Discussion: What does it all mean?

The results of this study suggest a certain negligence in properly showcasing Canadian popular music culture on the NAC’s stages through both its own programming initiatives and through its rental programs. Not only do Canadian artists make up less than 40% of the programming across this period, but the high rate at which USA artists are represented suggest that the cultural landscape of the country was still including many American import.

Perhaps more critically, the data shows that the programming sets up a white narrative that marginalized Black, Indigenous and Musicians of colour (hereafter as BIPOC). Not only does this narrative replicate broader popular music narratives active in the industry at this point in history (Miller 2010), but it also suggests broader issues within Canadian society with regard to how it represents or views its “multiculturalism”. Although there was indeed an increase in BIPOC representation over the course of this period, white artists maintained a high average of 75% of the annual programming.

Popular music has historically broken cultural barriers for society – serving to create a space in which a diverse range of individuals could be included. The legacy built by G. Hamilton Southam was one that's definition of excellence did not include BIPOC. When Southam says that he wants to raise the standard of artistic excellence in the city, he is saying that he would like to continue the cycle of investment in western classical music, because all other genres are not up to standard (Brown Book 1963).

The white narrative that emerges from the popular music programming in the first seven years of the NAC history offers great perspective on the ways in which the organization enacted their mandate. As envisioned by Southam and colleagues in the early 1960s, the National Arts Centre was seen as a space that would enhance artistic life and encourage cultural excellence. But what was meant by “excellence” is a question worth consideration.

Southam’s 1988 editorial, cheekily titled “A Rockcliffe elitist comes out of the closet”, offered a glimpse into the cultural preferences of the man that conceived of and delivered on the building of the NAC. Not only did Southam define his upbringing as one of immense wealth and privilege, but he emphasised the importance of the “classics” of art and literature. Musically, this meant Western classical repertoire and did not make room for popular music programming. This also, without qualifying it as such, meant music by white, male European composers – Bach, Mozart and Beethoven, for example. While disregarding their musical excellence would be ignorant as each of these composers were geniuses and virtuosos in their field, turning a blind eye on the excellence that exists within other musical genres would likewise be negligent.

What emerges through this narrative is a privileging of one musical genre over another, but also (and more critically) aracial and gendered hierarchy that places white men and women centre stage and BIPOC artists at the margins of programming. As noted earlier, such programming is not altogether surprising at this point in history, given the racial segregation and sexism on which the popular music industry was founded (and perpetuated at this point in history). But it is certainly disheartening given the federal policy on multiculturalism that was adopted in 1971 – at the start of the period studied here; only a marginal change occurred following the adoption of this policy.

The results of this study reveal the endurance and the reach of the broader popular music industry’s “possessive investment in whiteness” (to borrow from George Lipsitz [1990]) that is responsible for racialized hierarchies that persist in such industries. While the NAC did not invent the racialized hierarchies embedded in the popular music industry, they perpetuated them on their stage through their programming and rental agreements.

Though the bilingualism and multiculturalism policy was adopted in 1971 by Pierre Trudeau, no change was made to diversify and represent the many faces of the Canadian people through the arts. Through the NAC programming, the arts in Canada were exempt from this inclusion. Given the policy, it is disheartening to see these results.