Grand Opening: Teen Music & Tech Center

by Grant Two Bulls

Calling all Northside teens! ​

WHO: North Minneapolis teens ages 12-19
WHAT: WCYC Music Tech Center Grand Opening
WHERE: 4350 Fremont Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55412
WHEN: Tuesday, October 29th from 5-8pm

The Webber-Camden Youth Center (WCYC) will be celebrating the grand opening of the neighborhood’s first teen drop-in music and tech center from 5-8pm on Tuesday, October 29th at 4350 Fremont Avenue North. The youth center, which is free and open to all youth ages 12-19, opened this May. The WCYC is open every Tuesday and is hosted by the four-person Teen Tech Squad from North Regional Library. The tech squad will offer activities at the grand opening which introduce youth to the instruments and recording equipment available at the center.

Webber-Camden, like the rest of the North Minneapolis area, has historically been deprived of key educational resources compared to the rest of the city. Music education and recording technology, in particular, are difficult for Northside teens to access. Before the creation of the WCYC, the closest tech center to the neighborhood was thirty minutes away via public transportation. In order to increase opportunity in this area, Hopewell Music Cooperative - North has partnered with North United Methodist Church to create the WCYC on the bottom floor of the building adjacent to the church.

The WCYC currently provides access to two state-of-the-art Apple computers, music software such as GarageBand and Pro Tools, electric bass and guitars, a keyboard, a piano, and other audio recording equipment. The Teen Tech Squad, along with Hopewell instructors, are around during open hours to assist teens with equipment and instruments, and the WCYC intends to add after school homework help to the resources for Northside teens in the near future. Snacks are also provided regularly, making the WCYC a productive space where youth can hang out after school, record their music, and complete homework. If you are a youth (or know one) who is interested in recording your own music, the WCYC is the perfect place to do so using professional-grade equipment.

See you at the WCYC!