Dr Jeff Pressing

[Kate Stevens <kj.stevens@xxxxxxxxxx>]

To the AUDITORY list,

With sadness, I write of the passing of Dr Jeff Pressing.  Dr Pressing died
suddenly on Sunday Apr 28 from a suspected heart attack.  He was 55.

This is a terrible loss.  For Jeff's children, Adam and Rebecca, and his
wife, Gillian.  For his students, colleagues and friends in Psychology at
the University of Melbourne, his musician friends and co-performers, and his
numerous research collaborators.

Jeff was a brilliant composer, musician, researcher.  At different times he
worked in mathematical and biological modelling, music, psychology and his
research was a complex and fascinating amalgam of his diverse talents and
deep knowledge.  Jeff's conference papers on polyrhythms and timing
epitomised this - at one time explaining an equation, the next beating out
the polyrhythm using all of his long limbs on the lectern and floor.

Early in his career, Jeff published in the area of chemical physics.  Later
in music he was composer, analyser, researcher, his 1992 book 'Synthesizer
Performance and Real-Time Techniques' is a key text in the area.  Most
recently, Jeff contributed to our understanding of motor behaviour and
skill, music perception, and mathematical modelling of psychological
phenomena.

A brief obituary appears in the Arts section of the 'Age' newspaper, Tuesday
Apr 30 (http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/04/29/1019441344176.html) - a
newspaper to which Jeff contributed at times.

A service will be held at Trinity Chapel, University of Melbourne, Tuesday
May 7 at 1.30 pm.  I'd like to collect (email) messages you wish to send and
pass them onto Jeff's family.

A memorial fund is being established to commemorate Jeff's life and work.
Donations may be made through the University of Melbourne Development Office
(www.unimelb.edu.au/development/development.html) or email Ms Catherine
Spencer, Manager Fundraising Coordination (cmls@unimelb.edu.au) for further
details, including information about donations to the fund from outside
Australia.

Kate Stevens

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Dr Kate Stevens
School of Psychology & MARCS
University of Western Sydney - Bankstown Campus
Locked Bag 1797
South Penrith DC NSW 1797 Australia

Phone:  (+612) 9772 6324  Fax: (+612) 9772 6736
Email:  kj.stevens@uws.edu.au
MARCS:  www.uws.edu.au/marcs/
ICMPC:  www.uws.edu.au/marcs/icmpc7/
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