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Bachelor thesis topic - 8.6 -> 20 and 6.2.4.5.6 -> 2

Phaboo

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Hi everyone,

I'm going to graduate in musical composition this october. I am yet to start writing my thesis, which will consist of composing a piece for orchestra inspired by any concept I choose. So, the thesis will be both about the music I compose and the concept behind it, which is often something of literary interest. Months ago I chose to use fragments of text from Dante's comedy, but I was so busy with all the final exams that I haven't chosen anything in particular yet. Yesterday, after the last composition exam, I spoke with my teacher who was a bit skeptical about this idea (which he originally agreed with) and proposed me to do something simpler. He doesn't really care at all about the concept behind it as long as he is satisfied with the music and he thinks that with the short time I have, I should aim to something which would allow me to focus more on the composition itself rather than the concept. The problem is that I believe that the concept should come first and the music should revolve around it, not the opposite, otherwise it could be anything. It's too arbitrary. My teacher thinks the exact opposite: music first.

I first asked I Ching: what should I do about the thesis?

I got Seeking union 8.6 -> 20 Seeing. I believe that here I Ching is telling me that the most important thing to do here is to look for a guidance. The problem is that I don't put that much of trust and esteem to my teacher, and in fact I am going to move to another conservatory for the master degree. But I am too hesitant to be in charge. Line 6 may be pointing out that I should be 100% sure on what I choose before I start, otherwise is going to be a mess.

So, because in Wilhelm's translation it says "Inquire the oracle once again wheter you possess sublimity, costancy, and perseverance" I then asked:

I am worth to compose the piece about Dante's comedy?

And I got Arguing 6 with lots of changing lines: 2, 4, 5, 6. Turns into 2, the earth.


Lines 2 and 4 say clearly: cannot master this argument. Which can both refer to the difficulty of the topic and the argument with my teacher, Lines 5 and 6 are hopefully telling me that I will find something else which will fit me better. The second hexagram is probably telling me not to have any resistance with my teacher but to rely completely on his guidance.

What do you think?
 

Phaboo

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Thank you. I will be talking to him tomorrow morning, in the meantime I have changed a few things and I have an idea for a similiar topic which hopefully will fit much better. I asked I Ching what he thoughts about this topic and I got 3.4.5 -> 51.
 
D

diamant

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what he thoughts about this topic and I got 3.4.5 > 51
He will think the topic is not according to his instructions, and that it's still too difficult/complex and large. Not sure what the 51 means here. He sounds like a difficult guy!
 

Phaboo

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what he thoughts about this topic and I got 3.4.5 > 51
He will think the topic is not according to his instructions, and that it's still too difficult/complex and large. Not sure what the 51 means here. He sounds like a difficult guy!
I meant to ask what I Ching itself thought about that topic. Sorry for the misunderstanding, I used the male pronoun because in my first language (italian) an oracle requires a male pronoun and therefore I misspelled it.

What happened is that the teacher agreed because the topic is, in fact, much broader than the previous one. For him it's a good thing, because it will give me enough freedom to compose the piece of music however he I like.

I suppose I Ching here is warning me the complexity of the topic and the danger of arguing with my teacher because the topic can potentially bring me results that would contrast with my teacher's aesthetics and ideology, which are relatively far from mine. That would explain the 5th line:

Difficulties in blessing.
A little perseverance brings good fortune.
Great perseverance brings misfortune.

(Wilhelm)

I'm interpreting the "little perseverance" as having as much dialogue with my teacher as I can, sending him little snippets of the work as often as I can instead of doing lots of work by myself.
 

rosada

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These hexagrams seem to describe drama and a wide vision. Maybe the lines are describing the actual composition. Something along the lines of the Ride of the Valkyries? Theme from Star Wars?
 

Phaboo

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These hexagrams seem to describe drama and a wide vision. Maybe the lines are describing the actual composition. Something along the lines of the Ride of the Valkyries? Theme from Star Wars?
Wow, it kinda is. I'm really impressed by your intuition. The theme of the composition and the topic of the thesis is about the harmony of the spheres. Basically I'm doing research on the application of harmonic ratios (those studied since Pythagoras and then used by Kepler for his gravitational laws) in musical composition.
 

dfreed

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I am yet to start writing my thesis .... Bachelor thesis topic - 8.6 -> 20 and 6.2.4.5.6 -> 2
Broadly, you are asking about completing your thesis. And in this 'chain' of hexagrams, you end up at Hex. 2.

This makes me wonder: is your teacher's advice here more about being practical, and is not necessarily about 'music first'? (Especially since you say you have not yet started this project?)

An exaggerated example:

You: I want to creat a piece involving six orcestras and six choirs and it will have six movements based on six of Shakespear's plays.

Your teacher: given that you only have one week left, maybe you should consider composing a rock song about Romeo and Juliet instead? (See below)​

Hexagram 2 is about caring - and it is about taking what you have been given to work with and making something (practical, beautiful) from these raw parts.

So, yes, Dante is a fine place to start, and now you need to figure out how to be practical, and 'down-to-earth' about your thesis. Earth asks (of you, and us):

* Do you have enough time and interest to do what you want? Are you willing to put in the time and the work (even long hours and hard work) to make this happen?

* Or ... are you willing to make the time for this?

* And practically speaking, this is a thesis, a start or stepping stone to your musical life - it's the beginning, not the final product, and it's good (and practical) to keep that in perspective.​

 
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