Friends for A_Dog and Burlington Music Dojo Grant for Young Vermonters

Musicians in the Building Beats program. Young Vermont musicians are eligible to receive a grant from Friends for A_Dog and the Burlington Music Dojo through the Learning to Fly program.

 “You can’t put a price tag on the value of a musical education. It’s not tangible.” -Justin Remillard, Founder of the Friends For A-Dog Foundation

Mockingbird Foundation, collaborating with Phish’s own Waterwheel Foundation, have announced a combined $20,000 grant to be awarded to Queen City-based non-profit Friends For A_Dog Foundation Ltd. (FFA_D) in partnership with the Burlington Music Dojo. Following the initial announcement of Mockingbird Foundation’s grant of $10,000, Waterwheel Foundation matched the donation in a tremendous show of support for Burlington’s artistic community. This funding will go directly to the “Learning to Fly” program. The new program aims to provide music lessons and instruments for select students across the state of Vermont. It is extremely rare to receive this grant, as only one percent of applicants end up getting approved for it.

A_Dog Foundation was founded to commemorate the late skateboarder and turntablist Andy “A_Dog” Williams—to honor his legacy and the immensely positive impact he had on the Burlington community. FFA_D partnered with Burlington Music Dojo back in the Fall of 2018 to come up with the idea for a program that would capture the love and appreciation A_Dog had for music. The “Learning to Fly” program will provide funding for music lessons for 20 to 24 Vermont students over the course of four years. This funding will include paying for instruments that the students get to to hold onto, even after the lessons have concluded. All students from grades six through twelve in Vermont are encouraged to apply for this opportunity.

“Although Andy was best known as an incredible DJ and world-class skater, it was Andy’s love for bass guitar and making his first mixtapes in high school that served as a catalyst to his creative musical path,” says life-long friend of Williams, Justin Remillard. “With The Burlington Music Dojo being the robust studio of live music instruction that it is, we knew it would be a great idea to pursue this partnership and grant together and offer live music programming to those that may not have such an opportunity. The “Learning to Fly” program will be a direct reflection of Andy’s character and life as a musician.” 

“The larger the class, the less personal attention a student gets. Some people thrive in larger environments, but there are particular students who learn the best when they’re one on one with an instructor,” says Aram Bedrosian, bass instructor and founder of The Burlington Music Dojo. “At these formative ages, the scope of the impact that a private music lesson can make on a child’s life is immeasurable.” 

The Mockingbird Foundation is a non-profit organization run entirely by the work of volunteers who also happen to be fans of the Vermont rock band Phish. The non-profit has announced twenty new grants this year, totaling $141,263 in support of children’s music education. Phish’s own foundation was especially impressed with two of the submissions for these grants, and matched the funds provided to the A_Dog Foundation, as well as a grant providing Worcester Public Schools of Massachusetts with funds for student instruments. Proceeds are generated through fundraisers, books, recording, and special events, all celebrating the music of Phish.

Text by Kevin Desmond.

Photos courtesy of the A_Dog Foundation.