Skye Barker Maa

Owner and Founder

My arts-entrepreneur journey began in 2012. My 3-year-old son had expressed an interest in learning piano, but after a lengthy search, I discovered that most teachers in my neighborhood considered him too young. Regardless, they all had waitlists of 30+ students and wanted to teach in the home.

But I wanted something more than the average living room music lesson. I wanted him to see other students playing different instruments. I wanted it to be social. And I wanted the flexibility to introduce music in ways that appealed to all his senses. In defining what I wanted for my son, I discovered a desire to bring this experience to other families who wanted the same for their children. I started Neighborhood Music in my basement in three makeshift studios. Within six months, we had 8 teachers and 75 students, and within a year, we had 150 students flowing through our home each week! Shortly after beginning Neighborhood Music, we started a children’s theatre company and were producing fully realized plays in our backyard with sets, full tech, costumes, and a cardboard stage.

We moved into our first commercial location in 2015 and then into the Stanley Marketplace in 2018. We have 52 teachers and five administrative staff. We teach 18 instruments. We have a stand-alone children’s theatre company and produce 6 musicals and plays during the school year and do 22 theater-based summer camps. We have eight rock bands including an adult folk band. We seek unique performance and learning opportunities and have taken groups of students to Mozart’s home in Vienna, The Tosca Opera Festival near Rome, and to New York to perform on Broadway. We teach theater and music in 12 schools and have started a dance company.

Experience

Neighborhood Music & Theatre Stanley Marketplace, Owner and Founder – 2012

Focused on teaching high quality private music lessons to children and adults of all ages, NMS is conveniently located between the Central Park Denver and Aurora communities and is proud to serve the Denver metro area from our Stanley Marketplace studios. Our teachers work together with our students and their families to create the very best environment for active learning. Our aim is not only to grow world-class artists, but thoughtful and vibrant individuals.

Factory Five Five, Owner and Founder – 2021

As an outgrowth from NMS, Factory is an arts collective home to Factory Fashion Academy, Factory Film Academy, and Factory Theatre. The Factory centers around a black box theater in our funky art warehouse space centrally located for Denver and Aurora. Through their own original fashion, photography, theatre, and film projects, students of all ages will be guided by our highly trained teachers to find their unique voice. Our mission is to be an inclusive, artistic community hub and event space for all!

Neighborhood Music Lounge & Bar, Co-owner – 2020

As a collaboration between two complimentary businesses at the Stanley Marketplace, Neighborhood Music and Create Cooking School have blended fun and fresh live music with artisanal cocktails for an evening of relaxing summer breezes on the Neighborhood patio.

Sky Bar, Co-owner – 2021

An aeronautical homage to the history of Stanley Aviation, The Sky Bar is a new concept opening on the Stanley Marketplace overlook patio and will feature a 1950’s Pan-Am themed experience from its “flight attendant” servers to its drink menu and décor. Serving classic cocktails while enjoying the unobstructed views of the Rocky Mountains, the Sky Bar will be the perfect destination for your adventure!

jk-co Contemporary Dance, Executive Director – 2021

jk-co is a Denver-based dance company looking to establish a new way of making work and sharing performances based upon the values of equity, artistry, and community. We bring together Denver artists and audience members in a creative hub that builds a stronger and more connected community.

Bizarre Café, Executive Director – 2021

Attending a Bizarre Cafe production is anything but predictable. Performances are collaborative, thrilling, and always unique, as this immersive theatre experience invites audience members to have direct impact on parts of the story.

Past experience

Corporate sales/Advertising (telecom) — USWest, Qwest

Politics — Veteran of multiple city-level political campaigns serving a variety of roles from Treasurer, Strategist, to Field Operative.

Community outreach on FasTracks — Facilitator of large community meetings, designed outreach plans, hosted and organized community and large public input meetings by collaborating with faith and civic leaders in many of Denver’s communities.

Education

English and Philosophy, Bachelor of Arts, MSU

Executive Business Administration, MBA, University of Denver