A microphone, a ukulele and an open stage. Seven years later, those three things remain the same for Sophia Molina, whose first live performance was a Sam Smith cover at a school talent show. Now a mechanical engineering freshman, Molina takes a different stage, this time singing an original song.

“(Performing original music) is like sharing a journal instead of sharing a book that you really liked,” Molina said. “You are showing your own emotions and how you feel. You can be a little bit more personal.”

Molina said she began writing songs at three or four years old. After finding the Cactus Cafe’s weekly Songwriters’ Open Mic event — which only includes original music — on HornsLink, Molina plans to perform every Tuesday night for the rest of the summer.

“I heard about the open mic, and then I wrote (the song) that day,” Molina said. “(My music) is pop, or sometimes it goes indie, sometimes it goes rock. It just depends on the mood and what I’m writing about.”

Attached to the Texas Union, Cactus Cafe boasts a history of open mics and live music since its establishment in 1979. Though run and managed by the University Union, Cactus Cafe and its open mics welcome all. 

Christina Ding, a junior at Carnegie Mellon University staying in Austin for an internship, said she wanted to perform at an open mic due to Austin’s live music scene. Ding uses Cactus Cafe’s open mic to learn from other performers.

“Songwriters are storytellers,” Ding said. “It’s been really cool to see the way that people frame their stories or the perspective from which they write.”

Allotted five minutes for their sets, each performer receives encouragement and constructive feedback from audience members. Ding said Songwriters’ Open Mic gives musicians a venue for playing original music and building a supportive community. After meeting Carnegie Mellon alumnus Adam Kirby at a Cactus Cafe open mic, Ding said she and Kirby instantly clicked. Ding and Kirby have since decided to collaborate on a song.

“He starts playing on his guitar and improvises this whole part, and it fills in all the gaps that felt like (they weren’t) complete,” Ding said.  “Our plan is to hopefully play that (song) this upcoming week at the Cactus.”

Dylan Smith, the booking and programming manager at Cactus Cafe, said he enjoys watching musicians develop their sound and hone their craft on the open mic stage. Smith said Songwriters’ Open Mic provides musicians with a great foyer into the Austin music community and possibly more.

“There (are) a lot of people who have gone on to be really successful musicians who probably got their start somewhere on an open mic stage,” Smith said. “You never know who on stage in four or five years down the line might be all over the radio.”