DIXFIELD — Regional School Unit 56’s Dirigo High School Music Program has been awarded $5,200 for sheet music and MIDI keyboards for a rural public high school music program by the The Mockingbird Foundation. The request was submitted by James Hamalainen.

The foundation announced 19 new grants totaling $144,158 in 15 states, the largest competitive disbursement in its history. Mockingbird, a nonprofit founded and run by volunteer Phish fans, has now disbursed 625 grants totaling more than $2.3 million to support music education, according to a news release from Ellis Godard, executive director of the foundation.

The 19 grantees were selected from among 1217 initial applicants who requested a total of nearly $10 million, far beyond the foundation’s resources. Because of such high demand, Mockingbird’s two-tiered online application process remains one of the most competitive in the nation.

Each year, the foundation is able to fund a slightly higher percentage of inquiries, making grants slightly less competitive, because of the generosity of fans.

The Mockingbird Foundation is a nonprofit that has been operated entirely by volunteer fans, with no office, salaries, or paid staff, since its inception in 1996.

Check out upcoming area events!