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Heather Atha - Heather Atha studied violin performance at the University of South Florida where she earned her Bachelor and Masters of Music with Carolyn Stuart. She continued her studies at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts where she received a Master of Music in Violin Performance under the tutelage of Kevin Lawrence.
She played for regional orchestras and weddings, but focuses on teaching. She has completed the Suzuki courses 1-10, supplementary courses for developing the bow arm & advancing technique, Rolland Unit 1, Creative Ability Development, as well as Music Mind Games Unit 1 and 2. She is a registered Suzuki Association member, and opened her studio, Queen City Suzuki Violin, Fall 2017. She has been teaching Suzuki violin to children ages 3 and above for almost a decade and enjoys sharing violin with her 3 year old. Heather finds joy in the open genius of the mind of the young child, and is passionate about teaching the soul of music to everyone who is willing to join her in the pursuit of music making. Outside of music, she practices ashtanga yoga and enjoys gonfucha tea.
Laura Eis - Laura Eis earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Susquehanna University in 2001. She received a Master of Music degree in Violin Performance and Suzuki Pedagogy and a Certificate of Advanced Performance Studies in viola from East Carolina University in 2008 and 2009 respectively. Currently, Ms. Eis is a member of the Fayetteville Symphony, the Tar River Symphony, and concertmaster of the Pitt Community College Symphony Orchestra. She was the associate director for the North Carolina Suzuki Institute from 2007-2023 and became the director in 2024. She is a member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas, and treasurer of the North Carolina and Eastern North Carolina Suzuki Associations. Ms. Eis maintains a private violin and viola studio in Greenville, NC, and is an adjunct faculty member at Fayetteville State University, Methodist University, and Pitt Community College.
Gabriela Potter Peoples - Gabriela Potter Peoples is a professional violinist, violist, and registered Suzuki violin instructor residing and teaching in Durham, NC. Gabriela has completed intensive long-term teacher training with renowned Suzuki Pedagogue Joanne Bath, and has registered teacher training for Violin Books 1-10 with the Suzuki Association of the Americas. She completed Suzuki Early Childhood Education Unit 1 teacher training with Danette Schuh, Revisiting Suzuki Violin Book 1 teacher training with James Hutchins, and Suzuki Violin Book 7 teacher training with Kirsten Marshall. She has also attended Music Mind Games Unit 1 teacher training with Kristen Tourville.
Gabriela is a proud alum of the East Carolina University School of Music, and serves as Secretary of the North Carolina Suzuki Association. Gabriela enjoys listening to audiobooks while tending to her garden, camping with her husband and friends in state parks and forests, attending workouts at Burn Boot Camp, and teaching her students ages 3-70 at the High Strung School of Music near Duke’s East Campus.