A British Academician

This short piece is a tribute to Professor John Sloboda to celebrate his election to the British Academy. The British Academy was founded in 1902 and is a self-governing fellowship of scholars, elected for their distinction and achievement in one or more branches of the academic disciplines that make up the humanities and social sciences. During the ten years of our working collaboration, I learned much from John. I learned about writing; John's eagle eye for detail, coupled with ability to write succinctly, provided a tremendous model. He showed a tireless dedication to his work, and an inspirational ability to provide clearly reasoned answers to questions, however complex the topic of discussion. Moreover, John was always on hand to support and guide. Through his careful mentoring, I learned much about lecturing: John possesses an astonishing capacity to present material to students with insight and enthusiasm. John was, and remains, one of the dominant figures in the growth of psychology of music. For many years now, John has worked for humanitarian and libertarian causes, aiming to find: "new ways of contributing to initiatives for lasting peace with security for all the world's people". John Sloboda possesses a rare core quality: he is motivated by the highest ethical and moral standards, so is a man in whom you can put your absolute trust. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)