January 2024 Community Check-In & Calendar (Patreon)

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

Aloha, Patrons!

Happy New Year!  New Year, new newsletter header photo, what do we think?  I usually opt for something more colorful, but this feels like the vibe right now. :) Sending you aloha always, and some sun and sand from Hawaii if you need it!  Also, it can serve as a reminder that we're planning for a Patron 10-Year Anniversary Party in Hawaii in 2025 (the current plan is June 2025, I will keep you posted as more details fall into place).

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.

🌺 Welcome to the CL Patreon Community, where we share our Creative Journeys

2024 marks our 9th year as a Patreon Community and marks the 8th year of the 100 Days of Ukulele Project.  Thank you for being here, and kicking off another year with me!

For nine years, I've invited my online followers to join me on my Creative Journey, from singer/songwriter to ukulele teacher to YouTuber to community organizer to global touring artist.  Your support has given me the freedom to build a fulfilling artistic life in exactly the way I want, where I get to follow my passion, while teaching others to follow theirs.

And through this community, I've had the satisfaction of watching your Creative Journeys.  Over the years, many of you have moved from beginner to 100-Dayer, from enthusiast to jam leader or teacher or performer, from noodling at home to playing in groups or at care homes and festivals.  And I hope that you have recognized that the Creative Journey is a long and rewarding one, and that it's not always easy, but easier to do with friends.  I am looking forward to this year's 100 days of Ukulele Project, both personally and for the group.  Every year, I am reminded of how important it is to set time for yourself, to document your journey and share even when you're out of your comfort zone, and to lean on your community for support and accountability.

Some thoughts on the Creative Journey that will guide me as I create our Patreon events this year:

The Creative Journey is a Healthy Habit:  I know I am a healthier person when I have given myself time to write, to sing, to strum, to dream, to be present and see where inspiration takes me.  It might only be 5 minutes a day that you reserve for yourself and your relationship with your creative spirit.  Is 5 minutes too much to ask?  Can you make it 2 minutes?  Strum one chord, or play or sing a song that feeds your soul.  Draw a picture, do a dance.  When we make creativity a habit, we give our souls a place to speak.  We remember that we have a place of refuge, and we're allowed to draw way outside the lines there.  We can be silly, we can be visionary, and we can be both.  Take 5 minutes to get a little more free.

The Creative Journey is Ongoing, and Patient:  Life moves in cycles.  Some folks start playing ukulele, get hooked, join the 100 Days Project, and dive in with a passion.  Ride that wave while you feel it!  When you need a break, it's okay to step away and follow other passions.  Breaks and plateaus are also part of the Creative Journey.  Some Patrons apologize when they join lessons inconsistently, or feel guilty when they don't have time for ukulele, or get frustrated when they're not picking up techniques as fast as they think they're supposed to.  I encourage you to let go of expectations for your progress and allow for "roaming" and dawdling along this creative path.  The more time we spend being creative, the more patient we are with taking our time to refine what it is we love and how we want to pursue it.  Creativity begets more creativity.  If ukulele leads you to another creative pursuit, I'm all for it.  While this community has been ukulele focused, many of you know that I have wide-ranging creative passions, from writing to dance to design to food.  Explore.  Patiently follow where your soul leads you next.

The Creative Journey is defined by You and only You:  The Creative Journey is about allowing yourself to do something purely for your enjoyment.  This can be hard for some folks in our productivity-oriented society, especially for those who are over-achievers (🙋🏻‍♀️).  The only question to answer is, Did you pursue your curiosity?  The more we explore our own freedom to create, the more we understand that our creative powers are limitless.  That vision of what you want to create may take years, but if you can see it, then you can do it.  Or you can follow your passion one day at a time, and cultivate that trust that you know what the next step is.  Curiosity leads to consistency leads to mastery, and eventually you can throw away the rules and let your intuition guide you.  Confidence is trusting yourself and embracing your place in the journey.

More ways to share: Open Mic, chats, your suggestions?

Open Mic, or "Homework" videos: I am looking for more ways we can share our Creative Journeys.  I've enjoyed receiving homework videos from my Vocal Workshop Patrons, and I will remind you (you can remind me too) to share "Open Mic" videos following each Live Lesson.  Perhaps calling it "homework" would be more effective?

Chats in the Patreon App: If you have the Patreon Mobile App, you can participate in the new Chats functionality.  I created chat channels for All-Patrons, Teachers + Jam Leaders, 100 Days, and Events - and it looks like folks are already active there, so cool!  I can add more channels, let me know if you want a channel for a specific topic or group.

📌📣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.

If you have an idea that benefits the Patreon Community, feel free to share it, or you can even go ahead and take initiative to make it happen.  Make it part of your Creative Journey!

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

xo cynthia 🌺

January 2024 Community Reminders:

💯 Sat. Jan 13th: 100 Days of Ukulele Showcase.  Save the date for a live premiere featuring participants from our 2023 Project.  Let's get excited for 100 Days 2024! (set to begin March 1, 2024). More details and a link will be posted soon.

🎤 January 2024 Vocal Performance Workshop: Aquamarine.  Join me to work on a song that's special to me. 🧜🏽‍♀️🌊 We'll use my original song Aquamarine to train the voice on the basics of intonation, pitch, vowel formation, articulation, and breathing, and we'll build up to performance-related concepts like emotional connection, dynamics, rhythm and phrasing.

**

JANUARY 2024 PATRON EVENTS CALENDAR

See all Patron events on our Patron Google calendar (set on Pacific Time, click the bottom right corner to add to your Google calendar). Please double-check all times. Hawaii Time does not participate in Daylight Saving clock changes.

• Tues 1/9, 1/16, 1/23, 1/30 @ 10AM Hawaii Time - Weekly Voice Workshop ($30+ Patrons)
• Thurs 1/11 @ 2:30PM Hawaii Time / 4:30PM Pacific Time - Beginner Live Jam ($10+ Patrons).  Pre-lesson Zoom Social at 2PM HT / 4PM PT
• Thurs 1/18 @ 2:30PM Hawaii Time / 4:30PM Pacific Time - Patron Monthly All-Levels Live Lesson ($5+ Patrons). Pre-lesson Zoom Social at 2PM HT / 4PM PT
• Thurs 1/25 @ 2:30PM Hawaii Time / 4:30PM Pacific Time - Intermediate Live Jam  ($20+ Patrons)
• plus tune in most Wednesdays at 5pm Pacific Time for my weekly 5@5 LIVE show, streaming on my LIVE YouTube channel.  I often share new arrangements for upcoming lessons. (on YT, on IG)

Details for all Patron 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).

Access the Patron Google calendar and get notifications for events on the Cynthia Lin Patron App, created by our Patron Community Manager, Rich!  Download: Android app | iOS app

Our Patron Community Manager and NYC Squad leader Jenny hosts 4 monthly free play-alongs at both USA- and UK/Europe-friendly times. Find this month's dates and more information here.

***

December 2023 Recap - News, Patron Events and new Videos:

• In our Beginner Live Jam ($10+ Patrons), we had a mindful ukulele jam, using songs from the Beginner Holiday Songbook.
• For the Live Lesson ($5+ Patrons), we reviewed all of the songs from our monthly lessons in 2023. This lesson and songbook is now available to all Patrons ($1+).
• For the Intermediate Live Jam ($20+ Patrons), we jammed together, using my 1980s Jam songbook.
• Voice students ($30+ Patrons) met on three Tuesdays in December.
• Did you join me for my 2023 Holiday Aloha Strum-Along and Gratitude Giveaway? Watch the replay recording at the same link.

**

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 updated Cynthia Lin Song Index.  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) or post your question on the Community tab here on Patreon.

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.

***

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 tab here on Patreon. 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, 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. Download the Cynthia Lin Patron App, created by our Patron Community Manager, Rich! Android app | iOS app

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