(2018)
Score for performance
American Ledger No. 1 is a narrative score for performance, telling the creation story of the founding of the United States of America. In chronological descending order, moments of contact, enactment of laws, events of violence, the building of cities, and erasure of land and worldview are mediated through graphic notation, and realized by sustaining and percussive instruments, coins, axe and wood, a police whistle, and a match.
The score is to be displayed as a flag, a wall, a blanket, a billboard, or a door.
To be displayed as a flag, a wall, a blanket, a billboard, or a door.
For many players with sustaining and percussive instruments, coins, axe and wood, a police whistle, and a match.
For at least 13 minutes
For any number of musicians with any number of non-musicians
Each line is a minute or longer
Line 1 is for both percussive and bendable tones
Line 2 begins with a warbly long tone crossfading into waves of harmonic or dynamic increases. X = chop wood
Line 3 is for police whistle(s). Other instruments may join
Line 4 is for coins to be thrown. Two instruments may accompany.
Line 5 is a line
Line 6 is a grand decelerando ending with the striking of a match
Line 7 is for acknowledging groupings of 5’s and 4’s. Chop wood. End with everyone and everything.