Ellen Jacobs

Does (your) music need a secure / safe space?

I think it is important to always create a space where people are at ease. Everyone involved in the creation process of a new piece must feel welcome and has to be able to speak their mind. For the creation of my piece MADA (created for the project Liaisons) it was especially important because we experimented a lot together to get to the piece that it is today. It is custom made for the performers Jenna and Myrthe, so it is important that they feel comfortable with it.

How do you practice listening?

I’ve always been interested in field recording and I practice it a lot. When I’m outside for field recording, I feel most at ease. I love to listen to our surroundings very closely and analyze what I hear: Which layers are present in a sound? How can I reproduce them with acoustic instruments? How can I use them in a composition? It’s very important to me to dive deep into a sound before I start to write my music.

When do you need music the most?

Music is part of my everyday life. I love to listen to all genres and I absolutely love to create new music.
It’s just always there somehow, so I think I always need it. No matter how I’m feeling.