Friends of Noise, an organization supporting the creative youth of Portland, Oregon since 2016, is expanding their educational programming with the opening of their all-ages venue, “The Off Beat.” The nonprofit hosts professional development workshops and produces all-age concerts where teens can perform on-stage, run sound, accept tickets & create posters, with their youth sound engineers being hired to produce local events ranging from block parties to weddings. In this episode, we speak with their Executive Director, Andre Middleton on the organization’s plans for a silk-screen printing microloan program, their upcoming season pass program, the new venue’s specs & how they envision it as a stepping stone for emerging bands!