Mockingbird Foundation provides young students with grant money to bolster music programs

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Fans of a popular jam band are bolstering up a local music program for young students.

The Environmental Charter School (ECS) is a tuition-free, public charter school district in Pittsburgh that recently received a grant for music education from the Mockingbird Foundation. The Mockingbird Foundation is a non-profit organization operated entirely by volunteer fans of the band Phish.

ECS is using the $8,400 in grant funding to expand the music education program in their primary school, which has students in kindergarten through second grade.  All students will now be able to play along in music class with xylophones. 

ECS says they applied for the grant in October of 2023 - just one of nearly 1,220 inquiries for funding in 2024. ECS was one of 19 finalists selected for this grant funding.

The Mockingbird Foundation is also providing grants to more than 30 other music programs and schools just in Pennsylvania alone.