The applause brought Lonnie Holley back for an encore, but a young girl took his place as Holley invited her up to his red keyboard.

Sitting in his stool, the child gave the audience a shy smile. Holley talked to her, asking her to play for the audience. She pressed one key. Holley kept encouraging her. Three more notes came from her fingers in spaced out intervals. Holley threw his hands in the air and joked he was leaving the show to her before taking back his seat.

“That’s it, I’m out,” Holley said. “She’s taking my place.”

Holley, an internationally acclaimed visualartist and musician, performed Thursday night in the Paul R. Jones Gallery as a part of the Sonic Frontiers concert series.

(See also “Students collaborate with renowned artist for Sonic Frontiers“)

He opened by singing for the spirit to come out of him. His songs, improvised for the performance, talked about life lessons, loving ancestors, the rise of technology and taking care of Mother Universe, interspersed his with story and past throughout.

“I have come to sing you all a message,” Holley said. “I have come to sing you all away.”

The concert concided with the opening of an exhibit in the Paul R. Jones Gallery.

The exhibit, The Whole Mine, displayed pieces from Holley and students from The University of Alabama, who responded to his work with their own interpretations. Holley is known for using objects he finds and turning them into art. Before his performance, Holley gave a tour of the artwork. Piece by piece, he talked, delving into the ideas in the art. He explained his work and described what he saw in the students’ work.

Andrew Dewar, an assistant professor in New College, co-director of Creative Campus and founder of the Sonic Frontiers concert series, said he was excited by the turnout for the exhibit. He said people seemed engaged in the art.

“When Holley gave his tour, he put in a lot of ideas so people have been talking,” Dewar said. “I think there’s been deep engagement. I’m thrilled.”

(See also “Cultural center brings student art downtown“)

Holley’s tour began informally by talking with one artist that soon captivated everyone. Pete Schulte, assistant professor of art, gave the students this project and said he was happy with the turnout and Holley’s response.

“I think that Lonnie Holley is the embodiment of the creative spirit,” Schulte said. “I think students were honored to be a part of that and challenged.”

Holley’s tour gave the artists new insight to each other’s pieces. Turner Williams, a first-year graduate student in studio art, said Holley read his art rather accurately.

“He was engaging with it and playing with what he could see in it in regards to his own work,” Williams said.

When Holley was ready to sing, chairs were filled, lined from the corner to the entrance, and still people stood at the door. Elizabeth Lybrook, a junior majoring in art, was one of the attendees able to find a seat.

“I like how cozy the space is, and I’m surprised how many people showed up,” Lybrook said. “The works are very different, and I think it created great dialogue.”

Holley sang eight songs with a mixture of sounds such as whistling, clicking his tongue and talking. He actively engaged the audience and people responded with soft chuckles throughout the show, dialogue and even chanting with him at the end of “X out the garbage.”

Holley said he was impressed with what students did, and he didn’t want their work to stop there. He said they should find other institutions to display their art.

“The students came back from the small pieces of clay to the little pencil marks and it’s like Holley-drips on their art,” Holley said. “It just turned out to be wonderful.”

(See also “First Friday promotes downtown galleries“)