Overview
Jaida (jah-duh) Wilson is a PhD student in Music and Sound Studies at Cornell University. Hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, he is a singer/songwriter and recreational producer. Jaida earned a joint BA in English and Music from Harvard University. Their senior thesis “Do I Sound Like A Hero to You?” dissects the narrative structures and musical pieces of three adventure-based video games, focusing on lost identity as a motif in establishing a heroic identity for the avatar (and the player by proxy). Prior to graduating, they were awarded the David McCord Prize for their unusual creative talents in writing and music. Jaida’s current areas of academic interest include villains in video games, magical girl music, the art of sampling, and coming-of-age narratives by black women and queer individuals.