About
Friends of Noise offers all-ages concerts, multi-genre concerts and events, and a monthly open mic called The Off Beat. The program runs workshops such as beat making workshops, artist development, and professional development activities where teens and young adults gain experience with sound equipment and performing. Friends of Noise also organizes Band Slam, a citywide Battle of the Bands, and supports youth radio DJs through FoN Presents on XRAY FM and other radio DJ training and slots for youth community members.
• Ages: 9–18 years old
• Price: Band Slam ’26 Finals at the Off Beat: Price Starts from: $7.00; Victory Day 2026: Featuring 1876 – Benefiting the Boys and Girls Club of Lame Deer: Price Starts from: $17.00; DJ Manny, Dave Quam, Datamini: Price Starts from: Free; The Taxpayers, Soda Jinx, They Skylarkers: Price Starts from: $22.50; North West Hardcore Fest: Price: $85.00; STD x HEADY PRESENTS: KA$HDAMI LIVE IN PORTLAND: Price Starts from: $24.00; Sutton’s Birthday with Aggro, Well, FTC, Body Double, Rise Up, War Hero, Jab, Found Out: Price: $3.00
Friends of Noise was established in 2016 as a youth-centered arts organization with a focus on marginalized youth and youth of color. Its mission states that it is a non-profit organization built on the values of collectivism and restorative justice and seeks to transform the culture of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth access to the music industry. The mission describes providing safer and productive spaces for all-ages concerts, focused arts education, and leadership opportunities for youth, with an emphasis on access to performative creative expression for marginalized youth and youth of color. The organization states that it engages young people in all aspects of event planning and production, offers youth-focused programs that teach industry skills, and runs an annual Season Pass program that gives access to three shows per month. Friends of Noise also maintains the Elan Eichler Youth Artist Directory of teen artists and offers FoN Talent & Sound Services, which includes emerging teen sound engineers and performers available for hire and sound equipment with a sound expert for events.
The leadership team includes Executive Director Andre Middleton, Development/Communication Associate Jonise Orie, Board Chair Amy Dragon, and Treasurer Mike Jones. Andre Middleton is described as a community activist on issues of inclusion and equity, a community connector within the arts, a producer of Friends of Noise Presents (a weekly hour of radio curated by youth DJs on XRAY.fm on Mondays from 2–3), a member of the Board of Directors for the Portland Institute of Contemporary Art, and a member of the Portland Parks and Recreation Budget Advisory Board and the Literary Arts Youth Advisory Committee. Jonise Orie has a background in social work and has spent many years making music as a vocalist. Amy Dragon is a mastering engineer who joined Telegraph Mastering in 2013, provides full format mastering for digital and vinyl releases, has been a voting member of the Recording Academy since 2015, served the Pacific Northwest chapter as governor from 2019–2021 and chapter Vice President from 2021–2022, co-chaired the P&E wing, and has been a Grammy U mentor and District Advocacy Day Team Captain, as well as a guest instructor at Portland Community College’s Music and Sonic Arts Program and Eastern Washington University’s Music Technology & Audio Engineering program.
Friends of Noise describes itself as “All Ages. Always.” and states that it emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion in artists, music genres, and audience members. It runs inclusive all-ages shows with lineups that include both youth and adult artists and hosts multi-genre shows to bring together young audiences from different backgrounds. The organization has developed a beat making crew to support poets and MCs and has a stated goal to create a non-profit, all-ages arts venue that is youth-oriented and youth-driven. It also offers a weekly radio show, FoN Presents, curated by youth DJs, and a weekly hour of radio curated by youth DJs on XRAY.fm.
In its community involvement, Friends of Noise reports that it supports creative youth in Portland through all-ages concerts, workshops, and experience navigating the music scene. It has a partnership with XRAY.fm to train and offer radio DJ slots to youth members of the community. The organization has offered free beat making workshops at Boys and Girls Clubs, Portland Parks and Rec Summer Free for All, and through a grant-funded program at a Home Forward low income housing development. It has scouted locations for concerts within Black and Brown communities so that youth in those communities could see and attend events with minimal travel. Victory Day 2026 is described as benefiting the Boys and Girls Club of Lame Deer, and sponsors for Band Slam include Schnitzer Cares, Art and Culture at PSU, The Bodecker Foundation, and Oregon Arts Commission.
Last updated May 29, 2026.
• Ages: 9–18 years old
• Price: Band Slam ’26 Finals at the Off Beat: Price Starts from: $7.00; Victory Day 2026: Featuring 1876 – Benefiting the Boys and Girls Club of Lame Deer: Price Starts from: $17.00; DJ Manny, Dave Quam, Datamini: Price Starts from: Free; The Taxpayers, Soda Jinx, They Skylarkers: Price Starts from: $22.50; North West Hardcore Fest: Price: $85.00; STD x HEADY PRESENTS: KA$HDAMI LIVE IN PORTLAND: Price Starts from: $24.00; Sutton’s Birthday with Aggro, Well, FTC, Body Double, Rise Up, War Hero, Jab, Found Out: Price: $3.00
Friends of Noise was established in 2016 as a youth-centered arts organization with a focus on marginalized youth and youth of color. Its mission states that it is a non-profit organization built on the values of collectivism and restorative justice and seeks to transform the culture of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth access to the music industry. The mission describes providing safer and productive spaces for all-ages concerts, focused arts education, and leadership opportunities for youth, with an emphasis on access to performative creative expression for marginalized youth and youth of color. The organization states that it engages young people in all aspects of event planning and production, offers youth-focused programs that teach industry skills, and runs an annual Season Pass program that gives access to three shows per month. Friends of Noise also maintains the Elan Eichler Youth Artist Directory of teen artists and offers FoN Talent & Sound Services, which includes emerging teen sound engineers and performers available for hire and sound equipment with a sound expert for events.
The leadership team includes Executive Director Andre Middleton, Development/Communication Associate Jonise Orie, Board Chair Amy Dragon, and Treasurer Mike Jones. Andre Middleton is described as a community activist on issues of inclusion and equity, a community connector within the arts, a producer of Friends of Noise Presents (a weekly hour of radio curated by youth DJs on XRAY.fm on Mondays from 2–3), a member of the Board of Directors for the Portland Institute of Contemporary Art, and a member of the Portland Parks and Recreation Budget Advisory Board and the Literary Arts Youth Advisory Committee. Jonise Orie has a background in social work and has spent many years making music as a vocalist. Amy Dragon is a mastering engineer who joined Telegraph Mastering in 2013, provides full format mastering for digital and vinyl releases, has been a voting member of the Recording Academy since 2015, served the Pacific Northwest chapter as governor from 2019–2021 and chapter Vice President from 2021–2022, co-chaired the P&E wing, and has been a Grammy U mentor and District Advocacy Day Team Captain, as well as a guest instructor at Portland Community College’s Music and Sonic Arts Program and Eastern Washington University’s Music Technology & Audio Engineering program.
Friends of Noise describes itself as “All Ages. Always.” and states that it emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion in artists, music genres, and audience members. It runs inclusive all-ages shows with lineups that include both youth and adult artists and hosts multi-genre shows to bring together young audiences from different backgrounds. The organization has developed a beat making crew to support poets and MCs and has a stated goal to create a non-profit, all-ages arts venue that is youth-oriented and youth-driven. It also offers a weekly radio show, FoN Presents, curated by youth DJs, and a weekly hour of radio curated by youth DJs on XRAY.fm.
In its community involvement, Friends of Noise reports that it supports creative youth in Portland through all-ages concerts, workshops, and experience navigating the music scene. It has a partnership with XRAY.fm to train and offer radio DJ slots to youth members of the community. The organization has offered free beat making workshops at Boys and Girls Clubs, Portland Parks and Rec Summer Free for All, and through a grant-funded program at a Home Forward low income housing development. It has scouted locations for concerts within Black and Brown communities so that youth in those communities could see and attend events with minimal travel. Victory Day 2026 is described as benefiting the Boys and Girls Club of Lame Deer, and sponsors for Band Slam include Schnitzer Cares, Art and Culture at PSU, The Bodecker Foundation, and Oregon Arts Commission.
Last updated May 29, 2026.
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