In their Fall Tour 1998 issue, Surrender to the Flow (a magazine “for tour kids, by tour kids”) featured the following article on the Foundation. Much thanks to them for helping us to spread the word!
“Who Are These People?”, by Christy Articola
The Phish phenomenon and subculture that we all are so obviously aware of has spawned a number of non-band affiliated groups run by concerned and amazingly motivated fans. The energy put forth by these groups is something that I personally am always amazed by and their presence on the lot has undoubtedly changed the scene as we know it for the better forever. However, it’s somewhat likely that not every concert goer knows what each and every one of these groups is all about, so I have therefore thrown together this article to claify and explain the purposes, hopes, dreams, and aspirations of five of th >most visible lot entities. I certainly hope that this helps to clarify the answers to many questions people may have stumbled across in their travels…and, of course, it will hopefully aid you in geting involved if you’re interested. I’ll start out with the good ol’ Mockingbird Foundation.
The Mockingbird Foundation was founded in fall of 1996 by a group of fourteen Phish fans from various walks of life. After reading a thread on rec.music.phish about various books about the band, these friends got together and decided to create their own. It is still in production due to the massive amount of information Mockingbird Foundation members are attempting to include. This book is to be written, overall, by the fans, and is to the draw on the experiences of everyone who enjoys Phish rather than simply focus on the thoughts and feelings of one particular individual or group. The main purpose of this book is to provide the most accurate and literary book on Phish’s music available which will include setlists, reviews, essays, and many other sections of interest on the music and history of the band we all love.
Perhaps the most intriguing and noteworthy piece of information about this group is the fact that all proceeds from the book, when published, will go to charity. That’s right, the book is being produced by hardworking fans who simply want to give back to the community we have all grown to be a part of, and therefore will be donating all revenue received from the sale of this book to charitable causes. They have even gone as far as to legally incorporate themselves, in the State of New York, as a Non-Profit Corporation.
It is this group’s hope that hundreds of fans, both on and off the internet, will contribute to this project and that the final lists of acknowledgments and credits will be absolutely gargantuan. By contributing to this book, fans everywhere can know that they helped create a fan based project that will benefit worthy charities and further spread the word to the world as a whole about our favorite band. The Mockingbird Foundation’s website stresses that the project can only be a success if all fans participate in whatever facet they can.
Look for Mockingbird Foundation representatives on the lot during fall tour; their fliers that explain what they’re trying to do are very informative and have really, really fun and tricky crossword puzzles on the back to allow you to test your own Phish knowledge. The Mockingbird Foundation can be contacted via the web at www.phish.net/mockingbird/ or by writing to them at:The Mockingbird Foundation, Inc.; PO Box 1483; Brookline, MA 02146. Or, cybergeek, you can even email them: [email protected]. They’d love to hear from you. Find out how you can help.