The Mockingbird Foundation is a charitable organization founded by fans of the

jam band A jam band is a musical group whose concerts and live albums substantially feature improvisational "jam session, jamming". Typically, jam bands will play variations of pre-existing songs, extending them to musical improvisation, improvise ove ...

Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon, drummer Jon Fishman, and keyboardist Page McConnell, all of whom perform vocals, with Anastasio being the ...

in 1996 (legally incorporated the following year) to support

music education Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as primary education, elementary or secondary education, secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a rese ...

for children. Unconventional in structure, it exists almost entirely online, allowing a higher percentage of income to be distributed directly to deserving organizations. Projects include the publication of '' The Phish Companion'' and the production of the Phish tribute album ''

Sharin' in the Groove ''Sharin' in the Groove: Celebrating the Music of Phish'' is an all-star charity Phish tribute album released on July 24, 2001. It features 23 acts covering 20 Phish songs, all on a volunteer basis, to fund music education for children under the ...

''. As of May 22, 2024, the foundation had provided over 675 disbursements (through grants and other awards) totalling over $2,396,000; sold over 70,000 copies of ''The Phish Companion''; and sold over 25,000 copies of ''Sharin' in the Groove''. The organization was recognized officially by Phish when, in 2004, the band donated all proceeds from their Livephish download service to the Mockingbird Foundation.

''The Phish Companion''

The Mockingbird Foundation is a leading provider of historical information about the band Phish and its music. The Foundation's book project, '' The Phish Companion'', is a comprehensive and authoritative reference chronicling Phish and their music, including years preceding and following the band's own history. It was researched with the help of all official Phish sources, including band archivist Kevin Shapiro, bassist

Mike Gordon Michael Eliot Gordon (born June 3, 1965) is an American bass guitarist and vocalist most recognized as a founding member of the band Phish. In addition to bass, Gordon plays banjo, piano, and guitar. He is a filmmaker ('' Rising Low'', '' Outs ...

, lyricist Tom Marshall, and others. Over 1,500 named fans contributed to the First Edition, with several hundred more augmenting the second. The third edition of The Phish Companion: A Guide to the Band & Their Music is a hard-bound, 898-page, full-color reference guide, with setlists, song histories, charts, show reviews, fan stories, and 128 pages of Phish photography – most of which has never been published.

''Sharin' in the Groove''

A Phish tribute album, ''

'', features nearly two hours of music from 23 individual acts including

The Wailers Bob Marley and the Wailers (previously known as the Wailers and prior to that the Wailing Rudeboys, the Wailing Wailers and the Teenagers) were a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae band. The founding members, in 1963, were Bob Marley (Rober ...

Dave Matthews David John Matthews (born January 9, 1967) is an American musician and the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band (DMB). Matthews was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and moved frequently between South Africa, ...

Jimmy Buffett James William Buffett (December 25, 1946 – September 1, 2023) was an American singer-songwriter, author, and businessman. He was known for his tropical rock sound and persona, which often portrayed a lifestyle described as "island escapis ...

John Scofield John Scofield (born December 26, 1951) is an American guitarist and composer. His music over a long career has blended jazz, jazz fusion, funk, blues, soul and rock. He first came to mainstream attention as part of the band of Miles Davis; he ...

Arlo Guthrie Arlo Davy Guthrie (born July 10, 1947) is an American folk music, folk singer-songwriter. He is known for singing protest song, songs of protest against social injustice, and storytelling while performing songs, following the tradition of his fa ...

, the Stanford Marching Band, The Vermont Youth Orchestra, Tom Marshall, as well as members of the Trey Anastasio's band,

Jefferson Airplane Jefferson Airplane was an American Rock music, rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1965. One of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock, the group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the San Francisco Bay Area, ...

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1975.Talking Heads

, and

Los Lobos Los Lobos (, Spanish for "the Wolves") is a Mexican American rock group, rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, zydeco, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional ...

. It was produced independently on an all-volunteer basis: none of the artists, managers, studios, or others involved received compensation for their contribution. The tracks are arranged like a live show, including two sets and an encore.

''Phish.net''

The Foundation formally adopted the fan website Phish.net as a project January 17, 2005. The site had begun in 1991 and served Phish fans for nearly two decades as static HTML pages. It was re-launched as an integrated database of setlists, song histories, reviews, and more in fall 2009.

''Runaway Open''

The Foundation has held a series of events (poker, poster, and golf), including an annual charity golf tournament for Phish fans starting in 2016, typically the second day of the band's multi-night run at Dick's Sporting Goods Arena in Denver, CO. The event name makes reference to several Phish songs, including "Runaway Jim" and "Kung", the latter of which includes the line, "Yes, we can stage a runaway golf cart marathon." The Ninth Annual Runaway Open will August 31, 2024, at Willis Case, with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. for 120 players.

DeLucia Awards

In 2004, the Foundation announced plans to acknowledge innovative work in music education through the institution of the DeLucia Awards, named for Mockingbird founder and originator of ''The Phish Companion'', Craig DeLucia. The first DeLucia Awards were announced in May 2006. There may be ''up to'' five DeLucia Award recipients in a given year; and each year, one recipient will also be awarded the DeLucia Prize, a monetary complement of $1,000. The recipient(s) should have accomplished something which effectively developed musical abilities, made efficient use of available resources, could be replicated in other settings, and might inspire others to seek, provide, and/or support music education. The recipient(s) will have demonstrated a passion for music education such as by teaching in an exceptional, innovative, or unique manner; impacting their communities in a substantial way; or using unconventional techniques, discourse, or concepts in their roles as music educators.

References

External links

The Mockingbird Foundation

Phish.net

The Phish Companion website
{{Authority control Charities based in California Phish Organizations established in 1997 Music organizations based in the United States