Lest there be any doubt, we want to clarify that all of the Mockingbird Foundation’s net proceeds are going to music education for children. We had small administrative costs such as postage, xeroxing, and New York State incorporation fees, and some research costs such as some photographic development. But those are already a small percentage of proceeds, and become an even smaller fraction as your purchasing support continues.

We have no paid staff, wages, salaries, executive compensation, honorariums, office, rent, assets, or loans. We did this because we love this band, because we wanted you to have the most complete and accurate guide to the band, and because we wanted to do a good thing for charity.

The Foundation will make grants of up to $5,000, to as many nonprofit groups at a time as we have proceeds, and will continue to give away whatever royalties come in, from however many books and albums you buy. We look forward to announcing the first beneficiaries early in 2001, and meanwhile hope that you enjoy The Phish Companion.

We are holding the first copies of the book, which just arrived today. It should be in your mailbox (if you preordered) or at a local bookstore (if you still need it) within a matter of days. It is already shipping from the distributors’ warehouses.

We are proud to say that we expect you to find it every bit as helpful and friendly as you and we together had hoped this book would be. And we want to thank you for the contributions, words of support, and preorders which have ensured the project’s success. In a great sense, you are the Mockingbird Foundation and this is your book.