April 2025 Community Check-In & Calendar

{Patron-only post: please click through and heart this post so I know you've seen it, thank you!}

Aloha, Patrons!!

A warm welcome to all the new Patrons! If you're a new Patron, please introduce yourself in the comments, and check out the New Patrons section below. Take some time to look around, check out the WelcomeGuide/FAQ, and post any additional questions below.

We had a lovely 10-year celebration in Hawaii!

What a joy to connect with lots of Patrons in Hawaii on March 15th for our 10 year Patreon Community Anniversary. From Patron jams to the U3 Blue Note show to the epic Flash Mob to the Duke's after party (and then the impromptu after-after party jams at the uke shop and hotel rooftop!!), we made so many special memories and I am filled with gratitude.

It was even more special for me that my parents and brother got to be part of the celebrations. (My parents surprised me by getting up to dance in the middle of our Duke's after-party. And my brother jumped in and joined the open mic at Craig and Sarah's retreat. You can tell that the apples don't fall far from the tree. 🍎)

Do you have pictures to share? Especially of my parents dancing, I missed out! You can send a wetransfer to cynthialin.team@gmail.com or drop them in this google drive. I'll edit a vlog to commemorate the celebrations, so feel free to share any epic moments and group patron pics from the day.

April 2025 Announcements

👁️ 4/18 "Microscope" (Tiny Telephone Sessions) new music release: At the end of January, I had the opportunity to record at an amazing analog recording studio in Oakland, CA called Tiny Telephone. I'm proud to release the first track from that session, a vocals-and-guitar live recording of my original song "Microscope." This is my first solo single release in many years, and the return to guitar is both scary and exciting. I will be posting lots about it in the coming weeks, and I thank you in advance for supporting this release.

🎟️ 4/27 @ Blue Note Napa: Steven Espaniola and I will be playing two shows at the Blue Note in Napa, California on April 27th. Read about it and get your tickets here.

💯 Save the date for the next 100 Days "First Friday" Zoom Social on May 2nd! 100 Days of Ukulele 2025 started on March 1. You can still join in via the Facebook Group or participate on Instagram or Youtube hashtag #100DaysUke2025.  Some folks are even sharing on a special Patreon post I created, as a non-social media alternative. Find it here. Thanks to Project Manager Jenny (NewUkeNewYork) for hosting our April mixer, and plan to join the next one to meet other 100 Dayers and chat about all things related to the project.

📌📣 Community Bulletin Board via comments: Feel free to use the comments section in this monthly check-in as a Bulletin Board for all things uke or Patreon.  Events, announcements, invitations, questions, requests, suggestions -- all are fair game.  We can also use the Chats in the Patreon App, and I'm open to using them for discussion in any way that benefits Patrons.

Thanks for reading, for being here, for supporting my journey and for sharing yours.

xo cynthia 🌺

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APRIL 2025 PATRON EVENTS CALENDAR

See all Patron events on our Patron Google calendar (set on Pacific Time, click the bottom right corner to add to Google calendar in your own time zone). Please double-check all times. Hawaii Time is not affected by Daylight Saving Time. Lesson dates shift to accommodate my travel/gigs.

• Thursday 4/10  @ 2:30PM Hawaii Time / 5:30PM Pacific Time - Mindful Beginner Jam ($10+ Patrons) - Singing and Strumming Practice with Alex

• Thurs 4/17 @ 2:30PM Hawaii Time / 5:30PM Pacific Time - Patron Monthly All-Levels Live Lesson ($5+ Patrons). Pre-lesson Zoom Social at 2PM HT / 5PM PT

• Thursday 4/24 @ 2:30PM Hawaii Time / 5:30PM Pacific Time -  Intermediate Level-Up Jam  ($20+ Patrons)

Details for all events will be posted separately.  To edit your pledge level, visit https://www.patreon.com/join/cynthialin and select your desired reward tier.  (Patreon will only charge you for the difference in the upgrade).

Looking for more chances to jam? Our Patron Community Manager and NYC Squad leader Jenny hosts 4 free monthly play-alongs on Zoom and YouTube at both USA- and UK/Europe-friendly times. Find this month's dates and more information here.

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March 2025 RECAP and Community Reminders

• Patrons gathered mid-month for my 10-year Patreon Anniversary Party in Honolulu. Were you there?

• As part of the Anniversary weekend, U3 performed @ Blue Note Hawaii on Saturday, March 15th.

• In our Mindful Beginner Songbook Jam  ($10+ Patrons), we had an "Island Vibes"-themed songbook jam.

• For our Live Lesson ($5+ Patrons, now available to all levels), I taught the U3 arrangement of "You Don't Write."

• For the Intermediate Level-Up Jam ($20+ Patrons) my brother Alex and I share some duets.

• I shared a new play-along video for "Birds of a Feather," by Billie Eilish.

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Special note for new Patrons

If you're new, I invite you to take some time to get to know the platform - there's a lot here, and it may take a while to navigate the many lessons and posts.  The community WelcomeGuide/FAQ post is a good place to start.

To find a specific song or lesson, learn to use the Cynthia Lin Song Index spreadsheet.  Thank you to the Community Managers for creating and maintaining this helpful resource.

Please introduce yourself in the comments: I'd love to hear how long you've been playing, what kind of uke you play, if you have a group to play with, what songs you've been working on, or anything else you'd like to share.

If you have questions about Patreon, I encourage you to post your questions in the comments below or to one of our Community groups. Our community has tons of friendly folks who love sharing their uke experience. Join our Patron-only Facebook group (be sure to answer BOTH membership questions).

Seasoned Patrons, I always appreciate it when you help me answer any newbie questions in the comments of this or any post.  Thank you! Feel free to post your questions in the comments as well.

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COMMUNITY NOTES:

1. Join our private Facebook group: In the Facebook group, Patrons can share videos, advice, support, and encouragement! Be sure to answer both membership questions so that Community Managers can verify your Patron status. If you wish to connect and are not on Facebook, you can share a post on the Community chats in the Patreon app. If you have questions about Patreon or ukulele or otherwise, posting the question to our very helpful and active Community will generate the fastest answer.

2. Facebook public groups - we're using Facebook as our community gathering place because it has the best community features. Find all the CL groups using the link below, including the CL Uke Newbies group, an all-levels group, and several active regional groups (NYC / LA / the Pacific Northwest / Hawaii and more).  https://www.facebook.com/cynthialinmusic/groups

3. Learn to use the Cynthia Lin Song Index, a spreadsheet created and maintained (and updated recently!) by the amazing CL Community Managers! The super helpful CL Song Index organizes all CL songs, Patreon posts, YouTube videos, and tutorials.

4. Please note: as of November 2024, The Cynthia Lin App (which Is not the same as the Patreon app), created by Patron Community Manager Rich, has been discontinued and may no longer be supported on your devices. Thank you so much for your work, Rich!

5. Find all Patron events on our Patron Google Calendar

6. Find answers to many Frequently Asked Questions in our New Patron Guide/FAQ post.

7. To edit your pledge, visit https://www.patreon.com/join/cynthialin