Alpine Music Academy was founded by Adam Zukaitis in 2022. Tired of what he saw as a “one size fits all” approach to music education, Adam opened AMA to provide the community with an individualized and customizable music learning experience. Home to a new Yamaha YUS5 upright piano, AMA also houses a number of electronic and digital instruments that allow students to explore a wider array of styles and genres, while also keeping up to date with the latest in music technology. Our in house music library contains an extensive collection of both classical music scores and contemporary jazz, rock, and pop sheet music; as well as historic sound recordings in both CD and vinyl formats. Located in the heart of South Denver in the beautiful Platt Park Neighborhood, Alpine Music Academy is the ideal setting to begin or continue your musical expedition.
Music is more than just playing the right notes; you can learn that anywhere. At Alpine Music Academy we create musicians who go beyond their instrument and learn about music on a deeper level. We believe composing and improvising are critical aspects of music education that have slowly been phased out in favor of a more rigid and standardized curriculum that inevitably leads to high turnover and attrition. Going beyond the instrument and learning these deeper musical concepts is what keeps our students playing long after they leave our academy. While there will always be a place for the tried and true piano pedagogy and music education of the past, at AMA we fuse that tradition with new methods and technologies to keep lessons engaging and relevant in today’s dynamic creative landscape.
Adam has been teaching, composing, and performing for over a decade and brings a deep well of experience and breadth to music education. Adam studied Composition and Piano Performance at the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance, in Eugene. As a member of the University Singers, he worked with the Eugene Symphony Orchestra and participated in their premier performance of John Adams’ Pulitzer Prize winning work, “On The Transmigration Of Souls.” In 2013, his composition, “Presto For Strings,” was selected for inclusion at the Oregon Bach Festival’s Composers Symposium. During this time Adam also became an active member in the funk and fusion scene in Eugene, writing and performing in various projects.
After graduating, Adam moved back to his hometown of Bend, Oregon, where he quickly began teaching and performing. In 2017 he formed The Same Coin, a jazz fusion and funk band, and in 2018 joined Groovasaur, with whom he recorded their self-titled debut EP. After teaching privately for a time, Adam joined the faculty of the Cascade School of Music, where he taught individual and group piano. Longing for a bigger and more robust music scene, Adam relocated to Denver, Colorado, in 2019 and opened Alpine Music Academy in 2022.