User:MFTP Dan
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[edit]My name is Daniel A. Sanford. I am known on Wikipedia as MFTP Dan (typeset mftp dan), formerly DannyMusicEditor (dannymusiceditor). I was born, raised, and currently live in Erie, Pennsylvania (former featured article). Aside from being a former musician, I'm nothing special, just a Wikipedian specializing in articles relating to music - particularly in the broad alternative area, but also in heavy metal. I have ADHD, which I credit for being partially responsible for not only landing me here, but keeping me here. I registered under my original name in late 2013 but actually became active around February 2014. Since then, I have been continuously active except for a six (seven?) month hiatus from January until mid-2020.
I was a recipient of the great sapphire on March 26, 2023, the same day my first featured article appeared on the front page. I have two featured articles (three if you count an old one I repaired from risk of removal) and over 30 good articles to my name. I topped 25,000 edits on November 6, 2023, 10 years and 4 days after creating this account. I reckon if I had been active in the first half of 2020 I might have gotten there sooner, but alas were it not for COVID-19 closing my university I might not be active at all today. I adopted my current username on March 29, 2024.
Although most of my online personas outside of Wikipedia - especially Discord - involve horses, my goal is to emulate what is known by some contributors as a WikiOtter with a focus on content. The online identity started out as an anonymous but also cheekily patriotic name, but stuck. (I don't actually have any horses, but they are cool animals. I have ridden one before.)
Musical fanatic
[edit]When I was in the fourth grade, I learned to play the viola in my elementary school's instrumental program. Starting in the fifth grade, I began taking private lessons to improve my skill, and I've taken them with four different teachers. I was involved in many youth programs related to music, including a junior program of the Erie Philharmonic. I kept at it for nine years, but never found true satisfaction or enlightenment in playing the viola alone. My heart belongs, for the most part, to rock and roll and not classical music, and I could not find this passion with my instrument. I've said for a while that I want to learn to play guitar at some point, and I have one now, but I've touched it like...twice... 😅
I can find something to like about virtually any type of music. I say virtually because there are some exceptions.[1] My favorite song? I don't have one. Whatever I happen to be playing on Spotify is often one of my favorites. My favorite song title, however, is "Someday, in the Event That Mankind Actually Figures Out What It Is That This World Revolves Around, Thousands of People are Going to Be Shocked and Perplexed to Find Out It Was Not Them. Sometimes, This Includes Me." by the Chariot. My top two favorite bands - tied - I would have to say are A Day to Remember and Spiritbox. ADTR's Common Courtesy and Spiritbox's Eternal Blue are my two favorite albums. I saw ADTR live in Buffalo, New York this past June! Incredible experience, it also got me into Militarie Gun and to better know Four Year Strong. Did you know the latter band used to feud with ADTR? And now they tour with them. Wild. My most recent live performance I attended was the farewell tour of Sum 41 at Robert Morris University in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. They were a good band on their records, but they displayed incredible showmanship live. (If only that venue didn't suck...totally worth it, still.)
So who am I outside of this?
[edit]Nobody special. I mostly sell Jeeps for a living, among other vehicles. I graduated from McDowell High School in 2017 with a guy who would go on to make a song with Travis Barker, so I thought that was pretty cool. [1] I graduated from Penn State University's Behrend College with a bachelor's degree in communication in 2022. I love Pittsburgh-based sports teams, excluding the University of Pittsburgh (go State!). I am blessed to have grown up watching four of the greatest talents to have ever played for Pittsburgh: Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Ben Roethlisberger; I prefer hockey to football, but have a deep love for the latter, too. Not big on baseball. Next time the Bucs are in the playoffs I'll watch 'em though.
Other than that, I enjoy playing videogames. Over the years, The Elder Scrolls, NHL, Call of Duty, Halo, Overwatch, Valorant, League of Legends, Pokémon, and various RTS games have entertained my interest among others. Although I don't go out there enough, I enjoy the outdoors, and particularly love hiking in the summer and hunting for turkeys in the fall. Yes, I like guns - take enjoyment in shooting pistols, shotguns and rifles when I get the chance to go to a range. But it's an expensive hobby, so I don't do it often. Speaking of expensive hobbies, I am an avid Magic: the Gathering commander player as well, but I don't play CEDH.
Finally, I believe in the Lord my God above me. I go to church almost every Sunday. I may perhaps a weak-hearted believer, at that, to some people, and to that I would probably accept that judgment. I do my best to believe in the Bible's teachings first, but sometimes this gets me into trouble, especially considering I have a hard time living by it myself. But I believe nobody is perfect, and even those with hearts of evil may be changed by the Spirit. But my specific religious beliefs and any political beliefs associated with them are a conversation to have with anyone outside the confines of Wikipedia.
Anyway, yeah, that's about it for me. Glad to meet you!
Articles I plan to get to Good Article status or better:
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My taste
[edit]- ^ Subgenres that spark my interest include:
Alternative variants
- Alt rock, obviously
- A lot of Indie rock, but there's also a lot I don't care for
- Indie pop
- Pop punk
- Punk rock
- Electronica
- Indietronica
- Grunge
- Post-grunge
- Britpop
- Dream pop
- Gothic rock
- Emo
- Post-Britpop
Rock variants
- Hard rock
- Blues rock
- Progressive rock
- Southern rock
- Punk rock
- Gothic rock
- Emo
- Post-hardcore
- Alternative metal
- Nu metal
- Alternative rock
- Heavy metal
- Christian rock
- Hardcore punk
Metal variants
- Straight heavy metal, obviously
- Nu metal
- Alt metal
- Thrash metal
- Groove metal
- Metalcore
- A little bit of post-metal
- Progressive metal (and its metalcore variant)
- Christian metal
- Gothic metal
- Country metal
- Death metal, deathcore and melodeath (picky)
- Beatdown hardcore
- Sludge metal
There are a few genres which I have particular dislike for: Most of your typical radio pop (Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande, etc.), black and unblack metal, most death metal and deathcore, crust punk, grindcore, noise rock, and true screamo (usually).
I used to generally dislike hip hop, but I've come around to it over the years. My impression of it was ruined by the generation I grew up in. The 2000s and early 2010s, aside from a select few artists, were a time I did not think was good for hip hop, as it catered to a more nightclub-oriented focus. Rap was better before that scene arrived, and since then, lots of hip hop has incorporated melody which I actually enjoy. Rod Wave and Polo G especially have seen some heavy rotation on my Spotify recently, and Juice Wrld has always held a place there. Even less melodic raps have more often strayed from these themes and sounds of club life.
My favorite country music consists of Alabama, Garth Brooks, Zac Brown Band, Alan Jackson, Billy Currington, Cole Swindell, Brantley Gilbert, Luke Combs and FGL - anything else is either a home run or a strikeout, metaphorically speaking. I also find most CCM a bit bland and fenced-in musically; electric guitars, the instrument I believe is God's greatest musical blessing that he allowed man to create, do not generally feature prominently in this type of music, especially not the distorted kind I have come to love the most in rock and heavy metal.