• I’m a Portland artist, musician, arts educator who has spent decades making things and helping other people find their creative voice. At OTO Arts & Music, I bring that experience together to create a welcomig home for art, music, and community in Old Town.

    My musical background includes guitar, songwriting, and production with Columbia
    Records recoding artists Dandelion, along with work with in The Exploding Whales and Masters of Karate. I’ve produced recordings for Northwest musicians and composed music for theater and school performances. My visual art explores layered color, texture, and geometric forms - a different way of following the same creative curiosity.

    D‍uring a decade with School of Rock, I served as Vice President of Operations, helped develop it’s music curriculum, and supported it’s growth from roughly a dozen schools to more than 170. I later founded Hammersmith Rock Institute and served as board president of Tears of Joy Puppet Theater.

    I founded OTO around a simple belief: CULTURE IS INFRASSTRUCTURE. Artists need places to work, perform, experiment, and earn a living. Neighbors need places to gather and participate. Together with our volunteers and creative community,I’m working to make OTO a place where those needs meet - and where people at every stage of their creative lives feel they belong. ‍

  • Paul Becker is a native Michigander who began his music career around the age of seven, charging his family admission to mock rock shows playing Monkees songs with his brother and cousin. If you were lucky enough to be in the car behind them on the freeway, you might have caught a free Muppett Show-style performance by stuffed animals, set to whatever was playing on the radio or 8-track.

    This all spilled over into adulthood, where Paul has written on and recorded nine full-length albums and five EPs and performed in well over 1,000 shows spanning rock, reggae, metal, country, and punk. Notable Portland bands include The Dry County Crooks, The Hell Yeahs, Sweet Teen Killing Machine, Lo-Hi, and, most recently, The Exploding Whales.

  • Austin bred musician with over 30 years experience in performing, producing, and participating in shows of all kinds, front to back of house.

    Multitasker with more than a decade of time touring the United States and a deep enthusiasm for the arts, he brings an energetic, creative spirit to almost everything in his coordinates.

    Made the move to PDX in 2018. Pretty jazzed to be here and uplift in any capacity. Percussion is the heart.

    Currently performs in G.A.B., The Exploding Whales, and has been involved with My Education, Soundmass, The Great Nostalgic, AM Syndicate, and a host of others.

    “Let’s make some art!” - DL - R.I.P.

  • Bike messenger.

    Environmental educator.

    Merchant sailor.

    Federal & contract forestry and fire supression.

    Government, criminal and recreational logistics coordinator.

    Lifelong music hobbyist and fan boy.

    Explorer of the air, land, and his own mind.

    Prefers to remain notoriously anonymous.

    Cannot spell, fake a smile, or use computers.

  • Native and lifelong resident of Portland.

    Been involved in the local music scene for a very long time.

    Record collector since he was a kid, any genre.

  • My musical journey started in the early seventies with Bowie’s Man Who Sold The World then through prog rock, heavy metal into punk rock, surfing the bleeding edge of music. Discovering hi-fi through the tutelage of my older brother David.

    As the eighties began, I involved myself in the Philly hardcore punk scene. Entered Temple University in 1982. Met many creative people. One of those individuals is Joe Genaro, an amazing musician. My brother David getting more proficient at bass guitar and looking to start a band I introduced him to Joe G. They clicked immediately and The Dead Milkmen was the result. The rest is history. I worked as band support for The Dead Milkmen in 1987, touring with them all year long. Had such a fun time seeing North America with them, learning what it takes touring in a van.

    My next musical adventure started with meeting Dave Heckman who ran Digital Underground. Digital Underground is the first CD only in Philly, just off South Street. We developed a great friendship which lead to launching Metropolis Records. I learned all aspects of the music industry. 2019 began on a sad note with the passing of my wife. As my life was turned upside-down, I came to a decision a new chapter in my life was needed. I retired from Metropolis in 2020 to enjoy the fruits of my over 25 years in the music industry!

    Well, 2023 rolled around. Living in a now empty house I decided to move to Portland after spending over 60 years in the Philadelphia area. Enjoying the beauty of the PNW I felt reborn! A chance meeting with Carl Hinds, totally cool dude who also happens to have Philly roots. He asked me to join OTO using all my knowledge I acquired over the years and I AGREED!

  • Michael Francis Ragonese, a Portland transplant since 1994, has been part of the music scene from day one. He’s worked at memorable bars and venues including The Gypsy, The Lotus, Moody’s, Tonic Lounge, East Chinatown (an Old Town staple).

    His first show was at Satyricon and his band played everywhere from there to La Luna, two legendary Portland venues that helped shape the city’s independent pulse.

    He currently performs with Silent Hedges, a Portland post-punk, darkwave duo.

    Today, as a board member of OTO Arts & Music - Old Town Origins - Michael’s proud to help preserve Old Town’s history while supporting the next generation of artists and independent culture.

  • JC Nelson is a bassist and graphic designer specializing in electric signage. In the 90’s, he laid down the low end for the band Dammit Jim before relocating to Oregon, where he spent the next two decades performing in community theater orchestras.

    Blending a lifelong passion for music with a career in visual design, JC brings creativity, versatility, and a ‘can do’ spirit to everything he does here

  • Melissa Meszaros is a Portland-based publicist, writer, and founder of Don’t Hide PR, with over 25 years of experience in entertainment, film, and music.

    Her career includes publicity work for the Seattle International Film Festival, Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, and projects involving underground comics legend R. Crumb and Anthony Bourdain.

    With a longstanding connection to the Pacific Northwest’s independent arts and music communities, she’s also the founder of Grrrl Front, a Portland-based music festival celebrating women and LGBTQ+ artists.

  • Alex is a Portland-based music industry executive, entrepreneur, and communications professional with more than 25 years experience spanning artist relations, marketing, publicity, business development, digital music distribution, label services, and strategic partnerships. He began his career in 1995 writing about local and national music for America Online’s ChipNet and, in 1997, co-founded In Music We Trust Magazine, an independent online music publication that became an influential voice during the early days of the web. The publication covered artists across genres and earned national recognition, including praise from Billboard for its support of independent music and artists.

    In 1998, Steininger joined N.A.I.L. Distribution as Marketing Director, working directly with independent labels and artists to develop marketing and retail strategies. He later served as Marketing Director and Label Liaison at Burnside Distribution, where he worked with labels, artists, retailers, and distribution partners. In 2003, he joined CD Baby as Vice President of Marketing & Business Relations, helping the company navigate and expand during a transformative period in digital music. During his tenure, he developed strategic partnerships with companies including Amazon.com, Ryko Distribution, and Super D, while also working closely with artists, labels, managers, retailers, and emerging digital music platforms to support distribution, catalog growth, and release operations.

    Steininger has also built and led his own independent music company, In Music We Trust, since 1997. Through the company he has provided artist development, publicity, marketing, label services, management, distribution support, and strategic consulting to artists and music organizations. His publicity and marketing work has generated coverage for artists in outlets including Rolling Stone, SPIN, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, FOX News, and The Daily Show. Steininger has brought his relationship-driven approach to communications and business leadership through roles including Chief of Staff at Woods Entertainment Group and, since 2024, Director of Communications at Equilibrium AI Technologies.

    A longtime advocate for artists and the independent music community, Steininger currently serves on the Oregon Music Hall of Fame board, a position he has held since 2016, and continues to work as an industry advisor, publicist, consultant, and strategic business leader. His career has been defined by building meaningful connections between artists, labels, media, and distributors.

  • The Cookie Fiend is a one woman, minority owned, micro cottage baker.

    Locally sourced ingredients.

    Diane is stupendous.