10624 : I Am by Andrew Boysen, Jr. — Music, Identity & Celebration of Life Unit

Every student in your band room has a story. This unit gives them the tools — and the music — to tell it.

I Am by Andrew Boysen, Jr. is one of the most moving works in the concert band repertoire — composed in memory of a student, but written as a celebration of life, not a memorial to loss. This 37-page music appreciation unit uses that story to guide middle and high school band students through listening, reflection, and creative self-expression.

As a National Board Certified Music Teacher with two master's degrees and 22 years of PK–6 classroom experience, I built this unit to do more than teach a piece of music — it helps students find their own voice through it.

What's Included:

• Complete teacher directions and unit overview
• Fact-checked composer biography (teacher guide + student notes)
• "Meet the Music" background pages (teacher guide + student guide)
• The Story Behind I Am
• "I Am" poem writing pages (what it is, how to write one, blank writing page)
• All About Me Through Music / The Soundtrack of Me
• Listening Journal and Listening Map
• Musical Contrast activity
• Aleatory (chance music) lesson + creation activity
• When Musicians Use Their Voices activity
• Instrument Detective
• Mood + Color Listening Response
• Draw What You Hear
• Compare Two Sections
• Full vocabulary set: teacher guide, student fill-in, matching, crossword, and word search (9 key terms)
• Personal reflection set: Who Am I?, Things That Matter to Me, My Strengths/Goals/Things I Love, My Musical Self-Portrait
• Culminating Project: "This Is Me — I Am!"
• Final Reflection
• Classroom display set and 3 individual posters

Perfect For:

• Concert band music appreciation units
• SEL-integrated music classes
• Substitute-friendly listening lessons
• Cross-curricular writing/music connections

What Makes This Different:

Every biographical and historical detail in this unit was independently verified against primary sources — the composer's own words, publisher program notes, and university faculty records. Nothing here is invented or assumed, which matters enormously with a piece this personal.

Format: Digital download, PDF, print-ready.