[1] In his review for AllMusic, Alex Henderson states "Mitchell, it should be noted, has favored different combinations of musicians on different albums; she is quite proficient when it comes to ensemble playing and arranging, but an intimate quartet format serves her equally well on Awakening.

"[2] The Down Beat review by Josef Woodard says "On nine tracks, mostly penned by Mitchell, and moving rhythmic vigor, tender asides and abstract passages, the flutist demonstrates her musicality.

"[4] In a review for JazzTimes Lloyd Sachs states "As good as her broadly thematic long-form works with her larger Black Earth Ensemble are, they tend to hem in Mitchell the soloist.

Here, floating freely in space, she gets to show off her full-toned intensity in all its shapes and textures, making sharp but sparing use of dark trills, slurred long notes and vocal effects.

"[5] The Point of Departure review by Troy Collins says "Following in the footsteps of iconoclasts like Robert Dick and James Newton, Mitchell expands upon the expressive technical innovations of Rahsaan Roland Kirk with peerless originality.