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 have lived in Erie, Pennsylvania (former featured article) since my birth on December 2, 1998. 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 I am on the autism spectrum, having been diagnosed at 18 as exhibiting some of all three of autism, the now-outdated Asperger's syndrome, and ADHD. I credit this 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. Lately, my work has been focused on Spiritbox or translating quality articles from other wikis into English - particularly Alice in Chains' work in the Russian and Polish languages.
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 three featured articles (four 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 rode 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. My most recent live performance was actually a country show - my first one - seeing Russell Dickerson perform on the RussellMania tour in my hometown in August 2025. And he's actually pretty good, as it turns out.
So who am I outside of this?
[edit]Nobody special. 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] One guy who graduated right as I was entering, James Conner, went on to be an NFL running back. I also had the privilege of briefly going to school with Connor McDavid, the greatest hockey player of his generation. I graduated from Penn State University's Behrend College with a bachelor's degree in communication in 2022, and today I mostly sell Jeeps for a living, among other vehicles. I have been working in the car industry for two years; as a result of my job, I have grown to consider myself some semblance of a "car guy", but I have quite a lot to learn still.
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. Paul Skenes is a menace.
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. In some people's opinions, my heart for the word is weak, and I admit to sometimes falling into general cynicism regarding the world around me but also being guilty of sin every day — I'm not perfect, and my attitude does not always reflect the way I want it to. But I know my redeemer has a purpose for me, and I do my best to believe in the Bible's teachings first. Sometimes doing this gets me into trouble, especially considering I sometimes have a hard time living by it myself. But again, I believe nobody is perfect, and even those with hearts of evil may be changed by the Spirit. 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, FGL, Russell Dickerson and Bailey Zimmerman - 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.