Meet Skye Barker Maa

Today we’d like to introduce you to Skye Barker Maa. 

Hi Skye, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
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, Owner – 2020 

As a collaboration between two complementary 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 

Bizarre Cafe theatre productions are 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. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Small business is never smooth. It’s such a frantic peak and valley. There are so many ongoing struggles for business owners. Management is a struggle. It’s hard to lead diverse teams. It’s hard to be attentive and communicative when you are stretched thin. 

Growth is easy and exciting, but the aftermath of growth is struggle. Once you have expanded your universe then you must adapt your environment to accept the growth. This may include hiring and reorganizing which is time-consuming. It’s also introducing new personalities and learning how best to inspire them. 

Sustaining your growth is a struggle. You’ve pulled a bunch of people through the door. Now what? How do you keep them engaged and satisfied long term? This process requires constant innovation, communication, and discipline. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My Calling Found Me I love the path that led me to the place I am today, though very unexpected. Growing up without a lot of opportunities for arts exploration, I decided early on that this was something that I wanted for my own family. Sparked from my passion for learning and love for my family, I was fortunate to earn my Master’s in business to bolster my entrepreneurial adventures. 

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 and had waitlists 30+ long. 

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, I added a children’s theatre company to the business with the help of my incredible teaching staff. Fully realized plays in our backyard with sets, full tech, costumes, and a cardboard stage, soon needed more room to accommodate more students with the word of mouth spreading from the families we served. 

Reaching New Heights 

We moved into our first commercial location in 2015 and then into the Stanley Marketplace in 2018. With 52 teachers and five administrative staff, Neighborhood Music & Theatre provides 18 instrumental tracks and produces 6 children’s theatre productions along with 22 theater-based summer camps. Eight rock bands including an adult folk band create the element of social connection and fun/party/etc. Priding =ourselves on unique performance and learning opportunities, students have the opportunity to travel from Mozart’s home in Vienna, The Tosca Opera Festival near Rome, to New York to perform on Broadway. Our music and theater programs are also part of 12 Denver area public schools’ curriculum. Most recently, I became the Executive Director for the dance company, jk-co Contemporary Dance, and art collective, Factory Five Five, provide new expanded outlets for creative expression. 

Businesses/Ventures? 

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

Factory Five Five, Owner and Founder – 2021 

Factory Fashion, Owner and Founder – 2021 

Neighborhood Music Lounge & Bar, Co-owner – 2021 

Sky Bar, Co-owner – 2021 

Sky Bar Commuter, Co-owner 2021 

jk-co Contemporary Dance, Executive Director – 2021 

Bizarre Café, Executive Director – 2021 

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Perseverance is hands down the most important quality to my success. I never just quit. I keep moving forward. I exercise all avenues to build so I can succeed. 

Contact Info:

• Email: info@factoryfivefive.com
• Website: www.factoryfivefive.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/factoryfivefive/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/factoryfivefive

Image Credits
@fromthehipphoto
https://www.amandaschwengel.com/
@dillpepper