The future of the citizen petition Stay Free Alberta is in question after an Alberta judge ruled it cannot go ahead, although the province plans to appeal the decision.

In late March, the Alberta Prosperity Project announced the petition had passed the minimum threshold of required signatures to trigger a referendum for Alberta independence.

Alberta separatism has a long history that extends back to the late 19th century. But according to one Alberta pollster, while the movement has been around a long time, it has become “noisier.”“

We’re interested in how "Free Alberta” audiovisual media is being mobilized and how that may serve to persuade listeners. Thinking about this matters particularly as foreign involvement is fuelling anti-Canadian sentiment, as noted by researchers affiliated with DisinfoWatch, a platform that monitors and debunks foreign disinformation.

Jamie Meyers-Riczu, the first author of this story, researches how Alberta’s oil industry, and the petroculture surrounding it, is represented in sound and music. She’s a born and bred Albertan. James Deaville, the second author, has researched anthems, music and media and is from Ontario.

Pro-independent Alberta music

With a mission to break free of federal political, economic and cultural control, Alberta separatism supporters have been dreaming about a new sovereign nation.

Such a mission would imply a new Alberta anthem, something that — compared to the noise of political polemics and rally speeches within the independence movement — may seem inconsequential.

Yet music is the ultimate hidden persuader. It influences people in ways that circumvent reason, often worming into our emotions. Anthem music rallies the collective through a simple “singable” tune with rousing, patriotic lyrics that reflect a nation’s history, values and culture.

It’s perhaps unsurprising to find anthemic music produced among Alberta separatist YouTube accounts to match their aspirations, such as the curated playlist posted by Mitch Sylvestre, leader of the separatist initiative through the Alberta Prosperity Project that promotes........

© The Conversation