64Digits
Blood,
Sweat, &
Music.

Hello 64Digits, and welcome to my final blog. As announced in my previous blog, I had something big planned to go out on. Well, as stated above, "64Digits Blood, Sweat, & Music." and this is big. Guys, this isn't a competition, this is a full-on community-based collaboration project and all that can help, will. Within this segment, I will explain in every detail possible what exactly is going down. Please note ahead of time that this is a very long blog and this project is going to take a long time so I'm going to be staying around for longer than just this blog, but this blog is going to be active for a while. In my previous blog, I asked you what instrument(s) you play, and how well. I got a lot of responses, and thankfully so because this makes my project even more possible.

The basics:
From this very moment, everyone that can write music needs to send me a PM with an example of your work and what you can work with. Then, prepare to write some hate mail because you're about to step greatly out of your comfort zone a lot. Together, we'll form a planning committee and slowly piece together music. This may take several months, but this is the hardest part. When we're finished, we'll send out individual parts specifically to everyone that can play an instrument, where they'll have time to practice their parts and record them. When all of the pieces are recorded, we'll mix them together and post it on the Internet for the whole world to hear.


A little more detail:
The piece we're going to make together is going to be like classical music, Dream Theater, and Pink Floyd. It will be very melodic with chromatic and diatonic runs, and will feature everything but the kitchen sink. If you want a perfect example of what exactly it is I'm looking for, here's a list of songs I recommend you listen/re-listen to: Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen; concept and structure); Octavarium (Dream Theater; concept, structure, technicality, and duration); Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd, whole album; obvious reasons... it's Pink Floyd!); A Dish Best Served Coldly (Type O Negative; lyrics and musicality); and Champagne Supernova (Oasis; ABCBCBA structure). These aren't random songs to listen to, they're actually the influences behind this project. It's going to be hard, time-consuming, and often you're going to want to quit, but if we can do this, we can do anything life can throw at us.

Instrumentalists needed:
- 2 vocalists (hel already has the job if he wants)
- 2 guitarists (with a setup they can send through their computer for clean audio)
- 1 bassist
- 2 drumset players (one that can double bass, one that can do complex rhythms)
- 2 brass players (euphonium and mellophone)
- 1 solo violinist
- 3 synth players (with similar setup to guitarists)

Writers needed:
- 2+ writers for keyboard (needs to be comfortable with CMaj, FMaj, GMaj, EbMaj, and Dmin as well as simple, compound, and complex times)
- 1 brass writer
- 3 writers for guitar (notation preferably, but can write tabs)
- 2 percussion writers (works with keyboard and guitar writer)
- 2 lyricists

Technicians needed:
- 3+ DAWs (FL Studio, Ableton, etc.)
- 4+ engravers (can be writers; this will save us a lot of time)
- 2+ in-betweens (they'll help guide the project and transition music from piece to piece [writing is a required skill])

Guys, I hope you're all for this because I am. I'm syked, because I have seen what can be done when communities come together and I've seen what you guys can do. I'm looking forward to the outcome. This is something you CAN DEFINITELY put on your resume for a job! Don't let me down!


The Member of the Month for April 2012 has been selected for his hard work moving 64Digits over, upgrading the server and working to reorganize everything so all would be ship-shape and in order. He even broke his arm in the process! You've guessed correctly:


Thank you everyone for helping support Member of the Month while I ran it, so now it's time for me to find someone else. For the month of May, I ask you to send me a PM with this subject (Something along the lines) "Member of the Month", and tell me who you believe should run it. It cannot be someone that has a lot of privileges already, and must be someone responsible.


Work, work, work, and hard times:
I'm working my ass off to get my small business, nate., off the ground so I can start getting paid. So far my clientele has little work for me, but as of late the tables have turned and I'm getting job recommendations and work via word-of-mouth. Today, I talked to the director of City Sound Drum and Bugle Corps and hopefully by tomorrow I will know if I have the job! I will be building their parent organization's website, which will get my business out there and grab prospective clients.

Aside from this, my trip to Los Angeles, California is coming very soon! I'm going out to LA for two weeks from June 9 to the 23rd to meet friends of several years. Conveniently, City Sound is located in LA so I can do business on a personal trip! The last thing anyone but ME would want to do. I'm excited, really!

On the other hand, we learned the other week my dad has colon cancer. Today was his surgery, so hopefully they got it all. It was early stage, so luckily they caught it when it was operable without having to go through tons of chemotherapy. He won't be home until Friday, and even still won't be able to move around for six weeks. I know we've had many differences, and often he's taken the physical approach in arguments where I remain pacifistic, but he's still my dad.

I'm hoping with all that's going on I can have some relief and be able to go back to school this Fall. I need it, and I need to get my degree so I can have more accreditation. I applied to stay in the dorms, where I'll finally be able to eat three times a day instead of one and be able to go to class instead of having to worry about whether or not I'll be able to go to school because I have no money. What more can be said? How 'bout I finally tell you about myself.


About me (friends' names have been changed):
Hello, my name is Nathanael McDaniel, but I am otherwise known as Nathanael to my friends. I am a very shy, eccentric person and I keep my friends close, fearing I could ever lose them. I'm open-minded to anything, as well as very extroverted; I keep things inside because I know people will judge me. As you can tell by my writing, I'm very two-dimensional because I express my thoughts in a very cut and dry manner. I was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, but lived with my grandmother in Wiggins (thirty miles south of Hattiesburg) until my mom and dad could afford their own place. My mom moved us to New Orleans to finish her school in 1993 and in 1996 we moved back to Wiggins, where I started school and was there until the second grade. I had no friends and was bullied and made fun of by all of my fellow classmates -- you know how cruel kids are. Regardless of whether or not I had friends, my grades did pretty well, but my attitude was a tad crude, so the school counselor recommended me be evaluated professionally -- upon multiple testings they concluded I have Asperger's Syndrome.

My family (now with a younger brother and sister) moved back Hattiesburg in 1998. I attended North Forrest Elementary school where, until 2000 (my fourth grade year), I would continue to have no friends and be bullied. In late 2000, we moved to Petal where the bullying and name-calling continued. Sixth grade year came around and I joined the band, where I played trombone. In 2002, my grandmother passed away and my grades began to slip. I'm unsure if this event was what sparked my clinical depression from rearing its ugly head, but it certainly helped. My mother pulled me out for homeschooling, and until the 9th grade I would be at home. In the 9th grade I returned to Petal where slowly I would have my first real friends--instead of those I would find long-distance for years to come. While I was a part of the group, I never felt included in anything and never felt like I belonged.

Years passed; I graduated high school and started attending college. I lost my friends, who would rather have kept in their prefabricated, close-knit group. Social exploration brought new people in and out of my life; friends became enemies, enemies became friends, and strangers became friends as well. Still, my future career was unknown, so I lulled around and unfortunately wasted a lot of time. My sophomore year would by my first step to rectifying my dream of being in marching band. I didn't know anything, and was terrified to audition, but I made it in. I still had no friends in the band, but in my junior year I would be reacquainted with Ava Miller and Chloe London (whom I had previously disliked because of a still quarrel between her and my sister that had long passed). Quickly, they became my two best friends, and through them I met Rachelle and Elwyn -- both of which also quickly became my best friends. One cannot have too many best friends, you know. I love spending time with them, and I love learning new things about them. They're the only people in the world that accept me for who I am and truly make me the happiest. I've always been really in-touch with my feminine side, and to some of them I'm the straight-gay best guy friend, which is quite alright with me. My life hasn't always been happy and, with more detail, reads to be one long 'teenage angst'-filled sob story. However, I would not trade Ava, Chloe, Rachelle, or Elwyn for anything in the world -- not even my own life.

I feel like I can never truly do anything right, though. I try hard to keep everyone happy and be the loving, caring person my friends can rely on, but my mind plays dirty tricks and I'm pessimistic. I always try and reassure myself, but sometimes it takes Chloe to kick me in the ass to set my mind straight. Chloe and I share so much in common it's honestly shocking. This sort of positive outlook has never helped me successfully with relationships; while (as shallow as it sounds) have no issue with finding a girlfriend; it's the matter of finding the right person and making it work. One can like another, but affection can blind someone from the real story and most often things won't work. One day, I do believe I will find the person that's right for me, but as for now I'm truly happy with my best friends and wouldn't want it any other way.

I'm an aspiring web designer and often don't have much time for things, but when I do, my favorite hobby is photography. Often, I'll go downtown or the mall and take pictures with Ava and Chloe. I've yet to successfully get Rachelle to go with us -- either rain or her parents keep us at bay. My friends help me get through anything, and I would gladly always do the same for them. For Christmas last year, I bought them all red pandas so we would always be together. Cheesy, I know, but that's me for you!


It's sad to go, guys. I'm going to lurk, of course, but I have to move on. I've been a member of 64Digits for six years, and I have gone through a lot with you all. As 64Digits continues to grow, I'll lurk around and watch it but I won't be an active member. I know a few of me don't like me, and I know a lot of you do, but for those of you that have cared to keep up with me you already know where to find me. Otherwise, best of luck to all of you. I hope each and every one of you have a great future, without any hardships.

I'll keep around until this project is done and then it's au revoir for me.