Subject: Dr Jeff Pressing From: Kate Stevens <kj.stevens(at)UWS.EDU.AU> Date: Mon, 6 May 2002 13:34:21 +1000To 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(at)unimelb.edu.au) for further details, including information about donations to the fund from outside Australia. Kate Stevens _______________________________________________ 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(at)uws.edu.au MARCS: www.uws.edu.au/marcs/ ICMPC: www.uws.edu.au/marcs/icmpc7/ _______________________________________________