Lynn Jones was a senior boy from Cedar Rapids Prairie High School in 1990. He played the bari sax and passed away in a car accident. He wrote a poem called "I Am", and then Craig Aune commissioned the song. I am a senior in high school and have the honor of playing the bari sax solo this year. It is amazing to be able to represent him. Rest in peace big guy
Justin Stites As a graduate of the Prairie band program I can confirm thisis accurate. Prairie still plays this piece every 3 years in remembrance of Lynn.
beautiful song . beautiful background to the song as well . our Band Director cried having us listen to the piece . never seen Junior High students sit so quietly enjoying a piece . just brought us all to tears .
Our band pulled this out as a random sight reading today. I (the bari sax player) was extremely shocked to see 3 solos in my part! Our director told us the story and it truly made my day. Couldn't be more proud to get to represent him even for a few seconds. Wonderful work of art celebrating the life of what I can only assume was an incredible individual!
My high school band played this song my senior year, and I was the only baritone sax player, so I played the lovely bari solo. I recently remembered this song because I was talking to a coworker of mine who was in band when she was in school about solos and my old band director. I would sometimes lose track of rest times, and I remembered one day practicing, Mr. Pease was leading me in to start the solo and I messed up. We both laughed about it, but at least when performing it at a concert, I did not mess up. He always said perfect practice makes perfect. Tears flowing now because Mr. Pease died a few years ago, and not just because the song is sad.
The other day, I went to a high school band concert, and my brother who is a senior, played the Bari solo. it brought me to tears cause I love him so much. the end too,was really moving. when they hold out the "I am"
I cry every time I hear this. My Grandma passed away in February from health problems and she was the closest family member, she was on our side of the family, she lived only 2 minutes away from us, and much more! I have a very emotional connection with this masterpiece, truly a work of art!!
My band is playing this for our spiring concert. The story behind it is beautiful and fits why we are playing it R.I.P Calub, our fav barry sax player. We love you.
I played this song in rep band in memory of a very good friend. Even though the making of this song was for a baritone saxophone player, my friend was a clarinet player. R.I.P. My friend.
I'm playing this song at my Region 2 Band Clinic in Lexington, SC. This piece really gives me the chills and males me tear up every now and then. I am playing the 1st clarinet part and got the solos. This one of the most beautiful pieces I've ever played in my entire life!
6:11. I have the 1st trumpet part to this. When I first saw the part, I was like "too damn easy." Boy, was I wrong. I decided to squeeze every single ounce of that line out and make it sound as majestic as possible. This line goes beyond its written form, and makes me tear up every time. Makes meh cri evry tiem. Honestly, while I was performing this at the concert, at the last part where we sing "I... Am...." I decided not to sing it because the one I sang before that one honestly revealed my voice shaky. I'm not even joking. The open sound of the auditorium and that line is the most blessed thing a human ear can have. Live on, Lynn Jones!
I'm playing this song too for my high school spring concert and I play tuba and this song sounds beautiful when it combines with the high parts especially at 6:11 it just sounds beautiful it gives me the chills
I got in a bad car accident last year during marching band season and a few months later my band teacher gave us this to play. It really hit home for me and still makes me emotional everytime I listen to this.
Were playing this at my high school for that Contest. The story of this kid that this song is donated to is so sad. I'm a Tenor sax player of just two of us.
I played this song at my Region 2 Band Clinic at Lexington, SC as well. I was first chair horn and I loved playing this piece so much. Very powerful and beautiful
Played this my sophomore year of high school. Made our director cry. This was by far my favorite song in all of high school history. The poem was written by a girl. Not a boy. It was about a boy but written by a girl.
ZoidAB No, it was written in the early 90s I believe, I played the barri sax part my sophomore year and that was 96. Columbine happened in 99. It was written about a band member who died in a car crash on their way to band practice.
We played this song for All County band a few years ago, and it gave me cold chills every time.The Senior died in the car crash on the way to school played Bari Sax, the mother used to play the clarinet soloist, the father the french horn, and the girlfriend played the flute. The chaos is the moments before.Our director was the band director from UNC, he knew Mr. Boysen Jr. personally. For comedic relief, I'm from North Carolina, and we had to say "I EM" because it sounded more like "I YAM"...
I am so moved by this piece. The first time I heard it and my director told us the story behind it, I was overpowered by my emotions. This song is so moving and I'm excited to play it for our other bands!
I played this song my Junior year of high school, and I have to say it's probably my favorite piece. I wish I could have the change to play it again but I highly doubt I'll play it in college.
I'm on bari sax for this, I saw solo and I was like "Is this a typo" But as I realized, of all saxophones, bari solos sound the best when played good. I'm a freshmen playing bari for this.
6:11 brings the chills for sure. I played this song in middle school band probably 12-ish years ago and I don't think we ever played it in concert, but I never forgot it.
Our hs band is playing this for our Spring Concert. I get chills at the big hit! And I swear the long note before it sounds so much like a car horn! I love this song so much.
Such a beautiful piece of music. It gives me goosebumps and makes the hair on my arms stand straight up. A really powerful piece and i really enjoy it.
Performed this in District Band 2 Years ago in the Spring of 2012. I dug out my recording of it, and was met with a wave of emotion over this song. It Holds a dear place in my heart.
I love this song. My director said that in order to play this song, we need good clarinet players, good horn players, and a good Baritone Sax player. "I Am" that Bari Sax player.
We are playing this for festival this year. I cannot wait! All I can think of when I hear it is when my cousins passed away in a car accident. Such a beautiful piece.
This piece has a very big impact! I play the first horn part for this and my band is performing this at our national concert band festival. Its hard to play when you are trying to hold back tears, because the story is so very sad!
Its actually the boy who died. He was a bari player who died in a car accident and after his death it was discovered he wrote a poem entitled "I am". The band director at his school commissioned this work. It just doesn't make sense that the boy wrote this song, since the composer is still alive. haha.
Our high school band is quite a good band; surprising, our band director was good friends with the composer of this piece. Believe or not, my band director is the coolest person ever. We actually might play this for our next concert, and already it's sounding amazing.
We found out we are playing this song in the spring today so our director wanted us to hear it before we played it. I have never seen us middle schoolers sit so quite, so attentive, for so long. Some people were even crying, including our director who had to leave and collect herself halfway through the song
@BaritoneSax737 Yes. This piece was commisioned in memory of Lynn Jones, a bari sax. player who was killed en route to school in a car crash. The title "I Am" is based on the title of a poem Lynn wrote several days before his death. we are playing this in my high school wind ensemble, and my arm and leg hairs stand straight up at the crash every time! It's just MASSIVE!
komakozeee I am sad for you and your band. I know exactly what you have experienced. The least you and I can do is never forget the ones we've lost, and honor them by helping others we know who have depression and other illnesses of the mind. We must not forget.
@LolaYLydia I was told that the song was written by a boy who was a friend of a girl that died in a car accident. Shortly before her death, she wrote a poem called, "I Am".
Yamili Felix tuba, clarinet, flute, horn, bari sax, baritone/euphonium, trombone, trumpet, tenor and alto sax, bassoon and oboe if you got them, and miscellaneous percussion.
Lynn Jones was a senior boy from Cedar Rapids Prairie High School in 1990. He played the bari sax and passed away in a car accident. He wrote a poem called "I Am", and then Craig Aune commissioned the song. I am a senior in high school and have the honor of playing the bari sax solo this year. It is amazing to be able to represent him. Rest in peace big guy
Justin Stites As a graduate of the Prairie band program I can confirm thisis accurate. Prairie still plays this piece every 3 years in remembrance of Lynn.
beautiful song . beautiful background to the song as well . our Band Director cried having us listen to the piece . never seen Junior High students sit so quietly enjoying a piece . just brought us all to tears .
Our band pulled this out as a random sight reading today. I (the bari sax player) was extremely shocked to see 3 solos in my part! Our director told us the story and it truly made my day. Couldn't be more proud to get to represent him even for a few seconds. Wonderful work of art celebrating the life of what I can only assume was an incredible individual!
Colin Mathis Miller I have a friend who is bari sax
My high school band played this song my senior year, and I was the only baritone sax player, so I played the lovely bari solo. I recently remembered this song because I was talking to a coworker of mine who was in band when she was in school about solos and my old band director. I would sometimes lose track of rest times, and I remembered one day practicing, Mr. Pease was leading me in to start the solo and I messed up. We both laughed about it, but at least when performing it at a concert, I did not mess up. He always said perfect practice makes perfect. Tears flowing now because Mr. Pease died a few years ago, and not just because the song is sad.
The other day, I went to a high school band concert, and my brother who is a senior, played the Bari solo. it brought me to tears cause I love him so much. the end too,was really moving. when they hold out the "I am"
I cry every time I hear this. My Grandma passed away in February from health problems and she was the closest family member, she was on our side of the family, she lived only 2 minutes away from us, and much more! I have a very emotional connection with this masterpiece, truly a work of art!!
This song ripped my heart out in high school. and it did it again today
This song is just a song that you play that you simply never forget.
My band is playing this for our spiring concert. The story behind it is beautiful and fits why we are playing it R.I.P Calub, our fav barry sax player. We love you.
I played this my freshman year. Such an amazing song. And when my director told us why it was written I teared up quite a lot.
This is the first time I've heard this song since I played it in band in high school in the 90s. I still remember every note. I'll never forget it.
Same. I'm also first horn in my concert band. It's a very powerful piece, and can probably move anyone to tears.
My greatest experience with this piece was when the actual composer Dr. Andrew Boysen Jr. came to my high school and conducted for us.
I wish I was you! We are playing this song for our spring concert this year, but that sounds like a great experience for you.
I played this song in rep band in memory of a very good friend. Even though the making of this song was for a baritone saxophone player, my friend was a clarinet player. R.I.P. My friend.
I'm playing this song at my Region 2 Band Clinic in Lexington, SC. This piece really gives me the chills and males me tear up every now and then. I am playing the 1st clarinet part and got the solos. This one of the most beautiful pieces I've ever played in my entire life!
Played the Bari Sax part in this last year and I still get teary-eyed and chills whenever I hear it.
I had the 1st Horn part of this in high school my senior year. I have never been more nervous before a concert than I was for this song.
I love this piece! I'm always breathless at te moment of silence after the alietoric section. Beautiful.
Omg I've got the clarinet solo in this!:') such a beautiful piece!
6:11. I have the 1st trumpet part to this. When I first saw the part, I was like "too damn easy." Boy, was I wrong. I decided to squeeze every single ounce of that line out and make it sound as majestic as possible. This line goes beyond its written form, and makes me tear up every time. Makes meh cri evry tiem. Honestly, while I was performing this at the concert, at the last part where we sing "I... Am...." I decided not to sing it because the one I sang before that one honestly revealed my voice shaky. I'm not even joking. The open sound of the auditorium and that line is the most blessed thing a human ear can have. Live on, Lynn Jones!
I'm playing this song too for my high school spring concert and I play tuba and this song sounds beautiful when it combines with the high parts especially at 6:11 it just sounds beautiful it gives me the chills
IIXzmozXII I play tuba and that note at 5:00 is a bitch to play soft
Jonathan Hernandez same I play the tuba to
jacob todd lmao, my 3-year-ago self was really over exaggerative 😂 but yeah I could definitely imagine it being a pain to play soft.
I got in a bad car accident last year during marching band season and a few months later my band teacher gave us this to play. It really hit home for me and still makes me emotional everytime I listen to this.
Were playing this at my high school for that Contest. The story of this kid that this song is donated to is so sad. I'm a Tenor sax player of just two of us.
I was the bari player for this song. Made me tear up every run through we did. I felt like the band members were honoring me the whole time.
We're playing for our old barry sax player who passed away. so it's a good song!!
I played this song at my Region 2 Band Clinic at Lexington, SC as well. I was first chair horn and I loved playing this piece so much. Very powerful and beautiful
bailey johnson go horn players! I am on second part, but I still love it.
This is such a beautiful song and I cry every time the first “ I am” is sung
Played this my sophomore year of high school. Made our director cry. This was by far my favorite song in all of high school history. The poem was written by a girl. Not a boy. It was about a boy but written by a girl.
+Chris Hadley It's not an eulogy, it's meant more for a celebration of life, the beginning represents the car crash.
+Emily Crowe actually the car crash part starts at 3:53
I'm pretty sure it was composed in response to Columbine
ZoidAB No, it was written in the early 90s I believe, I played the barri sax part my sophomore year and that was 96. Columbine happened in 99. It was written about a band member who died in a car crash on their way to band practice.
That was American Elegy by Ticheli
I played this in my Syphonic Wind Ensemble playing Baritone Sax. it was such an honour to do so.
Gotta love that senza misura.
Better than the quintuplets in the Horn part.
We played this song for All County band a few years ago, and it gave me cold chills every time.The Senior died in the car crash on the way to school played Bari Sax, the mother used to play the clarinet soloist, the father the french horn, and the girlfriend played the flute. The chaos is the moments before.Our director was the band director from UNC, he knew Mr. Boysen Jr. personally. For comedic relief, I'm from North Carolina, and we had to say "I EM" because it sounded more like "I YAM"...
So the week of our performance a fellow student lost their life due to a car accident and we dedicated our perfomance to her with this song❤️
damn nigga
I am so moved by this piece. The first time I heard it and my director told us the story behind it, I was overpowered by my emotions. This song is so moving and I'm excited to play it for our other bands!
I got to play Bari for this in my junior year of highschool.
I listened to this at the CSU 2012 Summer band concert. It was amazing! and really sad.
I played this song my Junior year of high school, and I have to say it's probably my favorite piece. I wish I could have the change to play it again but I highly doubt I'll play it in college.
I'm on bari sax for this, I saw solo and I was like "Is this a typo" But as I realized, of all saxophones, bari solos sound the best when played good. I'm a freshmen playing bari for this.
I played the clarinet solo four years ago in my college freshman ensemble. Loved it!
Playing this this year. I play b. clarinet and it's just an amazing piece. We've only been playing a week and I absolutely love it
We are playing this for our concert and it just honestly just send chills through my body just its amazing
I agree. Every time it chills me.
A beautiful piece, we are playing this in the concert band for spring concert, gotta love those fast notes at 2:00 . I play the flute.
Everyone talking about the bari solo but that horn and clarinet duet at the beginning was amazing 🤔
I can't believe we're playing this. Such a powerful song...I can honestly say, that in the middle of this song, I might end up bawling my eyes out...
6:11 brings the chills for sure. I played this song in middle school band probably 12-ish years ago and I don't think we ever played it in concert, but I never forgot it.
I'll never forget this song either.
Our hs band is playing this for our Spring Concert. I get chills at the big hit! And I swear the long note before it sounds so much like a car horn! I love this song so much.
My high school band played this in the 90s.
My high school band is playing this song for an upcoming concert!!
Such a beautiful piece of music. It gives me goosebumps and makes the hair on my arms stand straight up. A really powerful piece and i really enjoy it.
Performed this in District Band 2 Years ago in the Spring of 2012. I dug out my recording of it, and was met with a wave of emotion over this song. It Holds a dear place in my heart.
I love this song. My director said that in order to play this song, we need good clarinet players, good horn players, and a good Baritone Sax player. "I Am" that Bari Sax player.
We are playing this for festival this year. I cannot wait! All I can think of when I hear it is when my cousins passed away in a car accident. Such a beautiful piece.
yeah its kind of a sad song but i get to play the clarinet solos.
This piece has a very big impact! I play the first horn part for this and my band is performing this at our national concert band festival. Its hard to play when you are trying to hold back tears, because the story is so very sad!
This song is amazing. Thank you for uploading it.
Played this in band camp on euphonium. Very emotional piece.
Its actually the boy who died. He was a bari player who died in a car accident and after his death it was discovered he wrote a poem entitled "I am". The band director at his school commissioned this work.
It just doesn't make sense that the boy wrote this song, since the composer is still alive. haha.
i absolutely love this song!!!!! im playin it in band. very sad backstory though
Our high school band is quite a good band; surprising, our band director was good friends with the composer of this piece. Believe or not, my band director is the coolest person ever. We actually might play this for our next concert, and already it's sounding amazing.
Haha, ours is too. Dr. Boysen conducted our last concert and now we’re doing this piece for our next concert.
I’m playing this tomorrow for an honor band I’m attending and I get goosebumps every time it gets to the chromatic whole notes around measure 88
We played this at out 8th Grade concert, and it's the most beautiful thing.
Not Brenden how good is your band?
We found out we are playing this song in the spring today so our director wanted us to hear it before we played it. I have never seen us middle schoolers sit so quite, so attentive, for so long. Some people were even crying, including our director who had to leave and collect herself halfway through the song
@BaritoneSax737 Yes. This piece was commisioned in memory of Lynn Jones, a bari sax. player who was killed en route to school in a car crash. The title "I Am" is based on the title of a poem Lynn wrote several days before his death. we are playing this in my high school wind ensemble, and my arm and leg hairs stand straight up at the crash every time! It's just MASSIVE!
someone committed suicide at our school originally in our band my band instructor had told us that we are going to put this song aside for a while
komakozeee I am sad for you and your band. I know exactly what you have experienced. The least you and I can do is never forget the ones we've lost, and honor them by helping others we know who have depression and other illnesses of the mind. We must not forget.
Wow!
Alietoric music is so beautiful.
I wish we were playing this ;-;
I cried. So powerful if you actually know the story behind its making.
Aren't there two bars before the first clarinet entrance?
I played this in middle school
I played this in highschool.
That's okay. We're saying "Ah Em"
@LolaYLydia I was told that the song was written by a boy who was a friend of a girl that died in a car accident. Shortly before her death, she wrote a poem called, "I Am".
this song is sad
I found the meaning of life.. Its the brass chorale at measure 125. =) or 6:11
高校1年の時のコンクールの自由曲でやったなぁ。懐かしい！この曲はマイナーだけど、もっと評価されて良い曲だと思う。
6:45 is lovely
Btw that was like 26 years ago
@LolaYLydia yeah i know, that's why i love this song
@MCPOSpartan046 we played this piece in honour of duie, a friend of mine that played trombone. He would have loved to play this piece...
@MCPOSpartan046 no, i hate the other song that we're playing instead of this, which is quite upsetting
but its inspirational
Really want to learn this piece does anyone know where I could find it for trombone
Ally Mccarthy i am trombone player who is playing this piece sir
curlykb123 are you playing it for a school
Ally Mccarthy yeah
@MCPOSpartan046 unfortunately, we're not playing this. so that sucks haha
i play the bari in my band, and its either this song, or another one that i hate.
when do baris get 3 solos? never.
@lexster279 you a Central Junior High kid ? lol .
Can anyone please tell me the instruments used in this piece?
Yamili Felix tuba, clarinet, flute, horn, bari sax, baritone/euphonium, trombone, trumpet, tenor and alto sax, bassoon and oboe if you got them, and miscellaneous percussion.
Yamili Felix bari sax clarinet trumpet flute percusion and others
A pair of crash cymbals
@haylola24 except it was a boy. read the description.
Lol I cant play that one cymbal crash
It was a boy who wrote the poem. not a girl
I like 6:38 , 2:54
what tittle song?
2:30 is a direct rip-off of Philip Glass.
Yeahhh no he wasn't.....