Matthew Forrester Wolffe

Matthew Forrester Wolffe

Computer science student at JMU; CS TA, mathematics and chemistry tutor; performing low-brass musician

Matt Wolffe - Musi(CS)ian

My name is Matt Wolffe. I’m currently a student at James Madison University where I am studying computer science. My fascination with computer hardware and software germinated at a very young age thanks to my parents allowing me to play computer games like Pajama Sam whenever I couldn’t sleep as a kid in the late 90’s. I built my first (inexpensive) computer in middle school, and by my senior year of high school I had a collection of machines participating in distributed computing projects such as Folding@Home, SETI@Home, and GIMPS (the latter mostly for CPU stress testing). My first programming languages were the C family which I began learning late in middle school.

Music

I am a 'classically trained' musician, having performed and studied music for nearly two decades. I studied low-brass performance for several years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where I had been awarded the Kenan Music Scholarship in 2014. I studied under retired principal trombonist of the North Carolina Symphony, Michael Kris. I play bass & contrabass tubas, Cimbasso, euphonium, & bass trombone. Thanks to Professor Kris I was able to make a foray into the world of historically informed performance, learning how to play and perform on instruments such as the Ophicleide and Bass Sackbut. I have traveled extensively to supplement my studies by taking lessons with principal performers in orchestras throughout Europe and the eastern United States. I did not, however, complete my degree at UNC due to rather serious burgeoning health issues.

matt on stage
On stage with bass tuba in hand, and contrabass at the ready.
matt cimbasso
On stage playing cimbasso. I bought my cimbasso in late 2016, and it's been my favorite instrument to play and perform on ever since.

Teaching

I currently work as a tutor/teaching assistant in and around the Shenandoah Valley area. I cover college-level courses in chemistry, computer science, and mathematics. I thoroughly enjoy teaching, and hope to one day be able to work as a professor. In the past I have provided inexpensive private tuba and euphonium lessons to students who enjoy music making, but are unsure of whether they wish to study music formally.

Interests in Computing

  • High Performance Computing
  • Human Computer Interaction
  • Audio & music software
  • Educational software & learning management systems
  • Distributed computing systems like the projects referenced above
  • Applications of CS in other STEM disciplines