$10K for 2 Hamptons!
Phish Fans Support Music Education in Virginia and Nebraska

<Saratoga Springs, NY> Immediately following news that Phish will reunite next March at Hampton Coliseum, the Mockingbird Foundation has announced two special grants funded entirely by a Phish Reunion Fund, and supporting music programs in two Hamptons.

The all-volunteer organization of Phish fans created a separate account last fall for contributors who wanted to express their hope for the band's return while supporting music education for children. Of the donations received in the last year, nearly $5,000 was designated for the reunion fund. The Foundation's board decided to match that optimism, bringing the total to $10,000, and so announces two grants of $5,000, each to a music program in a Hampton:

• Hampton High School in Hampton, Virginia, is the direct descendent of the Syms-Eaton School, the first free school established in the American colonies. Founded in 1647, it has evolved over the years - changing names, merging, burning during the Civil War - and now serves 1675 students ("Crabbers") in an urban population of nearly 150,000. The school's band and music programs will be given $5,000 for the purchase, repair, and maintence of instruments, equipment, sheet music, and other educational needs. This grant is made as an unsolicited surprise to the school, in honor of the Phish fan community's affinity for and gratitude towards the community of Hampton, VA. Phish has performed 37 times in Virginia, 12 of those at Hampton Coliseum.
  
  
• Hampton Public School is located in Hampton, Nebraska, a rural, agricultural town with a population of 470. The band plays an important role in Hampton Hawk spirit, evident at the homecoming parade which begins only a few hours from now, but uses instruments purchased when the school was constructed 36 years ago. The high school has fewer than 70 students, but has built its music program significantly over the last seven years, and became members of the Tri-M Musical Honor Society last year. By coincidence, on the same day that word of Phish's impending reunion announcement broke among fans (September 30), the school submitted a funding inquiry for $3600 for a marching baritone and new tenor saxophone. The Mockingbird board has awarded an additional $1400 to be used for other musical needs, bringing the total to $5,000. This is the Foundation's first grant in Nebraska, a state in which Phish has performed only twice (10/21/95 and 11/16/96)

The Mockingbird Foundation is the leading provider of historical information about the band Phish and its music. Since its inception in 1996, the Foundation has been operated entirely by volunteer fans of the band, without any salaries or paid staff. It fundraises for music education for children by celebrating the music of Phish through books, innovative recordings, creative donation premiums, and special events for the Phish fan community. Funds are distributed through a two-tiered application process that has provided over 150 grants, in 36 states, totaling over $500,000.

The second edition of The Phish Companion (the Foundation's 928-page authoritative encyclopedia) is available from major book outlets nationwide. Its double-disc tribute album Sharin' in the Groove is available in CD format through Amazon, CDBaby.com, and Homegrown Music Network, as well as in digital format from iTunes, MSN Music, Rhapsody, Napster, BuyMusic, MusicMatch, Sony Connect, MusicIsHere, Liquid Digital Media, PassAlong, MusicNet, Puretracks, MusicNow, and LoudEye! For more information about Mockingbird, or to make a donation, please visit www.mbird.org.

You can support the Mockingbird Foundation - and music education for children - by credit card, debit card, Paypal account, or bank debit, through the link below; or, by check made payable to The Mockingbird Foundation and sent to The Mockingbird Foundation, c/o The Godards, 6948 Luther Circle, Moorpark, CA 93021. Every dollar counts and will support music education programs for children, and your donation is fully tax-deductible.

Phish is a rock band that started in 1983 and grew to become one of the highest-grossing concert acts before its farewell (a.k.a. "last" or "final") show August 15, 2004. The band took an earlier (815 day) hiatus, and will end its breakup with shows March 6, 7, & 8 at Hampton Coliseum, in Hampton, VA. For more information about Phish, please visit the official http://www.phish.com and the fan-managed Phish.net.

For further information:
     Chip Parker
     Media Relations Director
     Mockingbird Foundation
     press@mbird.org

     Ellis Godard, PhD
     Executive Director
     Mockingbird Foundation
     ellis@mbird.org

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