MCM Conference Organising Committee: Prof. Nanette de Jong, Prof. Ian Biddle, Dr. Meng Ren, Dr. Adam Behr, Dr. Richard Elliott, Dr. Chang He (University of Sheffield), Dr. Fengyi Zhang (University of Sheffield), Dr. Larry Zazzo, Dr. Joe Lockwood, Mr. Fred Hollingsworth, Ms. Anna Heslop.

Keynote Speaker:

Professor Adriana Helbig (Professor of Music, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and College of General Studies, University of Pittsburgh; author of ReSounding Poverty: Romani Music and Development Aid and Hip-Hop Ukraine: Music, Race, and African Migration) https://www.music.pitt.edu/people/adriana-helbig

Keynote Lecture: ‘ReSounding Crisis: Music, Power, and Survival in Uncertain Times‘

11:00 AM, 9 May 2026, Armstrong Building (ARMB) G.09

This talk examines how music shapes everyday life during times of crisis, focusing on how people use music to navigate crises that unfold over time. Drawing on examples from wartime environments, marginalized communities, and carceral systems, it explores how musical practices sustain connection, organize shared experience, and help people make sense of rapidly changing or constrained circumstances. Whether it is songs shared through digital media during conflict, performances that help people find visibility and belonging, or music that organizes daily life under surveillance, these musical practices offer grounding, connection, and continuity, even as they reveal the constraints and challenges inherent in their creation. Ultimately, this talk examines how individuals use sound to endure, adapt, and organize their lives under pressure, highlighting the essential role of music in challenging situations.

Please see below for the latest version of the conference programme and for a PDF of the conference book of abstracts.

The PDF of the current programme can be downloaded here:

The PDF of the book of abstracts can be downloaded here: