Music of New Hampshire
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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 80-year-old fully professional Nashua Symphony Orchestra,[1] based out of Nashua, and the community-based New Hampshire Philharmonic.
State song
New Hampshire has nine state songs, although eight are "honorary" but not "official". 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 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, 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.
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] 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]
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
