Bigotry and discrimination at Music PEI

Updated May 15, 2009

Editor’s note – this article struck a chord with many Islanders. One person who uses a wheelchair part of the time said she carries colour copies to hand out to people. It was the first in many advocating for change at Music PEI whose only action was to end my membership in April 2009.

There is bigotry and prejudice throughout our Island society, even in the music business and government. Today after I performed on Victoria Row my mind wandered to the prejudiced people at Music PEI and Liberal Minister Carolyn Bertram who supports them.

In this day and age, one wouldn’t think that gays are subject to discrimination and abuse but it still happens. Women are still subject to discrimination. Nor would you think that people with disabilities would be subject to discrimination except at the hands of bigoted and ignorant people.

Singing and playing guitar on Victoria Row for two and a half hours left me exhausted. Every muscle in my body ached. Think of an all-day run uphill – that’s how it felt. Once I got home I had to lie down. Victoria Row is my ecstasy and agony all rolled into one.

I have post-polio which is a degenerate nerve and muscle condition. My muscles are weaker and can’t really be strengthened through exercise. Fatigue is another symptom: I just get bone-weary for no good reason every day. Like all people with a disability, I wish I could be as strong and anyone else and work and play without stop. Not my luck.

I’ve contemplated a life of devotion and lighting candles so people like Rob, Carolyn and Ray would accept me. It hasn’t worked.

Music is a passion that I’ve had for 50 years. In the past decade, I’ve had the chance to front a rock and roll band, play several different venues each year and perform weekly at open mikes. A few years ago I took up songwriting and have about 20 songs that are worth recording.

Rob Oakie, Executive Director thinks disabled should not apply

Music PEI sent me an email in December and told me they had money to help musicians record. A CD would help introduce my music to other musicians who might record it. Cool.

I had already researched how to promote songs and while difficult it’s not impossible. After all, I was the guy that started the first publicly traded software company on PEI. The statistical odds of my success are better than being part of a touring rock band, which are something like winning the Lotto 649.

Right away the application process appeared to have a bias against musicians with a disability. Discussions with both Music PEI and Minister Carolyn Bertram were met with indifference. Bertram seemed particularly insensitive for a woman, considering the years of discrimination women endured.

I applied but my application was rejected. The money went mainly to male musicians, with only 13% of the grants to the female musicians. That didn’t seem fair: don’t women make up more than 50% of the population.

Despite the obvious discrimination against people with disabilities, Music PEI told me quite openly they wouldn’t approve assistance where the musician wouldn’t tour.

Ray Brow, President does a bigot lie behind the smile?

In May and June, I sent Rob Oakie and Ray Brow of Music PEI the names of successful songwriters who didn’t tour or perform. Perhaps real-life songwriter experiences would convince them to stop discriminating against the disabled.

Do you like “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”? Haven Gillespie who never toured wrote that along with “Lucky Old Sun.” Everyone knows Irving Berlin who wrote “Alexander’s Rag Time Band”. He wrote his songs in his apartment and rarely left New York City.

The team of Holland Dozier Holland wrote most of the hits from Motown. They never toured.

There are hundreds of other songwriters who never toured including Doc Pomus who wrote great songs like “Save the Last Dance for Me.” By the way, he has polio and post-polio just like me.

Undaunted I applied again. Perhaps the information about songwriters who didn’t need to tour to be successful would convince Music PEI. Nope, they docked me for not touring again. They offered me half a loaf – the other half would come if I could tour.

Brow did say they would look at changing the rules but you could tell I was ticking him off by intruding in his world.

Well sorry, Ray, and Rob and Carolyn. Being well-intentioned and nice doesn’t cut it: you’re not allowed to discriminate against people in Canada. What amazes me is the arrogance all three of them displayed when I tried to calmly and logically explain the situation.

They all told me they were exempt from the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Bertram thinks she is exempt, God love her, now that she is an elected Liberal. Music PEI alluded to a special exemption clause in the Charter for musicians. Wow!

As for me, I’m just playing my little heart out each and every time I can, even when it hurts.

There’s a rush from a performance from the reaction with the audience that bigotry can’t take away. And if you hear me on Victoria Row you might even catch the song I wrote about this. Some people think it’s funny.

I wonder what will happen when the PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women discovers female performers are getting the short end of the rope.