OSOM Music Studio

open hearts open minds program

Outta Sight Outta Mind!

Redubbed in 2022, OSOM Music meets two hours per week inside Columbia River Correctional Institution to record and write. We have guest musicians come in and lead focused workshops. We host concerts inside featuring the guys in the program with outside performers. The music program began in 2014 by Matt Insley who was incarcerated at the time. He noticed a need and OHOM embraced and supported his initiative. Nate Query now facilitates and is growing the program to include more outside studio collaboration. Our alumni receive home recording starter kits. Tune into the Numberz FM on Fridays at noon to hear some OSOM music.

Music From the Inside

Music from the Inside is a short documentary produced by Outside the Frame.

It’s a joyous and collaborative gathering that serves as a counterbalance to the dehumanizing experience of incarceration. Music not only provides opportunities to heal and reflect, but to also build community within and across prison walls. The film focuses on the experiences of the participants and the impact that music making has on their lives.

This short documentary premiered May 23, 2022 at the Clinton Street Theater, with Q & A featuring 3Lo and Nate Query moderated by Mic Crenshaw

OSOM Music Program Lead, Nate Query

Nate Query got connected with OHOM at the end of 2018 through his neighbor Mark Mojdehi, a former OHOM board member and OSOM Music Program director. Nate, well known as the bassist of The Decemberists, was brought in to take on the challenge of navigating our corrections system and assisting our incarcerated colleagues while they record music inside as well as mixing their recordings on the outside.

A Note from Nate:
As the CRCI Studio comes out of pandemic hibernation, I want to spread the word and get more people on the outside connected to the program.
CRCI Studio is a music recording studio inside Columbia River state prison in Portland. It’s one of many arts in prison programs run by Open Hearts Open Minds (OHOM). When the prison opened up after fifteen months of Covid lockdown, I took over the program, though I have been involved since early 2019. The participants mostly run the program themselves, but need our outside support to mix tracks, update mp3 players, provide equipment, and provide badged volunteers to comply with Department of Corrections protocols.
Right now, the outside part of the program is run by myself and four other incredible collaborators- Taiyah, David, Edo, and Malik. We are working on getting interviews, music, and videos of current and former participants ready for your ears and eyes. So please give us your email and we will keep you up to date.
We are looking to get more people plugged into and connected to this program and the guys who participate. You can help by staying in touch, and also by donating equipment (especially headphones, mics, mic stands), donating studio time or a space for a get together, coming inside to hang out, making beats, coming to a session or concert for formerly incarcerated guys, mixing tracks. Let’s keep talking!

open hearts open minds program