Music of New Hampshire

New Hampshire is a state of the United States, located in the New England region. It is home to several professional performing institutions, including the more than 90-year-old fully professional Symphony New Hampshire^[1] (known from 1923-2012 as the Nashua Symphony) based out of Nashua, and the community-based New Hampshire Philharmonic.

The state of New Hampshire is unusual for having nine state songs.

State song

New Hampshire has nine state songs, although eight are "honorary" but not "official".^[2]

The first state song was "Old New Hampshire". This song was originally voted on by the legislature in 1941, but the song lost. In 1943, Rep. Samuel P. Philbrook sponsored legislation to create a contest to pick a state song, but this initiative failed as well. It was not until 1949 that "Old New Hampshire" became an official song.

The second was "New Hampshire, My New Hampshire" in 1963, then "New Hampshire Hills" in 1973. In early 1977, "Autumn in New Hampshire" became the fourth official song, and an interim board appointed by legislators recommended using only one official song and designating the others "honorary" state songs.

The board began considering which song to make official, as well as adding four new songs to consideration: "Oh, New Hampshire (You're My Home)", "The Old Man of the Mountain", "New Hampshire's Granite State" and "The New Hampshire State March". "Old New Hampshire" was voted the official song in late 1977, and the others became "honorary".

In 1983, a new honorary state song was added: "New Hampshire Naturally".^[2]

Rock music

New Hampshire has been home to bands representing many strands of rock music. Some notable examples include The Bruisers, Dreadnaught USA, Our Last Night, Scissorfight, The Shaggs, The Queers, and Home Now. Punk rocker GG Allin was native to New Hampshire. Singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne was born in Nashua.

Hip-hop music

New Hampshire has been home to producer and DJ Statik Selektah, a respected name in hip-hop nationwide, since the 1990s. Statik Selektah, of Exeter, is closely associated with hip-hop artist Termanology of Lawrence, Massachusetts, and the two have formed a group called "1982". He has started a record label entitled Showoff Records.^[3] Statik has become the area's biggest representation within hip hop culture, working with many iconic artists and breaking new artists along the way. Hip-hop group Granite State also received some notoriety in the early to mid-2000s, also hailing from Exeter. Producer DC the Midi Alien was born and raised in Portsmouth. Rapper Aziz of Nashua released a music video called "Power in Attention"^[4] and several mixtapes which have given the state promise in having their first legitimate hip-hop star. A parody Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind" by Super Secret Project went viral in early 2010.^[5]

See also

• Amy Beach, composer, born in Henniker, New Hampshire.

References

• "New Hampshire's Official and Honorary State Song". New Hampshire Almanac. Retrieved January 17, 2006. 
• Listen to New Hampshire independent music on The NH Edge

Notes

State of New Hampshire
Concord (capital)
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