Michael Westbrook was a one-of-a-kind music educator who one of the very first to lose his life to COVID-19 in late March of 2020. He was an in-demand trumpet player and was a core member of the Symphony of Southeast Texas for more than thirty years, led the Spindletop Brass Quintet, and played jazz at clubs and casinos around the Texas-Louisiana border. As a trumpet player myself, I even played a few gigs with him back when I was pursuing my undergraduate degree at Lamar University, our alma mater. Mr. Westbrook also directed bands at Hardin-Jefferson ISD and was a patient but demanding leader. His favorite hymn was “It is Well With My Soul” and when Dr. Andrew McMahan approached me to compose this piece I knew I had to use it.

The piece features three soloists: flugelhorn, trombone and euphonium. The Southeast Texas music community lost two other influential figures in addition to Mr. Westbrook: Amy Pallone, who passed of cancer in April 2020, and David Johnson who lost his battle with depression in October of 2019. Amy played the trombone and David played the Euphonium, hence the inclusion of these two instruments.

It is Well begins with a broad full-band treatment of the climax of the “It is Well” hymn which is subverted, making way for my new original melodic material stated by the three soloists over a single pitch that is mostly hummed by the wind ensemble, which is meant to serve as somewhat of a reminder of how influential these folks were to all of the students in their careers . After the soloists state the melodic material, there is a brief flirtation with “It is Well” in the woodwinds before a dark restatement of the original material in the soloists again over humming. One final statement of the melodies is performed by the wind ensemble (with the soloists providing lines on top) and culminates in a climactic statement of “It is Well” that is once again subverted. The piece ends with the trumpet soloist holding onto their pitch for as long as possible, just like we hope to hold onto the ones we love, even in memory, for as long as possible.

It Is Well was commissioned by:

Andrew McMahan, director of bands (consortium leader) Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music
Lamar University

Kevin Stone, director of bands Barbers Hill Band Booster Club Barbers Hill High School

Gary and Judy Wells

Steven Brown and Stephen Sterling, directors Hudson High and Middle Schools
Hudson ISD

Alex Wells, director of bands
Port Neches - Groves High School Band Port Neches - Groves ISD

Todd Dock, director of bands Diboll ISD

Russell Hopkins, Taylor Moore and Maesey Arnett, directors Warren ISD

Kevin Knight, director of bands Crosby ISD

Jose Ochoa, director of bands
Little Cypress Mauriceville HS Band Little Cypress Mauriceville CISD

Kara Phillips, Carl Woodall and Jeff Westmoreland, directors Vidor High School
Vidor ISD

Greg Rose, Gary Janacek, Justin Collazo, Eric Rose, and Jonathan Blake, directors
Nederland ISD

Martin Trammel and Marshall Swift, directors Hardin-Jefferson ISD

Liberty High School Band
Sean Smith and Jessie Smith, directors Liberty ISD

Kurt Killion
Swicegood Music Company Beaumont, Texas