"Without music, life would me a mistake." -- Nietzsche

The past decade has included drastic cuts in funding for music education as well as increasing attention to research about the effects of music education. The Mockingbird Foundation differs from other players in this funding area, in important ways:

MUSIC ITSELF MATTERS

Music is powerful not only culturally and emotionally, but for skills, health, and general well-being. However, we have never funded a grantee solely on the basis of such tangential benefits, and tend to favor applicants who recognize the importance of music education for its own sake. Music for therapy is a laudable enterprise - it's just not what we do.
 

DIRECT EXPERIENCE

Several grantees have utilized funds to expose students to music, also a laudable effort. But the Mockingbird board has historically been more interested in programs that engage students directly with music, rather than in funding musical performances for students who would only observe others experiencing music.
 

UNCONVENTIONAL OUTLETS

Our funding guidelines define music education for children broadly and somewhat unconventionally. For example, we are interested in efforts outside of schools, including hospitals, shelters, and foster homes. We are also interested in supporting unconventional forms of instruction, and instruction in unconventional forms. And we are not focused on traditional performance skills, but are also interested in composition, vocalization, and improvisation.
 

UNASSESSABLE OUTCOMES

Nearly all relevant advocacy efforts have focused on putting instruments in public schools, promoting music education as a tool within broader education, and measuring outcomes in terms of assessable skills. Contrarily, the Mockingbird Foundation looks beyond public schools, and is interested in some areas for which skills may be less assessable (or even irrelevant).

We recommend resources and advocate for teachers, and gifts for parents and the young at heart. For the rest of you, pleeeease contribute!