Amid a trade war, sovereignty threats and a federal election campaign, Canada is facing renewed calls for national unity.

The need to define, refine and reassert what it means to be Canadian has never been stronger. To understand Canada, we need to listen.

Canadian music is how one can hear Canadian identity. Now more than ever, we must ensure equitable funding for this vital part of Canada鈥檚 cultural fabric so that Canada鈥檚 past, present and future stories are preserved in all their complexity and diversity.

As a PhD candidate in musicology with a focus on equity, diversity and inclusion in the Canadian music industry, I examine how systemic barriers shape this. I also explore strategies for advancing equity in creating, producing and promoting music in Canada.

Canadian music industry

Music has played a critical part in building Canadian identity.

The recent rise in pro-Canada songs brought on by United States President Donald Trump鈥檚 tariffs and threats of annexation demonstrates how powerful a medium music can be in voicing a nation鈥檚 frustrations.

Canada has a unique chance to define its music on its own terms and better reflect the full diversity and complexity of Canadian identity through music. Canadian policymakers can bolster music-making, production and circulation while taking stock of broader discourses of what Canadian music includes, and more importantly, what it leaves out.

For an industry that has strived to set itself apart from the American music scene, the time is ripe for Canada to increase and ensure equitable funding of the arts and music scenes.

Promise of representing all of Canada?

In the 1960s and 鈥�70s, the Canadian government recognized that American and British artists were dominating the country鈥檚 airwaves. In response, it established the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission and introduced Canadian content rules, requiring radio stations to dedicate airtime to homegrown music.

The introduction of this policy, perhaps more protectionist than promotional in nature, was a pivotal moment because it meant that Canadian musicians could finally be heard in their own country.

Many Canadian musicians and artists used this opportunity to speak out against injustice, inequality and erasure. Folk singers, Indigenous performers and artists from marginalized communities turned music into a form of resistance, challenging dominant narratives and redefining what it means to live in Canada.

Shrinking arts funding, barriers

Now, decades later, we find the arts and music that once built Canadian identity isn鈥檛 an investment priority.

This became especially clear during recent debates over the modernization of Canadian content regulations that spotlighted growing concerns from music industry stakeholders, such as artists and musicians鈥� associations, about shrinking arts funding, particularly for emerging and marginalized artists.

Funding structures have shifted over the last several years, both in terms of government funding and artists鈥� revenue streams, leaving many artists, especially those from underrepresented communities, at greater risk. The result has been a music industry increasingly shaped by market forces.

Research on the Canadian music industry further complicates this. Industry reports from the Toronto Metropolitan University Diversity Institute shows that Black and Indigenous artists, and those from 2SLGBTQ+ communities, still face serious barriers to getting radio play, funding or recognition.

The Canadian francophone music scene has also faced challenges, including being disproportionally impacted by streaming and a slim market share that puts its survival in peril. When it comes to radio play, funding and recognition, the promise of diverse Canadian music has seldom matched the reality.

Who gets to define Canadian music?

The recent renaming of the minister of Canadian Heritage to the minister of Canadian Culture and Identity, Parks Canada and Quebec Lieutenant could signal a promising shift. This ministry oversees the Canadian Heritage Fund, which distributes much of Canada鈥檚 arts funding.

In response to emailed questions from the media about the rebrand of this ministry, and how it might affect policy, Minister Steven Guilbeault, recently sworn into the new dossier, wrote that his appointment came at a time 鈥渨hen our national unity and shared identity have never been more important.鈥�

He added: 鈥淥ur culture and values define who we are as a country. In a period of political uncertainty, I will make strengthening our Canadian identity a priority to safeguard our sovereignty.鈥�

Strengthening Canadian identity must include sustained investment in Canadian arts and music.

While recent national frustrations and political sentiment might make it easier to gravitate towards a safer and nostalgic version of Canada鈥檚 identity, Canadian music is most powerful when it holds space for both comfort and complexity. Take the recent viral clip of Liberal Leader Mark Carney joking with comedian Mike Myers, quizzing him about his Canadian identity. 鈥淭ragically?鈥� Carney asks. 鈥淗ip!鈥� Myers replies.

It is a charming exchange that evokes a sense of shared pride 鈥� rightly so 鈥� and familiarity. It is also a gentle reminder of how quickly the boundaries of Canadian identity and music can be reduced to a set of familiar artists.

The Tragically Hip captured lyrical portraits of small-town life and touched on themes of loss and injustice, as in 鈥淲heat Kings.鈥� In contrast, artists like Tanya Tagaq confront colonial violence using a blend of Inuit throat singing with electronic influences, soundscapes and performance styles that reclaim Indigenous presence.

Both stories are part of Canada, and have also resonated and found acclaim on global stages. Canadian music finds its power nested between the tension of comfort and critique.

鈥楲et the world know who we are鈥�

In a recent open letter to the arts community, Michelle Chawla, director and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts, urged the sector to seize the moment: 鈥淲e need the arts to let the world know who we are 鈥� an open, diverse and globally minded society.鈥�

She went on to emphasize that, as Canadians look to contribute more directly to the economy, the arts must be part of that vision. She noted decision-makers must understand the arts 鈥渉ave a vital role to play as part of the solution鈥� as Canada navigates uncertain times.

For policymakers, that means prioritizing funding for the arts and setting clear parameters to ensure this funding is distributed equitably, with meaningful support for emerging and underrepresented artists.

For everyday Canadians, it means being open to stories that challenge us, and resisting the urge to simplify what Canadian music or identity is supposed to be. It also means supporting local artists and musicians, attending shows and investing in local music scenes.

Now is the moment to invest in the arts and Canadian music industry, not just to preserve its past, but to ensure we continue telling bold, complex and uniquely Canadian stories. If we allow Canadian identity to become a curated artefact, and Canadian music to be stripped of its tension, complexity and defiance, we lose far more than funding. We lose the stories that make Canada, Canada.

-By Rosheeka Parahoo, PhD candidate, musicology, Western University. This article was originally published on The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.