Porter Ellerman

Percussionist from Tucson, Arizona, US, living in The Hague, NL

“Soniferous Space 11” is a continuous series of performances and installations created by Porter Ellerman. As is practice, Porter utilizes only materials found around the area and creates an original piece with them, taking objects considered waste or trash and turning them into instruments. With this live performance, audience participation blurs the line between performer and listener. With the audience’s help, the surrounding space helps to inspire and inform the performance through the literal use of materials from the space and using the space to alter how sound is perceived. In this iteration, Porter wishes to develop a sense of community through sound creation. 

With a focus on sound and its origins from waste materials or found objects, Porter combines improvisation with this exploration as he and the audience participate in creating soundscapes using these materials. These performances examine how we consider objects outside of their normal use and the musical possibilities of each item. The end goal of these explorations is to develop more active listening in audiences, attempting to develop appreciation and admiration for the origins of items, and the processes involved in creating them, while still creating an original musical experience. Just as Porter and the other artists here use waste materials, Porter hopes to develop more appreciation and creativity in reusing items and creating more without consuming new materials or items.

Instagram: @porter.ellermann