Like any cultural artifact or organic, evolving entity, the roots of music are deep and branch into different directions. In their search for sustenance, these roots run into and around the rocky soil of institutions in the form of philosophers, governments and church fathers. Lauren Pelon discusses the long and winding ethnomusicological route music has taken to reach us today.

Pelon, recipient of the 2001 “Artist of the Year” award from Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council (SEMAC), not only talks about music in enlightening ways, she plays a variety of ancientto-modern instruments, from lute to MIDI pedal board. In this performance, Pelon shows how 25 ancient and modern wind, string and free-reed instruments—using ancient and modern musical texts and voice—have woven a continuous tapestry leading from before the invention of language to a postmodern world in which sounds are divorced from organic sources.

Living Roots of Music @ Snow College, 150 E. College Ave., Ephraim, 435-283-7458, Thursday, Jan. 28, 12:30 p.m.