Sample Cover Letter – Music Melody Muscian 11 Bass Street Clayton 3168 Mobile 0423 313 606 mmusican.@hotmail.com DO NOT COPY: You are advised not to copy this sample, but to use it to generate ideas to create your own document. 20 February 2015 Ms M Teach Head of Music Greenwood Secondary College 424 Cliff Street Berwick VIC 3806 Re: Sessional Trumpet Teacher, Ref A1011 Dear Ms Teach I am writing to apply for the Sessional Trumpet Teacher role at Greenwood Secondary College, as advertised on the Seek website. As the attached resume shows I am in the final year of my Bachelor of Music degree at Monash University and my relevant experience includes private teaching, preparing students for AMEB exams, ongoing participation in Melbourne Youth Music (MYM) orchestras and event coordination. Working with MYM orchestras has been particularly rewarding. Focussing on the brass section’s cohesive sound has helped me develop my ability to apply technical knowledge of the instrument to ensure that my breathing and tone production is coordinated with the rest of the section. This skill and my ability to learn music quickly and accurately resulted in my recent promotion to section leader. I excel at learning all the section’s parts in advance so that I can readily answer technical questions from section members. Ensemble work at Monash helps me a great deal with this orchestral work as our teachers’ collaborative style makes each performer feel valued. I apply this approach at MYM to create a sense of teamwork and shared responsibility. My private students come from a range of ages and backgrounds. I consistently receive positive feedback from parents that students find the individual learning plans I develop for them motivating, and students report that seeing evidence of their own progress increases their engagement with music. From my discussions with Greenwood’s music staff I understand that my practice of collaborating with students about their interests when developing their individual plans aligns with your department’s emphasis on nurturing students’ enjoyment and sense of achievement by developing their specific interests and abilities. This approach would also help me contribute to the school’s broader goal of increasing ongoing student participation in AMEB exams, school concerts, school productions and interschool competitions. In addition to improving my musicianship and performing skills my time at university has enabled me to develop significant administrative and event management skills in my role as Chair of the steering committee for Music on Menzies. These skills were demonstrated by coordinating all aspects of Music on Menzies, an annual university student music event which attracts an audience of 2000 each year. I feel the event’s success has been helped by my collaborative work style and communication skills which enabled me to identify and recruit stakeholders to the event steering committee. I feel the range of skills I offer would help me increase student uptake of the brass program at Greenwood as well as support for the school’s music programs from the broader school community. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss the role with you at an interview and look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely Melody Musician Sessional Trumpet Teacher Greenwood Secondary College is a well-resourced government school in the Pakenham-Berwick growth corridor with a population of nearly 1000 students and a strong music and performing arts program. Greenwood seeks applications from suitably qualified, dynamic and enthusiastic trumpet teachers who will contribute to the growth of our vibrant performing arts program. The successful applicant will be required to: teach individual lessons at Junior, Middle and Senior School to VCE; prepare students for AMEB exams; assist with the organisation of school concerts and the annual school stage production; and help students prepare for interschool competitions. The position reports directly to the Head of Performing Arts. This position would suit an emerging performance professional who enjoys working as a member of a small team. The successful applicant will: be a member of a youth orchestra and/or have significant ensemble experience have experience preparing students for AMEB exams have experience organising student concerts and the ability to work with stakeholders have well-developed communication skills Applicants are required to provide a current Working With Children Check. The position commences in Term 2, 2015. A full position statement is available on our website: grsc.vic.edu.au Applications for this position close at 5pm on Friday 23 February 2015. Email: Please click the 'Apply Now' button below and quote reference number A1011. monash.edu/careers careers.info@monash.edu +61 3 9905 4170 Facebook.com/MonashECD