Columbia Academy of Music

1020 E. Walnut | (573) 424-3757 | www.comoacademyofmusic.com
Musicians of all ages have a new place to learn, practice and play — the Columbia Academy of Music.
The music school opened on March 1, and The Bridge, a venue in the same downtown building, has its first show booked for March 19. The Bridge will double as a recital space for students.
Founders Wes Wingate and Casey Conway are musicians with a shared vision: to create a place to educate and support great artists, particularly local ones. Wingate taught music for almost a decade, but he found himself without a classroom when Hennessy & Sons Music shut down last year.
At the Academy, 10 instructors will teach both individual and group lessons. Classes will range from rock and jazz to classical, with a little bluegrass and country thrown in. The Bridge will have a bar and live music six nights a week, but it won’t open until the school has closed at 8:30 p.m.
The building is within the Downtown Columbia Historic District and is owned by John Ott. The school and music hall have filled the spot where Lou’s Palace nightclub used to be. Now that the one-story addition from the 1970s has been torn down, the exterior looks almost as it did when the building was constructed more than 60 years ago.