Good-bye you guys.

[pumpy_heart]

Heya NSM community,

The time has come. It came a long while ago. I'm leaving.

People travel through many excursions on their trip to discovery. Many trials are pursued, all with the goal of creating somebody they love. People search to find themselves, wherever they think they might be hiding.

I found you.

Years ago, I found you. What a joy to be found, finding a site dedicated to an unknown art: game music. Not just any game music site: Nintendo game music. Those were the days of downloading MUS files just to see if the difficulty was too great or too small, the innocence of that first discovery, causes for me to search more, learn more, discover more.

You created me.

Intelligence fell to arrogance in those years. Musical knowledge was lacking; expertise, none. I had no idea what I was doing. I downloaded Notepad, as we all did at some point, and start clicking and creating anything that just "sounded good." Most of that fell through the years as arrogance began to subside to real knowledge. Arranging is a stepping stone to a much higher plateau waiting to be reached. But arranging taught me much. I learned, I studied, I stole.

I gave back.

High school was arranging. Not many know this, I attended a school that offered both International Baccalaureate and Advance Placement tests and training. High school was horrid. Arranging was my social life. If I wasn't studying or writing the weekly paper that was due, I arranged. NSM welcomed me in. They even uploaded a sheet or two. They even listened to a claim or two I had to make the site better. They created the Golden Sun section by request (or well versed argument, depending on your take). They saw me as a person before I knew the value of self-respect, before I knew what I was doing, before I did anything. Junior year rolls around, I take AP Music Theory. Arrangements improve thirty-fold. Started fixing my own stuff before there was a fixing-the-sheets project. Above all, this was a hobby. A joyful exploration to pass the time.

I never meant to stay so long.

NSM made me. Over and over again I would come back, arranging more and more as my schedule grew. Senior year, composition merely a background thought. I was going to be a computer engineer; or a history teacher; or a composer. I took my jabs at composition from time to time, never really considering anything to be worthwhile. NSM convinced me it could be. I never really had any mentors here. I looked up to some moderators with respect. I volunteered to upload sheets, but that was never taken up. Best that they didn't, arrangements were my game that I had to keep playing. College came around, decided to do Music Composition as a BA. Game music is my goal. NSM sold me.

I taught.

College is a breeze. I wanted to pass on my experience to others. The pink ranger sold a few people himself. The quality of sheets have risen immensely. The amount of arrangements put out is incredible. Uploads happen more frequently than ever in my residence. This place is happening. Maybe I did something right.

It's time to go.

Look at this community. You guys don't need me. You never did. Any arranger out there now does exactly what I did: they give back. Every critique you give, every sheet you fix, every request you fulfill, you're giving back. The spirit has caught on, people love NSM. I love NSM too.

I'm not going to make any excuses. The hour of departure for me is now. I'm leaving, heading back to the main road.

All my contacts are in my signature or below Isaac. He's been there all along.

Don't worry. You will live on. Game music will live on. NSM will live on.

I love you all,

Thomas Wilson

P.S. I just won the School of Music opera competition. I'm doing something right here.
P.S.S. My 3DS friend data is gone. Message me on facebook, email me, do whatever. I'm not dying as a person. Anyone can still contact me.
P.S.S.S. Thanks again.

[K-NiGhT]

Everyone is leaving I'm sad now.

[MaestroUGC]

It's a shame I never got to know you any better, you are a fantastic arranger and a pretty good composer from what I've seen. I hope to hear more from you in the future.

[Zunawe]

Good luck! Didn't really talk to you much, but you seemed pretty awesome. Unless you say otherwise (I don't know if you already left) I'm taking you off the RPG composers team. I wish we could have gotten to a point where you could have done something.

[Olimar12345]

I'll miss seeing you 'round the forums, Thomas. Wherever life takes you, I wish you the best of luck. Be strong and rock on!

[spitllama]

Pumpy! I wish you the best in all of your future endeavors. You've been so helpful during my time here-- from critiquing pieces to offering encouragement. All of it has been vital in learning how to arrange music. I'm going to be taking some theory classes over the next year because of your suggestions. All in all, thank you! While here you've been vital to the community and have offered more excellent arrangements than I can count. The first sheet music I downloaded from NSM was actually yours

Good luck and hope you'll stop by occasionally.

[SlowPokemon]

From the bottom of my heart, I'll miss you greatly. I still have your twitter and all which is good. I think this site will always remember you though, in some way, because you really made your mark here (whether you realize that or not).

Good luck my friend, I hope you become a composer for games.

[NasiDe]

Never really got to know you or see you around on the forums. Wherever you were, I guess I wasn't. Whenever you were, I wasn't. But when I was, I saw your arrangements and little bits and pieces of you on the forum (your arrangement topic), and I looked up to you as an arranger. Can't say I'm happy or sad to see you go as a person because, regretfully, I never had the chance to know you as a person. But I know that as an arranger I think I'll miss you. I wish you best of luck on your journeys ahead because for certain they do not end here and nor will life's many ordeals.

Best wishes,
NasiDe

[TheZeldaPianist275]

Pumpy, I didn't really interact with you, but I've always been impressed with you.  Not just your arrangements.  Everywhere you posted, you left something.  Thanks for making this a better place.  Good luck!

[FSM-Reapr]

D:

Hope you succeed in life, Pumpy!!!

[Shadoninja]

Good bye, Pink Ranger.

At least stop by for the holidays, eh?

[Bespinben]

At least stop by for the holidays, eh?

I second that.

[MaestroUGC]

Here at NSM, everyday is a holiday!

[Clanker37]

D: Pumpy! I will miss you and your arrangements so much!

[Jub3r7]

I didn't know you very well personally, but I already miss you! Not just your arrangements but you.
I'm disappointed that I haven't gotten to know you better, maybe one day I'll message you on Facebook and try to change that.

Congratulations on winning the school of music opera competition! I hope know you will go even farther, pink ranger.