In celebration of Phish’s upcoming 3-show run in Albany (October 25, 26, & 27), the all-volunteer and fan-run Mockingbird Foundation has announced that it is sending an unsolicited $3,000 Tour Grant to the City School District of Albany Fine Arts Department, for purchase of an English Horn and related supplies, such as reeds.

This is Mockingbird’s 219th Tour Grant, and the 29th instance of unsolicited Tour Grants, an effort that now totals $291,000, which is 11% of all disbursements made by the foundation. These grants are part of a long-standing effort to help support music education in the local communities which have welcomed and hosted the Phish community for the band’s performances.

The Mockingbird Foundation is an all-volunteer, fan-founded and -managed 501(c)3 nonprofit organization supporting music education for children. A leading grantmaker in music education for children, the Foundation has now made 702 grants in all 50 states, totaling more than $2.5M. Funds for grants are generated through donations from a loyal base of fans, as well as through books, recordings, artwork, merchandise, and special events. Mockingbird is the leading provider of historical information about Phish and its music, having cultivated intellectual property through phish.net (and three associated books, so far) since 1994. The Foundation has been operated entirely by volunteer fans of the band, without any salaries or paid staff, since its inception in 1996.