Ever wish your favorite NPR segment came with trivia, drinks, and real conversation?Welcome to The Siposium—a live, interactive gathering where we deep dive into surprisingly niche topics with expert guests, thoughtful dialogue, and just enough irreverence to keep it fun.Think NPR-style curiosity, casual community vibes, and real-time interaction. With drinks.
Safe & Sound - The Healing Power of Music in Cozy Video Games
What makes music feel cozy? Join us for a deep (and delightfully nostalgic) dive into the soundtracks of over 40 video games—from Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon, and Spiritfarer. You'll learn how music signals safety, comfort, and emotional connection—even in the unlikeliest places. Featuring research from a soon-to-be-published article, this talk explores how cozy games—and their soundscapes—became a refuge, especially during times like the early days of the pandemic.
We will kick off our evening with a Wii Mario Kart Tournament, so come ready to race!
Event Sponsor: Stardew Valley
Speaker Bio: Adriana Ezekiel is a PhD student in music theory at The Ohio State University. She teaches freshman music theory and aural skills. She earned her Master of Music degree in music theory from the University of Alabama in 2024, where she taught aural skills classes in classical music and in the aural analysis of popular and jazz music. At Alabama, she completed her thesis entitled "Conceptualizing Coziness: Sonic Iyashikei, Furusato, and Musical Topics in Cozy Video Games. She earned her Bachelor in Music Education from Delta State University in 2020 and Associate of Arts from Northeast Mississippi Community College in 2017. Before pursuing graduate degrees in music theory, Adriana taught K–5 music and band in Birmingham, Alabama.
Her current research interests include the analysis of video game and film music, music theory pedagogy, and popular music studies. She is also interested in public scholarship and making music research more accessible. She has presented at the North American Conference on Video Game Music (2024), Play Again? Online Mini-Symposium (2023), and the South Central Society for Music Theory's Annual Conference (2023).
As an active musician, Adriana enjoys playing trumpet in jazz ensembles, singing, and playing ukulele. Outside of school, Adriana enjoys playing video games, cross stitching, and baking.
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