May 17, 2018

To Whom It May Concern:

It is my privilege to recommend Joshua Martzke for an instrumental music teaching

position. As the supervisor for music student teachers at Calvin College, I have a keen perspective
on Josh’s exemplary teaching in the classroom thus far. This letter serves to provide insight
regarding Josh’s teaching experiences, as well as to highlight qualities that make him an
exceptional candidate for his first professional teaching position.

This past semester, Josh’s student teaching placement was at Northview High School in an
instrumental music classroom. His schedule consisted of a variety of classes, including beginning-
intermediate-advanced wind bands, jazz band, and guitar. Performance-based instrumental music
is traditionally conductor driven, often giving students little ownership of their learning and
rehearsal process. Josh is one who challenges this approach and strives to push the creative
envelope. He is always trying something new, successfully, whether it’s incorporating music
listening in different ways, unique rehearsal strategies and setups, or facilitating authentic and
relevant discussions about the repertoire. Refreshingly, no two of Josh’s observations looked the
same while I was supervising this experience! He has done an exceptional job diversifying his
music teaching over the course of his time at Northview.

When thinking about dispositions of beginning teachers, I consider Josh’s to be one of the
most consistent and well-rounded. He is endlessly positive, inquisitive, and kind. He maintains
composure and maturity when faced with challenges (i.e., disruptive student behavior, stress). Josh
also approaches teaching with a dedication beyond what I have seen from his peers. For example,
he opted to extend his student teaching placement by beginning three weeks earlier than other
Calvin students instead of continuing a long holiday break. Josh made the most of this early start
by fully jumping into the classroom, getting to know students and staff, and also assisting with the
jazz band’s performance at the Savannah Jazz Festival in Georgia over the spring break.

Upon beginning our student teaching seminar the first week of class, Josh had completed
the entire book I assigned to read over the course of the semester. This not only demonstrates his
professionalism but also his eagerness to meaningfully dig into anything related to teaching music.
Similarly, Josh attended our primary professional development conference – the Michigan Music
Conference – that took place before Calvin’s semester started. This included an additional day
spent observing graduate student conductors in a masterclass with a renowned expert. Josh’s
aspirations to hone his skills as a teacher, conductor, and musician reflect his commitment to
continued progress throughout his career.

Josh has many outstanding qualities. I have highlighted those significant to teaching
innovative instrumental music, however, other qualities such as leadership, work ethic, and
musical excellence are obvious in Josh’s case. Thank you for considering Josh as a candidate.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions.

Sincerely,

Sarah Bowman
Adjunct Professor of Music Education
Email: SLB45@calvin.edu
Phone: (231) 329-3983