What started as a spur-of-the-moment adventure in the corner of Acoustic Cafe in downtown Winona turned into a lifelong passion and career for one Decorah, Iowa-based musician.

Michelle Lynn just wanted to write. During her teenage years, she penned everything from poems to prose to song lyrics, yet didn't have a medium in which to present her work.

"I've always had an interest in writing and poetry and it didn't occur to me until I was surrounded by musicians that I could learn an instrument and perform my work," she said.

And so she did. Lynn took up the guitar and began singing her pieces to friends and family, but her act wasn't complete without a live show. A friend who was attending Winona State University at the time talked her into performing at the Acoustic Cafe and from that moment on, she knew she was hooked.

"It's funny how you remember everything about your first show," Lynn said. "I can still remember how I felt on the drive there, having just purchased an amp--and it's the same one I use to this day."

Lynn, now 24, has created a New Age Folk empire, recording three CDs and touring across the MidWest--all as a solo artist. Veteran Iowa-based musicians Vicki and Joe Price recall seeing the young singer/songwriter early on in her career.

"We ran across her quite a bit and liked her music and liked her," said Vicki. "She is one of the few young girls I know that plays all by herself. She sets up by herself and hauls her own stuff around, and I admired that about her."

The trio will host a joint performance tonight at Ed's (No Name) Bar in Winona, celebrating Lynn's third CD release, an LP entitled "Pre Echoes for the Postmodern," as part of the monthly Fringe Friday events. Collaborations are something Lynn sees as the best of both musical worlds.

"It's awesome to open for someone at a show because you get to get up there and do your thing, then turn around and learn from the next group," she said.

According to Lynn, seeing a strong female musician figure in Vicki Price was an immediate connection that she hopes will continue to grow.

"I enjoy Vicki so much because she is a wonderful example of a female who is successful in this business," Lynn said. "For as much as music brings out the feminine side in people, it's amazing how much of a male-dominated culture it still is."

The Prices agree that sharing the stage is a worthwhile experience, expecially with a musician who is as eager to learn as Lynn.

"[Younger performers] are real excited about the music business; they're not jaded yet," Vicki said. "They're excited about performing and about the music, and that energy rubs off."

That eagerness continues to grow as Lynn travels farther and farther in her quest to perform. Normally taking on a part-time job during the summer, this season, Lynn decided to put those hours into booking gigs instead. The sweat-equity has paid off with a full schedule over the next few months.

"Music really does something for people," Lynn said. "In a society where it's hard to trust major institutions and even your own mind sometimes, it's nice to go back to something so old like music. It's been around for longer than we even knew how to write it. It's nice to have a base as strong as that."