Sam Hamm

...except, I'm not.

After eight years as a music professor, I chose to do something new.

Software development is a natural evolution of my professional trajectory from music into technology; it allows me to apply experience as a composer and as a teacher to make complex ideas understandable and develop sophisticated concise solutions.

Technology, like music, is about people. At the end of each day, I want to leave better lives in my wake. That's why I teach at Code Fellows: I want to help people learn technology and change their lives.

I hold a PhD in Music Composition from the University of Florida (2005); while completing that degree I also pursued studies in electrical engineering, including coursework in digital logic, microprocessor applications, calculus, differential equations, and digital signal processing. My dissertation, titled "The Orchestra and Electroacoustic Music", examined the challenges of utilizing live electronics and audio processing with instrumental ensembles.

In addition to my activities as a music professor, I have been active as a composer of music for film, theatre, and the concert hall. Music composition involves extensive technical knowledge (I need to understand the intricate details of how instruments work and how to notate for them), attention to design and aesthetics (it is art, after all), meticulous planning and organization (a piece of music does not magically assemble itself, nor does a performance), and a self-starter attitude to see a project through to completion. All of these skills translate into my current work.