscholarship exploring previously ignored/ forgotten (peripheral) perspectives and experiences(including scholarship on the experiences of marginalised voices)
• The role those in perceptually peripheral positions play in the sustainability of the music industry
• The role of the music industry as a whole in relation to larger systems of cultural, social and economic(re)production – e., how core or peripheral is the music industry when viewed from differentgeographic or political perspectives?
• How peripherality is thematised and/or critiqued in music making and fan cultures

We also welcome submissions for papers which may not fit within the main conference theme.

We ask contributors to the conference to familiarise themselves with the IASPM Code of Conduct and IASPM UK &Ireland Branch’s statement on safe spaces. Contributors will be required to hold a paid membership with IASPM at the time of the conference.

Abstract Submissions

We invite submissions for papers and sessions in the following formats. Please submit your proposals as a Word document to [email protected] by Monday February 23, 2026.

• Individual Papers (20 mins + 10 mins for questions). Please include name, affiliation, and emailaddress of the presenter, and an abstract of no more than 300 Please ensure that the namesof the contributors do not appear in the abstracts themselves.
• Group Sessions (90 Minutes) focused on a topic and involving three or four contributors. Pleaseinclude names, affiliations and email addresses of proposer/facilitator and individual contributors, an abstract for the session (c.300 words) and additional abstracts for each contribution (c.200 words). Please ensure that the names of the contributors do not appear in the abstracts themselves.
• Practice-based demonstrations/ workshops: We also have capacity to consider a limited number of practice-based demonstrations and/ or workshops. These would be limited to no longer than 45 minutes (including a Q and A). Those wishing to share their research in this format are asked to submit a 300-word statement outlining the rationale and focus of their session. Technical specifications (equipment and space requirements) will also be required to assess the feasibility. Conference organisers may wish to liaise further on these proposals as part of their decision-making process.

To submit your abstract please send the requested information to [email protected]. Please note that conference participants will need to hold an active IASPM membership. Participants in the UK and Ireland can join or renew at https://iaspm.org.uk/iaspm/iaspm/membership.

Important Dates

Deadline for submission: 23 February 2026
Notification of acceptance: March 2026
Registration details will be available in due course.