Return of the Austin Hippie Fest

When I first started practicing my autoharp and songs out on the South Mall of the University of Texas at Austin, I had a vision. It was an image of Janis Joplin (who also went to UT), back in the 60s playing her own autoharp and singing folk songs in the heart of the American folk explosion. She'd be out there playing music with other hippies and folk music lovers, pouring out her own heart into the music.

Move ahead 40 years and there aren't as many "hippies," but there's a whole new culture of people who love folk music, and they still take a moment to sit down and listen as I sat out on the fresh green grass once again practicing and dreaming.

It's a slow migration. Not everyone out there is ready to hear a man with an autoharp, but very rarely do I get even a sour look. They're all just looks of wonder and delight. The "hippies" gather, but they look just like any old college student with a baseball cap and t-shirt, carrying a backpack, or dressed like your latest Britney Spears look-a-like. Yet, they still enjoy the music. They smile and clap as the relax with their friends, eat their lunches, or sleep in the cool shade before their next class.

It fills me with joy, and leaves me aching for more. I can't wait until next week when I can head back out there during my own lunch break and practice once again, hoping for another sweet breeze, and a chance to sing "Soul of a Harper" in between bites of my turkey sandwich and various hellos and goodbyes to the next migration of happy smiles.