Declassified: A Low-Key Guide to the High-Strung World of Classical Music by Arianna Warsaw-Fan Rauch

Declassified: A Low-Key Guide to the High-Strung World of Classical Music Reviews

• 
  Samantha

  I was very excited to receive an advance copy of this book, because I’ve long held the goal of becoming more literate about Classical music.
  
  Im not a novice on the subject (I have a decent understanding of the basic terms and the, shall we say, classics of Classical in terms of works of composers, and I play piano passably). That said, I still felt my education in the musical genre was lacking and hoped to improve it at least in part with this book.
  
  While I picked up a few bits and pieces of information from it, unfortunately the subject of this book is not exactly as advertised. This is more an education on what it’s like to be a classical musician rather than an informative text on classical music. Which I guess is fine, except that wasn’t how the book was billed.
  
  This is largely a memoir and the author, while intermittently charming, is more interested in telling us about her life as a musician than she is on educating us about the subject itself. Which, again, would have been fine has the book been presented as such.
  
  I’m no great fan of memoirs for the most part (if you are you’ll probably enjoy this more than I did), but mostly I was just disappointed that I didn’t get the information that I was promised and greatly looked forward to receiving.
  
  Warsaw-Fan Rausch is…ok as a memoirist (read Sounds Like Titanic if you really want an exceptionally entertaining and funny music-driven memoir), but her personal tale isn’t particularly exceptional and while she is legitimately funny at times, the jokes miss more than they hit and the humor starts to feel a little try-hard.
  
  When the author does give us real information on the music itself from a technical standpoint or on the historical significance of composers and their works, she does a good job of it. I only wish that this had been the focus of the book, especially since it is advertised as such.
  
  *I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
• 
  Mark Hartzer

  The subtitle of this book is “A Low Key Guide to the High Strung World of Classical Music”, but I think this is really better described as a partial memoir with a lot of musical background thrown in. Which is actually great! Since I consider this book to be something of an abbreviated memoir, let’s start with the author.
  
  Arianna Warsaw-Fan Rauch is the daughter of an English teacher mother who loved classical music and her concert pianist father who also taught music theory among other things. They both taught at schools such as Phillips Academy and Andover, so her parents are both high achievers. The author learned how to play violin and attended Northwestern University School of Music before switching over to Juilliard School of Music. She became a professional musician who played with the likes of James Galway and Chris Botti at Ravinia and Carnegie Hall, so Ms. Warsaw-Fan Rauch has had a front row seat at the highest levels of classical music.
  
  Anyway, I picked up this book because while I am not a professional (or even amateur) musician, I used to play and can still read music. I enjoy all kinds of music, including classical. I was hoping to gain a little more knowledge about the classical genre as it is immense and oft intimidating with its own language. Instead of dry recitations of classical nomenclature and time signatures, the author provides a first person narrative about growing up as a musician who happens to play classical music. For example, after she broke up with her fiancé, she landed a gig with Chris Botti (noted jazz trumpeter of impressive range and tone).
  
  p. 150 “I felt like Alice, slingshot through the looking glass into a world of larger-than-life characters, bewildering topography, and nonsensical rhetoric. The band seemed to speak in code - or in telegrams ending with the words ‘Send money.’ (Things like: ‘Ibiza is great. Stop. Lots of girls and strange white powder. Stop. Send money.’)... I was constantly disoriented.”
  
  Here she is on p. 156 describing playing with a full symphony orchestra... “As a performer - and specifically a violinist - I’ve always found this problematic. First of all, it’s very hard, when you’ve been raised to think you’re God’s gift to the world of music, to take a seat beside thirteen other violinists and not only play but also to wear the exact same thing as the rest of them.” Like much of the book, that made me smile.
  
  This isn’t just an autobiography either; Ms. Warsaw-Fan Rauch delivers a plethora of helpful information such as Dos & Don’ts of wedding music; differences between concertos and serenades; how to listen to classical music and so on. While I might be wrong, I got the overall sense of a funny, smart and warm young woman who wants to share her joy of classical music. Bravo! (or perhaps, Woo Hoo!) 4 stars
• 
  Tom Veenendaal

  It was hard to finish this book, Arianna Warsaw-Fan Rauch's memoir masquerading as introduction to classical music, because of the heinous writing. Rauch, herself clearly a snob and enormously privileged in numerous ways, thought the way to make classical music accessible -- to free it from snobbery -- was to write abook about it in the style of an adolescent's Reddit post. Although in the acknowledgements Rauch professes to have read Henry James in the past, she mostly muses about binge-watching Netflix shows and browsing the Internet in telling her mundane and uninteresting life story, and it's clear this is the staggeringly incompetent prose style of someone who is not really a reader, let alone much of a writer. Worse still are her toe-curling attemps at humor, which feature on every single page of the book. Someone, likely her editor, came up with the idea of putting many of her jokes in footnotes, apparently smart enough to realize that giving readers the option of skipping them was the best way to salvage the situation. A woman of her age, a mother of two, writing in this horrific, 'hip', expletive-ridden style is simply embarrassing for everyone involved, and this book succeeds in being the worst written book I have ever encountered. Plowing through was an accomplishment for me, and many in the comments here noted that they failed.
  
  Many also complain about the false advertising of the book. The marketing and title greatly downplay the fact that this book is a mix of memoir and guidebook to classical music, and as it happens, there is much more of the memoir. The story that memoir tells is, at best, uninteresting. Rauch played the violin from a young age, entered the prestigious Julliard school of music, and had a moderately succesful career as a performing artist for a few years. Everyone can guess what will be described in the memoirs of such a person: that the long hours of practicing are gruelling, that the world of performing musicians is very competitive, that you start to lose appreciation of the music you're playing. These are clichés of performing musicians, and frankly so banal that you could guess them even if you hadn't previously encountered them. Rauch tells the story in the idiom of a teenage girl whining to her boyfriend, with startling narcissism and a ranting quality. If I was her husband, I'd be bored and dozing off as she told her story, but as I was a paying reader, I was irritated constantly.
  
  It's the narcissism that really gets me. Rauch does not come across as a particularly pleasant person, though she is not aware of it. Shining through all her stories is her desire to make it in some way, to be a bigshot, to impress people. Violinists, she notes, are notoriously competitive and high-strung, fine, but that doesn't make them pleasant people, or the kind whose writing you'd like to read. Rauch describes her obsession with technical perfection, in search of wider recognition, which the world is more inclinced to give to her fiancé, whom she calls 'Golden Violin Boy' (yuck), and with whom she eventually broke off the engagement. Since he was a more talented performer, the match was doomed. Playing in an orchestra is unthinkable to her, because then you'd have to give up the spotlight to others, and have to wear black. She prefers chamber music, or being the soloist in a performance, so she can be the center of attention and wear a nice, colored dress. In addition, members of orchestras do not get paid enough to satiate her. (She hopes, she notes, that this book will allow her to buy expensive speakers to install in her house.) When Rauch does later attempt to settle down with a local orchestra, to get a break from all her travelling, she only wants a role as concertmaster (the first violinist, the most important role in an orchestra). When that fails, she describes stunningly misguided (and unsuccesful) attempts to get modelling work -- out of politeness I won't itemize in detail why that would never be succesful. Being an author was the next best thing, I suppose. Later, in a particularly heinous passage, Rauch says she might become more succesful than Golden Violin Boy, if only this book sells well. Not content being a moderately succesful ex-musician, she now also wants to be a famous author, with a TikTok account to boot.
  
  Her husband is described as a sort of lovable goof in a somewhat demeaning matter, despite being a very succesful, hard-working and good looking lawyer. In fact, it is very clear that Rauch moves in high circles and had important connections from the start, including a father who once performed with Yo-Yo Ma. Her parents bought an inordinately expensive violin for her when she was a teenager, worth more than what most people receive from their parents their entire lives. Little of this goes acknowledged, and it certainly doesn't assist in the supposed mission of this book, which is to demistify and make accessible classical music.
  
  Not that much explaining of or guiding through the world of classical music really happens. The structure of the book is a mess, with chapters intermingling a guidebook approach with stories from Rauch's life willy-nilly. The first chapter describes the various time periods of classical music, but each is given less than 2 pages, before the first forays into fullsome boredom begin as Rauch begins the narrative of her life from childhood on. Worse, Rauch is not a particularly great guide. As an active musician she played a lot but did less listening, and less intelligent listening, than critics and scholars (who usually write such books) do. She chooses pieces to recommend here and there in lists you might as well have pulled from Google, and in fact the lists on websites devoted to classical music are much better. She singles out, for instance, a Haydn cello concerto, widely considered a slight, facile work in his immense oeuvre. Her lists of recommended composers are even worse, containing, for some reason, 41 contemporary composers, but only 3 from the classical era. Are we really supposed to believe that 41 composers in the 21st century are worth introducing to beginners, but only 3 from one of the golden eras? Yes, most guides leave out the other luminaries from the late 18th century, such as Rosetti, Carl Stamitz and Wranitzky, but one would have hoped that such a 'hip' and modern guide would not fall for the irritating misjudgment that the entire era produced only 3 worthwhile composers. Most of the contemporary composers she recommends are mediocrities she mentions as a nicety (and in fact all musicians she worked with and liked get somewhat irritating nods of approval in the book). Worst of all, she dismisses an entire period of music (medieval music) from the start, and throughout the book attacks many pieces held dear by people when they first start listening to classical music, such as Pachelbel's canon. I thought the book was supposed to be inclusive, to refrain from judgment? All that, but Hans Zimmer, a film composer with no background or training in classical music, who has not written any standalone classical works (unlike most film composers), had to get mentioned, of course, condescending to the reader. There are a lot of film composers who write (or wrote) in a classical idiom, and produced standalone classical works as well, but Zimmer's background is in electronic music and, though his scores sometimes employ an orchestra, he really has very little to do with the classical tradition. Poor judgment is shown again and again.
  
  Towards the end of the book, Rauch clearly was out of ideas for chapters, so she writes about whatever she can think of. The most expensive instruments sold -- love affairs composers had (all the ones every intros to classical music endlessly regurgitate) -- stories of supposedly cursed classical pieces. Really scraping the bottom of the barrel. Could someone who devoted their life to classical music really not think of other things to write about those hundreds of years of musical history? The penultimate chapter is particularly awful and misguided, describing how to handle hiring musicians for your wedding. Make sure to pay them enough and to be extremely grateful, of course, because Rauch has had experiences being underpaid, so she has to lecture the reader about how much musicians deserve proper payment for their years of studying. You should also give them a chance to play something while everyone listens in silence, because Rauch can't stand not being the center of attention. I don't understand why she thinks most prospective readers would care about all this. I am not even close to the income bracket that could afford to hire live musicians for a wedding. Then again, you have to question how many people will make it far enough into the book.
  
  Rauch thinks she is a comedian, an author, a world-class musician, an encyclopedia on classical music, TikTok star (although at barely 300 followers even she has to see she might as well throw in the towel there...) and a very interesting person. She is really a nearly illiterate, narcisstic bore. Stay away at all costs.
• 
  Andy Madajski

  I grabbed thisoff the library shelf because i’m woefully ignorant about classical music, and I wanted to learn how to approach it. This seemed like a great book to do that.
  
  At first I was put off by the blending of Memoir with exposition. I thought that I’d be learning less about classical music and more about a classical musician. This turned out not to be the case. Rauch has enough background information and lists to satisfy the most ignorant listener (me). I’ve been working my way through the historical periods Rauch covers. I’m currently enamored with Handel’s “Zadok the Priest,” so I’m not even out of the Baroque period yet.
  
  Instead of being a distraction, Rauch’s Memoir bits make the book even more entertaining. I really enjoy her sharp wit. I laughed out loud at her description of Medieval music and why she dislikes it.
  
  I just got done ordering a copy of this book. I need a copy on my shelf so I can refer back to all the great information Rauch provides.
• 
  David Dunlap

  [stopped at page 30, although I poked around in the rest of the book, here and there]
  While I can appreciate the author's intention to introduce classical music in a lighthearted way to folks who may not be a familiar with it, I found her tone -- arch by turns, forced-jokey at others -- rather off-putting. As might be expected, she is Politically Correct in her choices of composers to mention in her period overview, but some of the selections, to my way of thinking, seem rather weak. (While it is certain that Lili Boulanger showed great gifts in her short life, I am not sure her actual achievements merit inclusion in this exalted company. And Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson? Really? And where is Louise Farrenc?) The author also trots out the debunked myth of Tchaikovsky's suicide. She intersperses her discussion of music and composers with autobiographical details about her truncated career as a concert violinist. I was intrigued (why pursue things to such a high level, then walk away from it all?), but insufficiently so to keep reading. -- I find it difficult to recommend this. For the record, though, I quite agree with her assessment of Medieval music. (It *is* awful!)
• 
  Tawny Lara

  My partner is a classically trained percussionist. Everytime he talks about classical music, my eyes glaze over. This book is perfectly written for people like me who just want to “get the whole classical music” thing. The author does a great job of explaining classical music, its history, and famous composers at a 101 level, without making the reader feel talked down to. She also gives great music recommendations that help you learn as you read. 10/10 recommend!
• 
  Ben

  In this book, there are no stupid questions. It's a smart, genuinely funny, haphazardly organized handbook to classical music that addresses topics as vast as the key pieces to listen to from every major musical era and as minute as where to sit at a concert and how to not be a dick to the other concertgoers.
  
  It's also an episodic memoir of the author's own life in music: her childhood obsession, relentless training, and short-lived professional career. This was my favorite aspect; some of the anecdotes were hilarious, some were compelling in a TMZ kind of way, and a few were deeply moving.
  
  The entire project here is to loosen the grip of snobbery and elitism on classical music, and she's as good as her word.
  
  Exhibit A: In the final chapter she devotes a paragraph to tips on searching for classical music pieces on Spotify—you know, because they often have generic and unmemorable names. While I didn't necessarily need these tips, it struck me as really thoughtful. Knowing what to search for is a barrier that most insiders would never even consider, but could actually be quite a stumbling block for the newbie. I think that exemplifies the spirit of this book. Without dumbing down the material, it extends a helping hand to the masses.
  
  I definitely skimmed some of the chapters, either because I was already pretty familiar with the topic or because I just wasn't that interested. But since it's as much a reference book as a narrative, I don't think that's a knock against it. Recommended for the classical-curious.
• 
  Brad Slavik

  This book is a hoot! Brava!
  My wife received a paperback and hardcover ARC of this book after interviewing the author, Arianna Warsaw-Fan Rauch for her podcast. She does many of these and normally they are books I'm not much interest in. This one caught my attention. It is not everyday I find a book on the world of contemporary music artists that struggle to make their living in the concert halls and opera houses of the world. I studied as a singer, conductor, and composer for years and did some performing but not near her level. The book is a great tongue in check look at the world and business of classical music (I agree with the author that this term is misleading and a terrible label). Once started it was difficult to put down. Any musician would find much familiar and hilarious in the book. I have run into many of the types of artists she mentioned (and may be one of them myself). the non-musician will also love this book with its sparkling writing and insight into the authors struggles with being a professional performing artist. It also teaches a little about music and concert going in it's funny and delightful narrative. I especially loved her music examples and listening recommendations. I spotted a few I had never considered before and will add them to my list.
  Brava Arianna, excellent first book. Looking forward to another.
• 
  Jessica

  If you've watched TwoSet Violin videos on YouTube, this will be very familiar content (if you haven't and you liked this book, check them out). I didn't know going into it that the author was yet another ex-professional violinist and almost wished for a different perspective. So there are a lot of parallels here in introducing people not just to classical music but the culture of classical music today, and the stories, jokes, and attitudes that are held (by professional violinists, at least). There was so much I had heard already that I wonder at what point the musicians pick these things up, as we all do out here with memes and phrases. To list a few examples: the curse of the 9th symphony, how much musicians hate playing Pachelbel's Canon, John Cage's 4'33", and viola jokes. But I did pick up a few more things and history lessons from this book to add to my education.
  
  This is also a memoir, which again I didn't know going into it, and I actually did end up enjoying that what was familiar content to me was made more unique by integrating her personal story and relationship with classical music. I wasn't a fan of her humor at first, but by the middle or end I got used to it and it grew on me. Unfortunately I was too lazy/didn't want to interrupt my reading to look up most of the pieces she mentioned in the book even though that would definitely have been helpful, as there are some that she goes into detail about. That's where video has an advantage, but if they have an audiobook version they should save people the trouble and insert clips.
• 
  Transgender Bookworm

  Disclosure : I received a free ARC of this book through Netgalley from the publisher. What follows is my honest opinion.
  
  Arianna Warsaw-Fan Rauch was born into the world of classical music. Her father a concert pianist and her mother an English teacher with a love for the genre exposed her to the beauty of classical music from the moment she entered the world. At the age of two, Arianna was so taken with the Queen of the Nights aria from Mozart's The Magic Flute that she sang it at the top of her lungs until she was physically incapable of doing so. Her parents would say this is the moment she decided to pick up the Violin, but Arianna disputes this as a family legend. Regardless as a toddler, Arianna began the training that would lead her to The Julliard School and a career as a world-class violinist. However, despite her academic and professional achievements at some point, Arianna forgot why she loved the music she had dedicated her life to. In Declassified Ms. Warsaw-Fan Rauch invites the reader to discover their love for classical music as she tells the story of how she made her way back to it by quitting her professional musical career. Part memoir and part how-to guide, Declassified is the perfect book for anyone interested in classical music.
• 
  Barbara Hall

  What a great title and........I loved this book! In a coming-of-musical age memoir, Arianna Warsaw-Fan Rauch, a former professional violinist, also takes on the job of de-mystifying, decluttering, and explaining the world of classical music. And all the while, giving laugh out loud moments at the downright funny and sometimes absurd elements of such world. For all the poking of fun that W-FR dishes out to fellow musicians, composers of the past, and other aspects (it's not Julliard where she studied, but the "Jailyard," as well as reminders of Mozart's penchant for scatological humor), she also clearly loves classical music and gives the reader a logical construct for how to approach, listen to, and evaluate the music. W-FR's book is an education on how, rather than simply what, to listen to (though she does give her personal opinions from time to time). For this alone, reading Declassified delivers a tremendous service. I listened to it as an audiobook and hearing W-FR's own voice deliver her words made for an elevating experience. The thoughtful Playlist suggestions provided by her throughout the book are also a valuable addition. Whether you are seasoned or a newbie to classical music, there is much to learn, appreciate and enjoy from this work. Bravo and.........encore!
• 
  Jessica

  This book is a fun way to learn more about classical music. It's less of a microhistory or in depth analysis and more like meeting up with a friend of a friend who used to be a top classical musician.
  
  The author gives her insights and advice about appreciating classical music woven through her memoir of becoming and ultimately leaving a career as a violinist. It is a fun and quick read, with hilarious footnotes of sassy asides. It really felt casual and personal and while I don't know that I grasped everything I do have a better understanding of classical music as well as far better appreciation for what it takes to become a professional musician. The author does a good job balancing the memoir and the tips/guide to classical music. Its fun to learn something from a well informed fan, but the author is also refreshingly honest about the parts of classical music that aren't great (both music and people) and didn't take the topic or herself too seriously.
  
  It's a good welcome to people to anyone who wants to learn about classical music or see what it looks like to become a classical musician.
• 
  Hobart

  This originally appeared at
  The Irresponsible Reader as part of a quick-takes catch-up post, emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness.
  ---
  This would be tough to describe even if I was doing a full post, not just a quick take. I had a lot of fun with Warsaw-Fan Rauch's book.
  
  The behind-the-scenes bits about classical music, orchestra, and the education/training involved for today's performers was great to hear. The jokes, snippy bits, and history of classical music, composers, and various instruments (and those that play them) were a special kind of geeky fun that I appreciated (not as much as someone who's seriously played and/or studied, I'm sure, but enough for me).
  
  The personal material didn't do much for me--I don't know her enough for that to have mattered (and didn't get enough reason throughout the book). But it's easy to get over that and focus on the highlights.
  
  This was a pleasant time (and a little educational, too). Give it a listen.
• 
  Darko Barišić

  This book is a great idea, with a pretty mediocre execution. It definitely spurred my interest in classical music, but didn’t teach me much about it. It highly focuses on protagonist’s life as a violinist, and is more of an autobiography than a guide. It doesn’t really focus on the music; the part that does, the first few chapters, is fantastic. But some of the later chapters (describing the violin market in elaborate detail, or random love stories from the classical music world) were unbearable. It’s worth it for the good parts, but what really makes this book not great is the forced type of humor that fell flat every single time; and the author is relentless about it. I had to put the book down after reading some of her very cringy jokes. 2.5/5. What made this experience great though is the Spotify playlist called ‘Declassified’. It’s a collection of her suggestions. Whoever created it is a genius.
• 
  Marion

  Charming and delightful especially to those who know a fair amount about music already. Entertaining overview of the landscape, summarizing periods, composers, compositional forms, instruments and more. Each section contains her personal recommendations of works to watch and/or listen to. All told from the author’s informed and hilarious perspective. Also her story as a former professional violinist. A great read.
  There are quite a few viola jokes.
  Among those included in her Acknowledgments is my old friend Michael Parloff, former principal flautist of the Met Opera orchestra.
  The Glossary, Bibliography and Index at the back add to the book’s usefulness as a reference volume. Seriously considering buying it for that reason.
• 
  William Dury

  Does Music belong to rich people? Yes. We’re lucky they let the rest of us even listen to it.
  
  “You’re driving down a dark isolated road when you come across a conductor and a violist standing in the middle of it, arguing…Which one do you hit first: the conductor or the violist? The conductor. Business before pleasure,” p 83.
  
  “Hilary Hahn, a phenomenal celebrity violinist…” p 93. Subtlety malicious praise? She goes on, “I love my Vuillaume-I call it J.B. for short- but I did not hesitate to lock it up in a closet for half a year when Juilliard loaned me a Strad,” p 93. Nothing subtle there. But that’s why we read these things. I watched that Netflix documentary last night about Pam Anderson and didn’t complain when she talked about her breasts.
  
  “The only reason I have is that one of my old neighbors was the principal oboist of the New York Phil,” p. 105. Of course. This part of a discussion of the alleged practice of concealing razor blades in between the keys in Juilliard’s practice rooms, accompanied (p 107) by a helpful flow chart entitled “Do I Want To Slice This Person’s Fingers Open With A Razor Blade?” It is a little competitive there at Juilliard, I guess. While denying the existence and even the efficacy of razor blades in pianos, she does admit, that although she felt supported by her classmates, Juilliard is one of the more antisocial conservatories. She makes an interesting comparison between sports competition and the competitive aspect of music, which I’ve always been aware of. I’ve always felt sports are less prone to back stabbing and interpersonal undermining than the arts, given the inherent physical confrontations and quantifiable results.
  
  Consistently throughout her writing displays a marvelous intelligence and sense of humor. On pages 115-118, wherein she has to learn to “detach” herself in order to play under emotional distress the writing unexpectedly morphs into beauty. Not that the reader didn’t think her capable, but the reader had been lulled by her non-stop elbow in the ribs humor.
  
  Like the Glen Kurtz, protagonist of “Practicing,” Ms. Warsaw-Fan Rauch (did I do that right?) eventually forsakes her instrument (professionally) after her graduation. The desolate reader ponders the essence of music. A series of sounds we use for our own purposes and abandon when they no longer serve us? An ancient tradition that will be taken up by the next talented child of wealthy parents? Well, no. In the end music isn’t just for rich people. (See, among many others, Hendrix, Jimi).
  
  So, having contradicted my opening rhetorical question, let me recommend this book to you. You will surely enjoy your time with Ms. Warsaw-Fan Rauch.
• 
  Marjorie

  As other reviews mentioned, I interpreted this title to be more of a how to/who's who of classical music. That is not what this book is. This is a delightfully funny memoir of a burnt out classical musician and how she has found new ways to connect to her training (including educating the general public). Was it informative? Yes. Was it funny? Yes, though it is a very specific brand of humor. Was it a guide to classical music? Not in any way that I can tell, though this may have been intentional. The author frequently attempts to demystify and de-"snob"ify classical music and make it more accessible for all. 
• 
  Patricia Koerner

  This book is not really a guide, at least not as I understand the meaning of that term. It is actually a memoir of the author herself and her experiences as a classical violinist. Only the final two chapters did in any way live up to the title.
  
  As a memoir, the book was fairly interesting and contained a few laugh out loud moments. However, that was spoiled by being laced with profanities and several crude sexual references.
• 
  Johnnie Lee

  Declassified is a great introduction to classical music, especially if you’re not familiar with the genre at all.
  
  It’s informative, but the author presents the content with elements of humor. She also provides context based on personal experiences, being a former violinist and graduate of Berkeley herself.
  
  After reading, you’ll have a high-level understanding of classical music history, subgenres, “technical” terms (glossary included), and what it takes to be a professional musician in the field.
  
  I highly recommend this book for any reader looking to learn…and be entertained!
• 
  Carl Warsaw

  What a fun peak behind the curtain of a surprisingly cutthroat high stress career from someone with immense talent that I don't nor will I ever possess! Also serves as a really fun introduction to appreciating classical music as an expert would, which I very much needed.
  
  Written in an informal, funny voice with poignant references to current pop culture, which I as a newly minted 40 year old very much appreciated.
  
  Was a fun quick read and I highly recommend.
• 
  Kimberly Swartz

  I love this book. As someone who is plays classic music, I find this book refreshing as it tells about many of the worries and concerns I have about playing music. There are plenty anyone can learn from this book-not just those who play music themselves- and it shows in the careful way she crafted this book.
• 
  Jim Woehrle

  Three stars for the memoir-y bits. It’s mildly interesting to learn what it’s like to study at Juilliard, play at a wedding and tour with Chris Botti. But not especially fascinating. Five stars whenever she explains why she loves her favorite composers. The listening recommendations are also well done. Plus, some amusing viola jokes, the best of which is saved for the very end.