On Being for clarinet choir was commissioned by the Texas Christian University Clarinet Ensemble,
under the direction of Dr. Corey Mackey.

For many years I've been composing on themes of humanity, seeking to bring listeners into the fullness of themselves by trying to provide sonic spaces that enable them to receive what they need from the music. My great hope is that it brings them into a space of fulfillment, peace, or rest. This work is yet another one of those contemplations, taking stock of where I am, and where we all are in our respective places in the world, seeking fulfillment, meaning, and rest.

This ensemble is a unique one, in that the timbres provide a plethora of sonorities while also maintaining a sense of undeniable balance/congruency of sound. I'd like to compare it to our respective backgrounds, lifestyles, etc., all while possessing the unifying factor of our "human-ness." My hope is for listeners to feel an embodiment of that theme throughout the piece's varying emotional spaces.

-Brian Raphael Nabors