Classical Music: '...[his] practical guide invites systematic reading from cover to cover...Experienced players will nod in agreement with something on every page...newcomers will be profoundly grateful for page after page of advice just not obtainable from normal conservatoire training...the many tips on relationships with colleagues often overlooked by full-time performers...Beautifully laid out on good-quality opaque paper...Davis's book is an unbeatable-value master-class.'

Pan: 'Almost everything you've always wanted to know, but didn't dare ask, is tackled: counting, nerves, trials, politeness, high finance, Pythagorean tuning...it's all in there...I must express nothing but admiration for the genial style and content of [his] book...[it] will make you roar with laughter, cause you to miss entries and make your hair stand on end. You will find brilliance and honesty on every page'

Classic FM, The Magazine: (four stars) '...[his] invaluable... book. It certainly fills a gap in the market: no one previously has thought to spell out what it takes to become (and survive) as an orchestral musician. Davis, principal flute of the BBC Philharmonic and a senior lecturer at the Royal Northern College of Music, is better qualified than most to tackle the subject. He has a pragmatic, detached view of the business...This should be required reading for all music students.'

Daily Telegraph: 'Davis offers a down-to-earth, informative introduction to life as a professional musician. He tackles such questions as: Is your teacher right for you? Are you doing enough practice? What are the chances of success? At what point do I quit? There are also useful tips on such disparate topics as preparing for an audition, dealing with nerves and playing in an ensemble.

Clarinet and Saxophone Magazine: 'No aspiring musician can afford to be without this comprehensive guide to entering the music profession, to surviving in it and even to deciding at what point it would be advisable to quit! All those questions that you couldn't find the answers to, all the answers to questions you didn't know you needed to ask and invaluable detailed advice on every aspect of the music business is included...no candidate should neglect to read the advice given here, which covers everything from what to play, sight reading, nerves and what the panel is looking for to common, and uncommon, mistakes which often ruin the chances of otherwise talented and promising players...all the practical advice and information is as essential to the aspiring professional musician as a map and guide book is to the discerning traveller.'

Perfect Fifths (Resources website for string players - USA): 'A lovely, well-written, informative book...It is like having your favourite teacher sit down with you over lunch and tell you all the secrets of the business that you don't hear at your lessons. [It]manages to be both gently encouraging and realistic at the same time...he offers hope and guidance...this book should be required reading to any young (or old) music student. It's full of practical advice that is relevant whether or not you're interested in playing on a professional symphony orchestra.'

Education Journal: '...this book has particular appeal…written in a very accessible style...concise, yet comprehensive…I think that this book, which is primarily aimed at young musicians and their parents, will interest a much wider audience including teachers of talented instrumentalists and members of the general public who enjoy classical music. I would strongly recommend this book to everyone studying or teaching music at a more advanced level and would suggest that is makes essential reading for anyone associated with children who aspire to be professional musicians.’

British Journal of Music Education: '...clearly written and structured...laid out logically...an excellent ongoing resource for students. Throughout Davis has articulated his approaches to playing, which are thought-provoking and may well be used to support the long process of development all professional instrumentalists must go through...The enthusiasm of the author, his pleasure in and commitment to orchestral playing, are evident throughout the book.'

Maggie Cotton (percussionist with City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra for forty years): 'Richard Davis's most excellent book...a gem of unvarnished, thoughtful advice...it should be required that every music teacher in the land should have a copy, digest it thoroughly and pass on the messages to their young...[it] is worth its weight in gold.'

Glasgow Herald: '...it will undoubtedly prove helpful to anyone considering a career in music...for any concert goer who has ever wondered how the orchestra onstage functions...it also offers an illuminating glimpse into [its] workings and dynamics...'

Jennifer Cluff, principal flute of Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra, in reply to a college first-year student's question on her website, 'What is the best advice for becoming a professional soloist or symphonic flautist...[and] on the process of auditioning/joining a symphony and/or becoming a professional soloist?' she wrote: 'See Becoming an Orchestral Musician...this is a phenomenal book! Read it cover to cover!!...[it]is the best book ever written on the subject... and I have read hundreds. I loved it and read it cover to cover in one day.'

Reviewer on amazon.co.uk from Moscow: (five stars) '[It] transported me from the audience, my normal vantage point, to behind the scenes of an orchestra -- the agony of auditions, how to cope with nerves, ensemble v solo playing, the mechanics of an orchestra. Listening will never be the same again. Watching a conductor will never be the same. I read this book from cover to cover in one day, never losing interest -- and I'm not a musician! Strongly recommended for any serious music fan, and an absolute must for any music student (and his or her parents)...it's required reading for any serious fan of orchestral music. A great mix of quotes, anecdotes, hard information, all of it useful, all of it well organized and well written, a real pleasure.'

Reviewer on amazon.co.uk from UK (Chris Downing): (five stars) 'I love these books that relate careers as they really are rather than how a journalist or a professional writer sees them from the outside. This book covers all aspects of being a working musician and can be related to any instruments easily...reading this book will help you avoid the pitfalls, enjoy the successes and understand what you'll need to be doing every day to earn a crust.'

Rachel Brown (distinguished flautist, lecturer and author - London): 'Just finished reading your wonderful book. It only arrived two days ago. I've read it from cover to cover as I couldn't put it down. It's so eloquent and so readable. Time after time I heard a voice in my head saying "Yes! Exactly!" Now I'm completely behind with the work I should have been doing but I feel like working...I'm sure the book will be an inspiration to so many.'

Winds Magazine: '...it will have balanced suggestions for any query you might have about the music business...[it] should be in every school library and on the bookshelf of every music teacher and professional player.'

All Flutes Plus bookshop: 'Congratulations on an excellent book. We are certainly very pleased to recommend it as a "must have" to all aspiring young professional musicians and their parents. A much needed publication, I'm sure it will be deservedly successful.'

A violinist and aspiring freelancer: 'I can honestly say I have never read such an inspiring book. To be able to read such a great book, giving an honest approach to the musician's world and to read examples of real-life situations in the profession, was such an eye-opener...your book was truly amazing to read, and so down-to-earth...I just wish I'd known about it at college!