August 4-10,1997 International Trumpet Guild Conference, Göteborg, Sweden  The second conference I attended this past summer was the International Trumpet Guild (ITG) Conference in Göteborg, a lovely city both geographically and musically.  After experiencing the IWBC Conference, I knew this one would have to stretch some to match the ambiance and level of performance, but it did! This was the best ITG Conference I have attended, and it and the IWBC were the two best conferences I've experienced - ever! Bengt Eklund, professor of trumpet at Göteborg University, and his group from the Göteborg Brass Band organized and hosted a truly outstanding event.  Among the principal lecturers were Timofei Dokshizer, Vincent Cichowicz, Armando Ghitalla and Fred Mills.  Americans performing also included Phil Smith (New York Philharmonic), James Thompson (Atlanta Symphony Orchestra), Anthony Plog, Laurie Frink, Bret Jackson, Nick Norton (Utah Symphony Orchestra), Leonard Candelaria and Vinnie DiMartino. The caliber of European artists was equally outstanding.  There were many memorable moments, and all the soloists, chamber groups and larger ensembles outdid themselves.  Recitals by Phil Smith and James Thompson always are inspiring because their musicality dominates their virtuosity to the point that the listener becomes so immersed in the music he is almost unaware of technique, a level of performance to which we all should aspire.  We also heard superb recitals by French trumpet artist Marc Ullrich and Danish trumpeter Michael Brydenfelt, as well as an astounding recital presented by Nicholas Eklund on the natural trumpet.  The Volga Band from Russia is a group of 56 professionals presenting 50 concerts each year throughout their country. Their soloists were just outstanding, especially Andrei Ikov, whose singing tone shone brilliantly!  The performance of Russian music by Russian musicians was a new experience for many of us Westerners, and we were taken aback by the feeling, emotion, and, many times, virtuosity of their performance. This was "the real deal!"  The Göteborg Brass Band, as always, performed brilliantly also. The brass quintets from Spain, Russia and France were excellent, but the concert presented by the Western Brass Quintet from Western Michigan University was truly superb! I've known trumpeters Stephen Jones and Scott Thornburgh for years, but this was the first time I had heard their quintet perform.  All of the artists gave master classes in which participants were able to reap the benefits of many years of experience in many kinds of music. Each session presented an opportunity for attendees to ask questions and seek information from those they so highly respect. I was honored that Timofei Dokshizer attended my master class so he could ask questions about Jazz and compare my approach to the trumpet with that of the "classical"  player.  On a concert shared with Laurie Frink and Vinnie Dimartino, I had the great pleasure of playing with the Bohuslän Big Band from Sweden led by my dear friend, the great arranger/pianist Lars Jansson. The band was terrific, and we had a ball! We played some of Lars' original compositions, written specifically for the band, that were wonderful! Three nights later, I played again with Lars' trio in a local Jazz club. Packed for two sets, the music was burnin' and the playing uplifting. This truly was music for music's sake! This is what we live for!  One of the important reasons this event was so successful was the cafe in the music building where the conference took place. At lunch or various other times of the day, one could go for a coffee or snack and see Ghitalla, Dokshizer, Phil Smith, Cichowicz, James Thompson or many of the other artists there.  It provided a wonderful opportunity to sit down with them and just relax, chat or pick their brains. The environment made it easy for the attendees to become acquainted and get to know one another.  It gave the whole conference a relaxed air of intimacy and put everyone on an equal basis. In many ways, that's exactly what music is supposed to do: make us feel things on a deeper level so that we come together to share those things that we find so beautiful and that touch us so greatly. If this is so, the conference certainly achieved that purpose!

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