Friends of Noise

Friends of Noise is a 501-c3 organization that seeks to foster healing and growth for the creative youth in our community via the arts, by hosting professional development workshops and inclusive all-ages concerts that provide live performance opportunities for youth artists and hands-on experiences for emerging youth sound engineers.

We have three core tracks to accomplish these goals:
1. We produce Professional Development Workshops for teens where we teach subjects from beat-making to how to set up a PA system.
2. We produce all-ages music concerts where youth musicians and sound techs get paid to practice their craft. We encourage them to be bold and make mistakes in front of our understanding and compassionate all-ages crowds.
3. We advocate for and find paid opportunities for youth musicians to play and/or run sound for organizations other than Friends of Noise.

All three core tracks combine to create onramps to a regional music ecosystem that is inclusive and safe for emerging youth artists and sound engineers.

Friends of Noise was originally formed as a coalition of nonprofits and community leaders. These included organizations such as My Voice Music, Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls, Music in the Schools, Young Audiences of Oregon and SW Washington, among others, all of which were seeking more opportunities for youth to produce, perform, and attend all-ages music shows. In accordance with its founding purpose, Friends of Noise is dedicated to increasing opportunities for youth involvement in mentorship and arts education in underserved communities, especially among North and East Portland communities.

For more information, contact the Friends of Noise at info@friendsofnoise.org.

Youth Jazz Ensemble playing at the Lents International Farmers Market (Photo by André Middleton)

Making buttons at our Merch workshop in partnership with the Bodecker Foundation (Photo by André Middleton)

Youth artists and Friends of Noise Sound Services kept the Center Youth Empowerment Block Party jumping! (Photo by André Middleton)