Game of Thrones composer Ramin Djawadi has never read A Song of Ice and Fire. He’ll get to someday – he’s been a bit busy for the past nine years working on the Emmy-winning Game of Thrones score. 

Before Thrones, Djawadi had done a handful of TV and film scoring, including the MCU-launching Iron Man soundtrack. His work caught the attention of Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who scheduled a meeting and showed him the first two episodes.

Djawadi got to work immediately, yielding one of the most indelible television or film scores of our generation and a theme song that, to be perfectly honest, slaps.

SEE ALSO: Jon and Arya finally reunite in tense teaser for ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 8

Djawadi recently spoke with Mashable about the new season, the iconic theme, and more. 

How did you approach the project? What was the first thing you wrote, do you remember?

A lot of people think that the first thing I wrote was the main title, which actually it wasn’t …The main title discussion wasn’t even happening at the very beginning, that actually happened about one to two weeks into working on the project that they actually said, ‘Oh, by the way, we also have a main title! Two-and-a-half minutes long…’ 

I was working on the [first] episode and the first theme I wrote was actually the Stark theme. [Benioff and Weiss] had a lot of ideas of how they wanted the show to sound, and they wanted to hear my ideas. It just kind of clicked right from the beginning. Anything that was said in the room we kind of all agreed on, and then based on that information I started writing.

Did they give you any direction about the title song – the sound, the feel? Did they know about the visuals at the time?

The visuals were actually pretty much completed. We were able to watch it together and then kind of talk it through in really broad strokes of describing to me what they wanted. One of the key words they said was it needs to be a journey. The characters, they travel, they meet up, it’s a many complex storylines so it’s really this adventure, mystery, and journey. Those were the three words they said. 

One of the key words they said was it needs to be a journey. 

The theme song is of course iconic now with those visuals and your music. How did you come with all those parts – can you talk me through the genesis of this piece?

I wish I had a formula … a lot of the times when I write, I don’t exactly know how it comes together. This particular tune, it came to me when I was driving, actually, sitting in the car. Writing the piece itself obviously took longer. It’s really kind of supposed to capture the overall mood of the show. 

The main instrument you can hear right away in the beginning is the cello — that was the instrument that we kind of determined as our lead instrument for the show … The piece overall is in a minor key – however, in the very intro, there is one chord section where it actually switches to major and then goes right back to minor. The idea behind that was always that sense of misgiving … nobody’s safe – that’s what I tried to establish there … Have a listen and you’ll see, that one note changes everything.

Did you go through a lot of versions or revisions?

No, not really. I think I did one tweak, I don’t really know what it was, I think we made something lower – but overall the structure and everything I had, they kind of went for it. We just had such a clear understanding of what we wanted that somehow it just came together.

Did you have any idea how big that piece alone would be? I could hum it to anyone who watches the show and they could join in – it’s become so salient.

I had no idea. Anything I write, I never think about ‘oh wow, this is such a melody.’ I try to put my best foot forward, I try to write the best I can, and I also try to write something that I like. That’s always my rule is that I have to be happy with it. But I never think ‘Oh, people will really like this,’ or ‘People will make a cover song of this.’ 

The fact that people started doing cover songs of it and that it was a melody that – it’s so rewarding. It makes me very happy to see that it had such a success out in the world. It’s a wonderful thing. 

Have you ever wished you could modify or change any of it?

You know, it’s funny, because many times I listen to our music and I want to tweak things here and there, but in the main title … we’ve performed this live now quite a bit, and over the years I have made slight arrangement adjustments, but it’s really so minor that I think most people probably wouldn’t pick it up. Overall, it’s always stayed the same, I’ve never changed it. 

We know the excitement that theme inspires in people who watch the show and the thrill of a new episode, but what do you feel when you hear it, given your own journey?

[Laughs]. I definitely get very emotional about it, especially now that we’re coming to the end with Season 8 … we actually don’t use the main title melody that often. We have all these other themes throughout the show; the characters and the plot and so on, that get used all the time, but the main title melody we don’t use that much historically. We have used it toward the end of the season more and more, like the climax of each season. So it doesn’t get used that often, so when I do use it, it’s always exciting to pull it off.

Yeah, sometimes it comes up in different arrangements, like “Winter Is Here.” Are there moments when you choose to bring it back?

In certain key moments. Because the main title, it captures the whole show, really. It could apply to any character … We’ve even used it in combination with like Daenerys’ theme or something. But the nice thing about the theme is it kind of fits anywhere – like in Season 7 when it starts snowing, that theme felt like the right choice because it captures the overall drama of what’s happening at that moment in time. It’s nice to be like ‘Oh, I can draw from the main title now!’ It’s exciting for me too.

I love that version. It’s so chilling, calling back to all those early emotions while also pointing out that the path forward is uncertain. Will we be hearing the main theme in Season 8 at all?

There’s definitely moments when you – absolutely. Just like in every other season. If there is a season where we can use it, it’s definitely Season 8. It will show up…

Have you written new stuff that you’re really excited about for Season 8?

Ummm…definitely. I have to be cryptic. There’s definitely – just like in every season where we have these themes that are developed, there are definitely new themes and I’m very excited about them. I’m very excited for people to hear them … I don’t know! I’m horrible at talking cryptically.

Oh no, it must be terrifying to be in your position. I do not envy any of you.

I want people to be really surprised by what happens in Season 8, so I don’t wanna make any statements in any direction other than to just say that I feel Season 8 is sensational and epic and amazing. I think people will really enjoy watching it. I can say that I think.

Game of Thrones returns April 14.

Not all gender reveal parties are bad — in fact, there’s one type of gender reveal that might *actually* be considered good.  

I know it’s hard to believe, especially when you consider the path of destruction our gender reveal hysteria has left behind. In 2017, a gender reveal party that involved explosives sparked a 47,000 acre wildfire and left $8 million worth of damage behind. Gender reveal parties have caused broken ankles and generated mass chaos. No one is safe — not the people forced to watch these parties or, far more seriously, the children forced to live out their parents’ highly gendered expectations.

SEE ALSO: Sam Smith opens up about being non-binary in revealing new interview

But not all gender reveal blowouts are this normative. Over the past few years, a certain kind of gender reveal party has gone viral for a very good reason: They’re led by and for trans folks.

Though they may imitate the form of a traditional, regressive gender reveal, they’re nothing like them. And that’s a beautiful thing.

Gender reveal parties for adults, not the unborn

When Heather Lundberg Green son’s Adrian Brown came out to her as trans in 2018, neither Green nor her son knew how to tell other members of their family. Coming out as trans was “not the kind of things you announce to grandparents over Facebook,” Green told Mashable in a phone interview. Not telling people also carried risks.

“People thought I had three children,” Green said, “I only have two. Or people thought I had a daughter who died at some point … I just wanted to announce to my friends and family, ‘This is awesome.’ And I’m choosing joy and acceptance and support.”

Green and her son explored different ways they could tell people en masse and still somehow inspire an affirming response. Ultimately, the two settled on the idea of a gender reveal. Instead of a traditional reveal, where expectant parent announces their future child’s gender, Brown — who was 19 at the time of his transition — would announce his gender publicly, on his 20th birthday, with a photoshoot and party.

The power reversal was clear and transformative.

“I thought — you’re nuts,” Brown said of his mother’s initial idea. “There’s no way this is a good idea! This is the biggest taboo for trans people ever.”

Once Green and Brown started to formulate their subversive plan for a gender reveal, Brown felt more confident.

“I’ve seen so many gender reveal parties on Facebook and online,” Green said. “And when you see a gender reveal party you say ‘Congratulations!’ So that I thought would be a funny way to bring people in.”

The family pulled together a photoshoot, complete with blue balloons and other traditional gender signifiers. Green posted the photos to Facebook not expecting much of a reaction beyond family and friends. Within 24 hours, however, the they had been shared over 10,000 times, according to Green. Local news picked it up. National news picked it up.

Shortly after posting, Brown said, messages of support poured in from across the globe. He was surprised by how uplifting most of them were (“I expected more, a lot more hate,” he said) and how clearly other trans folks were moved.

The pair had tapped into a real emotion. Unlike other gender reveals, this was one didn’t go viral for setting off a major fire or letting a crocodile go loose.

It went viral for the most radical of reasons — because it was fundamentally kind.

Brown’s reveal wasn’t the first of its kind.

In 2017, Corey Walker, a 27-year-old trans Floridian, went viral after his friends threw him his own (trans)gender reveal party. Walker had thrown a similar party for his trans partner years before.

“I thought it would be a cute surprise for him to come home to after he went to the doctor to get his first shot of testosterone,” Walker told Metro UK at the time.

These reveals share a core emotional element which primed them to go viral. Traditional gender reveals celebrate predetermined, doctor-assigned sexes. Parents don’t ask their fetus how they identify — they take whatever gendered information their doctor gives them, then assign it to their unborn children. By contrast, Walker and Brown’s reveals celebrate sex and gender self-determination. 

It’s a vital contrast.

The implications of this reversal are profound, both for the trans population and for cis folks who struggle to live under a gender binary.

Anachronistic gender reveal parties aren’t great for anyone, trans or cis

The physical consequences of gender reveal parties (massive fires, blows to the face) are familiar to anyone who’s seen a viral video in the past few years. The cultural consequences are, in many ways, more damaging in the long-term. These reveals send a strong message about who defines gender and what that assigned gender means.

“Gender reveal parties reinforce gender stereotypes and expectations that send messages to young people that there are guidelines, requirements, and limitations to only two genders,” a.t. Furuya, Youth Programs Manager at GLSEN, an organization that advocates for LGBTQ students, told Mashable over email. “This message is harmful in that it limits the possibilities and autonomy one has over their identity.”

The problem is twofold. It isn’t just that gender reveals use an antiquated definition of gender. It’s that they rely on exhausted gendered symbols and codes. Boys are coded blue and girls pink. Gifts are often distributed accordingly. The entire operation is a regressive throwback.

After all, gender reveals are only able to be celebrations because people continue to attach such intense emotional significance to gender. For a lot of parents, having a boy means something holistically, seismically different from having a girl. In this paradigm, biology, not culture or behavior, determines personality type. Parents pass down their gendered expectations onto their children.

The entire operation is a regressive throwback.

Gender reveals are only relevant to a population who believes that there are two genders, and that they are fundamentally and biologically distinct. It’s a destructive narrative, and one that seems out-of-place in an increasingly queer and trans-friendly society. 

That hasn’t slowed down the success of gender reveal parties, though. Furuya isn’t surprised that the country seems to be suffering from a bout of extreme gender-normative nostalgia.

“In the age of social media, gender reveal parties are seen as a way to ‘creatively’ share an old tradition,” Furuya says. “In actuality, they unconsciously reinforce dangerously outmoded stereotypes — like ‘pink is for girls and blue is for boys’ — that many in our society have already moved away from. People who are not negatively impacted by gender roles do not have to think about the effects of these traditions — but everyone really should stop to think about their effects.”

Maybe folks should stop throwing gender reveal parties. Or maybe they should take a cue from Adrian Brown and Corey Walker and let young people design their own.

Gender self-reveal parties are great. They also can’t be the only model.

Brown and Walker have set an incredible example for trans folks seeking to celebrate themselves, all while coming out to large groups of people. The reveals are subversive, celebratory, affirming, and fun. They communicate humor and, by extension, safety. These emotions are key to virality and, for some people, acceptance.

Even as they imitate traditional reveals, neither Brown nor Walker’s parties replicated the traditional model. Brown wasn’t forced to use blue balloons just because he publicly identified as male. That was a personal choice, as it should be for anyone planning to come out. 

Want to plan your own reveal? Use whatever damn color of balloons you want. Post photos of the event to Facebook, or don’t. The central conceit of a (trans)gender reveal party is that it’s based on personal choice, not cultural predetermination. 

(Trans)gender reveal parties also aren’t for everyone. If you’re thinking of throwing a reveal party for a transitioning friend, please consider whether or not they want it. And for the love of god, don’t do the party as a surprise. One of the worst things you can do to someone trying to publicly announce their own gender identity, often after a long period of personal exploration, is to predetermine something else for them.

Just do the right thing and ask.

Consider not attending traditional gender reveal parties.

In the meantime, if you’re an adult, consider not attending traditional gender reveal parties and reframing the way you talk about gender identity with young people.

“Some best practices in speaking with young people about gender is giving them space to navigate it freely and without judgment,” Furuya says. “You do not have to be an expert on gender terminology or best practices to be a supportive parent or guardian. For many young people, knowing that you will continue to love them, protect them, and support them, minimizes serious mental health risks, allows for them to focus on important things like school and social engagements with their peers.”

This attitude resonates. Recently, Brown and his mother attended an event for International Transgender Day of Visibility. They offered a “(Trans)gender reveal photoshoot booth” for anyone who wanted it. The booth was grounded in the same core principles as Furuya’s — freedom from judgment (Brown and Green never asked participants to reveal their gender) and support for every person who took a photo.

The booth was extremely popular. People carried “The future is non-binary” signs and played with blue and pink “gendered” balloons that didn’t match their assigned sex at birth.

“Everybody was so happy to have the opportunity,” Brown says.

It was a party for anyone who needed it. There were so many people there. There’ll be so many more to come. 

I’ve been playing Elder Scrolls: Blades for a little under a week and have had a fantastic time with the surprisingly robust mobile title, but now that early access is open to the public there’s one little thing I feel OK whining about. 

I can’t be a stealth archer. Ergo, I’m kind of screwed.

SEE ALSO: ‘Elder Scrolls: Blades’ gets at least one thing right: The one-handed controls are *great*

For context, the only Elder Scrolls game I played before Blades is Skyrim, which is one of my all-time favorite RPGs. I’ve created dozens of new characters in Skyrim, from hardy Nords to scaly Argonians, and every time I’ve had grand ideas about who and what this character is going to be. 

This Imperial comes from a long line of fighters, I’d think as I tweaked my character’s face tattoos and nose shape, and she’s going to be a brave, stalwart solider in the Imperial Legion. Nothing can stand between her sword and a united Tamriel.

Thirty minutes later, that same character was doing the exact same thing all the other ones did in my previous playthroughs: crouching behind a pillar shooting bandits with arrows until they died, because crowd control is hard and sneaking is fun. 

Elder Scrolls: Blades looks incredible on my phone; its visuals are so impressive that when I’m running through dungeons and walking around my player-built town I have flashbacks to Whiterun and Sunderstone Gorge. Unfortunately, those mental callbacks also trigger a “sneak hard, shoot harder” mentality that is completely useless in this game. 

All of the combat in Elder Scrolls: Blades is melee-based. While there is an impressive assortment of weapons and spells, bows just aren’t a thing in this sector of Tamriel. When I turn a corner in a dungeon and see two goblins hanging out in the next room, I have to fight the Elder Scrolls instincts that tell me to wait until one turns his back to snipe down the other and instead barge in, Steel Hand Axe of Embers–a–blazin’, and take them down face to face. 

Consequently, I get my ass kicked a lot. 

It’s not that I’m bad at Blades combat, it’s just that once the first 10 levels of easy pickings went by I actually had to attune myself to the mechanics of an Elder Scrolls game that necessitates multiple melee encounters in rapid succession. There’s no automatic healing out of combat, no sneaking past enemies to pickpocket their potions, and none of the other workarounds I’m accustomed to using to get through games that look like this. 

All in all, I really like Elder Scrolls: Blades. The timers on the loot chest system are annoying (I currently have a backlog of 25 silver chests and am devoting my weekend to opening them three hours at a time) and some in-game resources seem too artificially scarce, but it’s a fun way to kill some time in a waiting room or on a subway platform. 

But an arrow or two would be nice. I kind of miss aiming for the knees. 

It’s April, and a very specific chill lingers in the air: Game of Thrones Season 8 is about to premiere, and your tragic ass doesn’t have an HBO account. 

Luckily, someone you know almost certainly does have an account. The only real question then is just how cool HBO is with people sharing passwords. The short answer? Kinda. The long answer? Well, we’ll get to that.

SEE ALSO: How to check if someone’s secretly using your Netflix account

The first episode of the final season of Game of Thrones is set to drop on April 14, at which point a large number of people will remember that they do not, in fact, have access to HBO’s content. No cable package, no HBO GO, and no HBO NOW. And, just as quickly, they will remember that a friend does. 

Problem solved, right? A text message or phone call later, and you’re account sharing your way to TV bliss. 

Not so fast. 

The network has policies covering that very situation, and, unfortunately for you, they may not exactly come down in your favor. Thankfully, we’re here to help you sort through the madness and determine when it’s OK to share. After all, no one wants you pirating the damn thing. 

Wait, what’s HBO NOW again?

Before we get too deep, it’s worth noting the distinction between HBO NOW and HBO GO. HBO NOW is a $14.99-a-month standalone streaming service that you pay for independently of any cable subscription. HBO GO, on the other hand, is the streaming element of your cable HBO package. 

A look at the company’s website suggests the account-sharing policies of the two services are the same, and an HBO spokesperson confirmed via email that at least some of them — such as how many simultaneous streams you can have and who, technically, an account is “for” — match up.

These details, plus public information already out in the world, are enough to give us a pretty good idea as to the company’s views on what is and is not appropriate freeloading. 

Defining a household

Despite what you may think, HBO does not actually ban account sharing. Instead, the company’s policies seek to limit it in a rather opaque manner. 

“Your HBO NOW email and password should not be shared with anyone outside your household,” reads the HBO NOW help center. 

Notice, that statement implies it’s fine for people to share their HBO NOW email and password within their households. But what’s a household, exactly, in the eyes of HBO? Is it three adults sharing an apartment, parents and their children away at college, neither, both, or something else entirely?

SEE ALSO: OKCupid data reveals what your fave ‘Game of Thrones’ couple says about you

HBO provided some clarification. A spokesperson confirmed that “an account is for residents of the household,” and noted that a “college student temporarily away from home would be included.” We asked if a bunch of adult roomies living together count as a household — which we imagine they would — but unfortunately didn’t get an answer to that question. 

Importantly, the fact that college students away at the dorms are fair game for mooching off their parents suggests that being in far-flung locales isn’t a disqualifying factor. 

Yup, multiple devices are fine

HBO is totally cool with different devices on the same account streaming their sweet Game of Thrones content simultaneously. You just need to convince your fellow household members that you are a trusted individual, because, according to the aforementioned spokesperson, “usage is limited to 3 simultaneous streams.”

Usage is limited to 3 simultaneous streams

In other words, keep that password locked down or one night you may find yourself the fourth person attempting to watch a show. 

“If you share your HBO NOW email and password,” the help center explains, “you might not be able to watch HBO NOW because too many people are using your account at the same time.”

That makes sense. HBO has an incentive to keep account sharing to a minimum, while at the same time not alienating its paying customers who just truly go to separate rooms to watch different shows because they can’t stand being near the other people in their household.

Watch away

HBO would certainly love for everyone to pay full price for its streaming services. However, back in the Stone Age of 2014, then CEO Richard Plepler told BuzzFeed that he viewed account sharing as a “terrific marketing vehicle for the next generation of viewers.” 

It’s unclear if Plepler’s subsequent departure and HBO’s new AT&T overlords mean that reality has changed, but the fantasy world of Game of Thrones is not exactly about embracing reality. 

So bask in that “household” account warmth this April 14, and just keep telling yourself that HBO-sharing winter will never come. That will probably work out just fine. 

This post is part of Mashable’s ongoing series The Women Fixing STEM, which highlights trailblazing women in science, tech, engineering, and math, as well as initiatives and organizations working to close the industries’ gender gaps.

Around 9am on a weekend day, about 50 girls, all between ages 6 and 13, come into the Wilmington Parks and Recreation building in Wilmington, Delaware. Waiting for them are trays, aprons, gloves, goggles, and beakers on top of the tables. There are small cups of chemicals like borax and up front, a ringmaster in the form of a 16-year-old girl: Jacqueline Means, known locally as the STEM Queen. 

Means gives the assembled girls a rundown of their day and briefly explains what science experiments she has in store for them. The ones she chooses are eye catching – maybe the catalyst of yeast for elephant toothpaste or the bonding of borax and glue in slime. Means says she aims to show the girls that STEM is exciting, fun, and most importantly, accessible to them.

SEE ALSO: 2 kickass women teach girls to code in neon-lit pop-up classroom

“When it’s a girl’s first time coming in and they learn that they will be doing some science and math today. I can kind of see it on their faces,” says Means. “What’s going on? Is this going to be boring? Is it going to be fun?“

Two years ago, Means founded the Wilmington Urban STEM Initiative, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing STEM to underserved girls of Wilmington, a city that has earned the nickname “Murdertown, U.S.A.” for high rates of violent crime. Means and her brother were prohibited by their mother from playing outside when they were younger. A shooting had taken place across the street from their home and JoAnn, Means’ mother, wasn’t taking any chances. 

“I knew from then that I loved science.”

Means developed an interest in science from a young age, after her parents gave her a science kit around age 9. “I knew from then that I loved science,” she says. Means and her brother Johnny spent time tutoring younger kids at an after-school program in a community center a couple blocks from their home. Frustrated that there weren’t affordable science enrichment programs available, Means channeled her love of science and volunteering into creating a free program for young people in her community, specifically girls of color. She essentially created the option she wished she’d had. 

“I decided to start my own STEM initiative and program because I wanted kids in Wilmington to have the same opportunities that other kids often get,” Means says.

But before they get to the science experiments, there’s a guest speaker to listen to, who will talk about overcoming obstacles and the power of believing in one’s self. “I think the girls, especially coming from a world surrounded by negativity, really benefit from hearing [their stories],” Means says.

When the program gets fully underway, Means takes the girls through hands-on science experiments – like making their own slime out of borax powder, water and food dye – she sees them grinning with excitement. 

“It’s just really great to see them transform from coming in and really not wanting to do anything to being so involved and so hands-on with everything we do,” she says. 

Positive role models

Natalye Madric and her 13-year-old daughter Tayla Robeson say that they are grateful for the work Jacqueline is doing for the young people in the community. Madric says she especially admires Jacqueline’s inclusive nature, and that the events provide the youth with a positive environment.   

“If a mom doesn’t have child care coverage, Jacqueline accommodates for the younger siblings or brothers to participate,” Madric says. “Her bringing the STEM initiative to the community allows kids to have the outlet that they need to not roam the streets and make negative choices. My daughter can look up to her and say, ‘Wow, I can do that one day.’” 

“My daughter can look up to her and say, ‘Wow, I can do that one day.’” 

Tayla said that after attending Jacqueline’s STEM events, her science grades improved. “I love the experiments she does and I invite my friends to come after because it’s so much fun,” Tayla says.

Improving science education can be an uphill battle in Wilmington, a city with one of the highest dropout rates in the country. The local high school has a 60 percent dropout rate.

“I show them that aiming high is a realistic goal, and that by believing in one’s own abilities and working hard, it is possible to face any challenge and overcome obstacles, and that they can build their confidence and belief in themselves and know that they absolutely can be a scientist, a technologist, an engineer, a mathematician, or anything else they set their mind to,” Means says. 

“By letting the girls know I live right here in the same community as they do and that they don’t have to fall into the typical negative stereotypes, I offer them hope as a role model, teacher, and friend,” she says.

Means is graduating from high school next year, and plans on using her passion for STEM at Princeton University or the University of Delaware.

“Once I graduate from one of those colleges, I want to go to med school, and then be a surgical intern, then have my residency, and then be a neurosurgeon!” she says with confidence. It’s a confidence she wants to share and incubate in the girls she teaches. 

“I know that through my events […] it is possible to face any challenge and overcome obstacles, and that they can build their confidence and belief in themselves and know that they absolutely can be a scientist, a technologist, an engineer, a mathematician, or anything else they set their mind to.”