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.

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.