Our story, our people
About Triad Suzuki Academy
A community of students, parents, and teachers growing together in music.
Our story
Triad Suzuki Academy was founded about ten years ago by Olivia Eakes, a professional violinist and Suzuki method advocate. What began as a single studio has grown into a warm community of students, parents, and teachers across the Triad.
Our philosophy
We are built on Dr. Shinichi Suzuki’s belief that every child can. Musical ability is a skill any child can develop, not a fixed talent. Along the way we help students build character, discipline, and a positive spirit.
Our programs
We teach students from age three through adulthood, and in the Suzuki way, learning begins even earlier with listening at home. Families can choose individual violin and viola lessons, group classes, private music theory lessons for teens and adults, audition preparation on request, and special workshops and master classes with visiting artists.
Our community
Recitals, concerts, and community outreach are part of the rhythm of the year. We love using music to make a positive difference close to home.
Meet our team
Olivia Eakes
founder and director
Olivia Eakes is a violin teacher and performer based in Kernersville, NC. As an instructor, Ms. Olivia is trained in the Suzuki violin method through Unit 7 and teaches through Unit 10. She is also trained in the Suzuki Early Childhood Education curriculum. Growing up as a violinist, Olivia began playing at the age of three. A few years later she was immersed in the Irish fiddling tradition and can sometimes be found performing with local Irish bands and dance groups. Olivia received a degree in Music Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Olivia has spent several years teaching in the nonprofit sector with the Miami Music Project and Greater Miami Youth Symphony as both a teaching artist and conductor. She regularly volunteers with local Suzuki Associations to plan exciting additional opportunities for her students and others in the community. Olivia is passionate about providing a path for excellent music education for all.
In addition to teaching music lessons, Olivia maintains a steady performance schedule and has performed with artists such as Shakira, José Feliciano, Arturo Sandoval, Lynn Harrell, and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenburg, to name a few. She has collaborated as a recording studio musician with several artists including Gloria Estefan and Pharrell Williams. When she is not teaching or performing, Olivia can be found crafting or cooking a tasty meal.
Eric Eakes
violin, viola, and music theory teacher; operations manager
Eric holds both a Doctor of Musical Arts in Viola Performance and Master of Music in Viola Performance from the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, as well as a Bachelor of Music in Viola Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. While at the University of Miami, Eric worked as the Personnel Manager for the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra, performed as the violist in the Henry Mancini Institute String Quartet, and coordinated personnel and ensemble operations within the Stamps Distinguished Ensembles Scholars program at the Frost School of Music.
Dr. Eakes can be seen performing with the Naples Philharmonic, Greensboro Symphony, Winston-Salem Symphony, Palm Beach Symphony, Fayetteville Symphony, Western Piedmont Symphony, and the Carolina Philharmonic, and has recorded with the Nu Deco Ensemble. Eric loves performing film music live with orchestra and hopes to complete performances of the full cycles of the Star Wars and Harry Potter series over the next few years.
Through musical collaborations over the years, Eric has won two GRAMMYs, one Latin GRAMMY, multiple DownBeat awards, and has worked and performed with notable artists such as John Williams, Quincy Jones, James Newton Howard, Carlos Rivera, Kishi Bashi, Garth Knox, Midori, Estelle, Jon Secada, Andrea Bocelli, Kristin Chenoweth, and Julie Andrews.
Are you a violin or viola teacher? Teach with us
Join us
We would love to welcome your family into a supportive, inspiring place to learn. You can reach us at (336) 265-7276 or contact@triadsuzuki.com, and register any time.