I noticed something I never paid attention to nor given it much thought to for the 3 years I have been teaching Thomas or even me as an adult. Whenever Thomas is tired or just plain having one of those days....his notes are flat. But when he is full of "**** and vinegar", or he is excited or happy about something, all notes are perfect! Heck, even his form, vibrato...everything is absolutely perfect. This may seem mundane and kind of a "duh" observation but it sure taught me something the past few days. I am going to make sure I pick the time of day where he is most happy and vigorous before practice.