As is often the case with bands, the seeds of local quintet Fractal were planted when another project fizzled out.

That was the winter of 2019. Soon, a fledgling Fractal played one show at McMenamins, and then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, said percussionist Jarrod Donatelli.

“Everything got put on hold, so we just played in the garage for a year, basically,” he said.

That time out of the public eye gave Fractal a chance to hone its sound, which it calls “jamtronica” — a groovy fusion of jam-band rock and electronic music, a la the bands Lotus and Sound Tribe Sector 9. Those are the bands that, Donatelli said, often play the late-night ragers at festivals after a day full of more traditional, rootsy jam-rock ‘n’ roll.

“There are people in Bend that are into those kinds of bands and go see them,” Donatelli said, “but there wasn’t anybody local really doing that style of music at the time, and that’s one of the reasons we were interested in doing it.”

Fast-forward nearly three years and Fractal — Donatelli, guitarist Dan Koval, bassist Kyle Swantek, drummer Matt Fletcher and Ethan Ebersold on keys and synths — is preparing to play just its 10th show, but the band is already seeing familiar faces and fans returning for more, Donatelli said. They’re also planning on recording sometime in the not-too-distant future. But first, they’re lined up to play Saturday at the Domino Room, where proceeds will benefit The Mockingbird Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded and organized by fans of the band Phish. The group works to ensure young people have access to music education and has distributed more than $2 million in 558 grants since 1997.

“Dan and Kyle have been longtime Phish fans dating back to the ’90s, and Dan came to the band and was like, ‘Hey, what do you guys think about possibly doing a Mockingbird event at one of our shows?’” Donatelli said. “We already had this date booked on our schedule, so we thought maybe we could turn it into a fundraiser.”

Pretty soon, other folks got on board, including Stacy Koff, a fellow Phish fan and owner of local concert promoter 4 Peaks Presents, as well as Liora Sponko, a Bend resident and Fractal fan who serves on The Mockingbird Foundation’s board of directors.

These days, Mockingbird’s mission is more important than ever, Sponko said.

“It’s very challenging being a young person in today’s world. There is a culture of comparison, needing to be perfect and trying to fit in. Many kids are hiding behind their devices,” she said. “However, when they find their instrument, magic happens. They build confidence and connect to the joyful parts of themselves that so badly want to be expressed. We need music education to uplift the lives of young people so they can connect to their most empowered selves while bringing inspiration to the world.”

The organization funds instruments, scholarships, music staff and mentors across the country, focusing on underserved communities that don’t often have access to music education, Sponko said. That aforementioned $2 million distributed by Mockingbird has been spread across all 50 states.

“Everyone attending (Saturday night) can feel confident they are contributing to this important and collaborative work,” she said.

A number of local sponsors are helping to put on the show, including KPOV community radio, Zen Art Ink Studio, El Sancho, Sensible Audio Solutions, High Country Expeditions and Mountain Supply. Prizes will be given away at the event, too, including vouchers for day passes at Mt. Bachelor, a river trip on the Lower Deschutes from Ouzel Outfitters, gear from Hydro Flask and more.

“It’s been really cool to work on this, especially because Fractal is still kind of underground. We’re still building our scene,” Donatelli said. “To have all these people jump on board and help out and donate money, it’s been amazing, and kind of overwhelming.”

Said Sponko: “There is nothing like doing good while having a good time! I love the synergy in our partnership with 4 Peaks Presents, Fractal and many local businesses. Bend is a music mecca, and people truly get the importance of music education. Music is the language of the soul and brings all of us together.”

What: Fractal

When: 9 p.m. Saturday, doors open 8 p.m.

Where: Domino Room, 51 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend

Cost: $10 to benefit The Mockingbird Foundation

Contact: midtownballroom.com