I'm running a project called 'CMT creates: music' which combines a great cause with a love for making things.

The project is trying to raise awareness and money for a disease i have called Charcot Marie Tooth (CMT) - but it is trying to do it in a way that is exciting, engaging and musical... (hopefully!)  This is my response to a lot of down-beat, woe-is-me charity work that thrives on guilt.  This project thrives on intrigue, experiments and engagement, so please have a look and join in.  

Here is the website:  www.timjohnphillips.com

The basic structure of the project is that I promised that for every $500 dollars donated, a new experimental musical instrument will be invented and made. All of the instruments are being created from reclaimed, recycled or essentially free objects, so that all of the proceeds can be donated directly to the CMTA who are a non-profit funding the current research on CMT.  

[Charcot Marie Tooth, or CMT, is a neurological disorder that causes damage to the peripheral nerves; a peripheral neuropathy - Please read more about it here if interested: http://www.timjohnphillips.com/HOME/cmt]

There was an incredible response to this challenge, 3 months in we've raised just over $4k, which means the creation of 8 instruments! (though we're hoping for at least 10).  However, the project has greater aspirations than simply raising money.  It is focused around trying to build an unusual community dialogue between people that do and don't know about CMT.  As each instrument progresses in its design, we post images and writing about the process. Along side these pragmatic blogs, there are personal reflections on living with CMT, as well as information about the science behind the disease.  I'm happy to have convinced a growing number of people to collaborate with me on this project, both in the instrument making and with the writing about CMT. The whole thing will culminate in an exhibit and performance.

This is an apt time to support the CMT research because there have been some huge steps made recently (http://cmtcreatesmusic.blogspot.com/search/label/CMT%20Science), with the correct funding they could lead to treatments and cures.  What makes the current research around CMT so interesting (and promising), is that the scientific understanding has reached a finite stage. Scientists have identified the specific physical cause for certain types of CMT. They have identified the gene defect that results in the condition and can recreate it in a laboratory. They have been testing different compounds (around 350,000) to see which ones counteract the gene defect and stop or even reverse the physical condition.

If you like to sponsor the project that would obviously be great (there's a link on the website), but I'm more interested in sharing all these experiences to try and widen understanding, so please think about passing the website on to someone who might be interested by email, facebook, a blog etc.  My idea is that the project will leverage the intrigue of making things to engage a very wide audience with the discussion on CMT as almost no one has heard of this fairly common disease.  I only personally invited 100 people to look at the website. So far there have been over 400 unique visitors from 19 countries with very little publicity to date.

I hope this catches your interest and I'd appreciate any help you can give!