PALOMBA ACADEMY OF MUSIC, Bronxwood

by Kevin Walsh

I have no idea how I missed this one, since I’ve walked East Gun Hill Road a couple of times in the last five years…

RUN & GUN: WALKING GUN HILL ROAD

WIDDERSHINS TO WILLIAMSBRIDGE

…but miss this terrific Palomba Academy of Music sign I did, at East Gun Hill Road and Colden Avenue. I have gotten a couple of images from Flickr and Google Street View, and I seem to be mentioning it just in time because the Covid Crisis, which has devastated so many businesses, is forcing the Palomba Academy to close. The sign is the original sign erected when it opened in 1956, designed by Milton Grauer of Grauer Sign Company of the Bronx.

Here’s an evening view, when the sign is lit up in red and blue neon.

The Academy’s website describes its mission thusly:

At Palomba Academy of Music we have been enriching our community through artistic culture for over 50 years.  The Academy is renowned for offering the finest professional instruction in Music, Voice and Dance since it was founded by the Palomba family in 1956. 

At Palomba we pride ourselves on our great legacy of phenomenal musicians we have nurtured over the years, Our award winning teachers have included Grammy Award nominated, Latin Percussionist, Bobby Sanabria, Trumpeter, Ray Vega, Percussionist, Charlie Salinas, Timballero, Joe Torres and Reed Player, Bobby Rodriguez.  Our students have included Grammy Award winning drummer, Will Calhoun (of Living Colour), Bassist Ron Long and Drummer Luciana Padmore.

While the Academy is closing, there is hope that the sign can be preserved. NYC photographers and sign preservationists James and Karla Murray have arranged for the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, OH to display the sign provided that the costs of transportation and installation can be raised. A Kickstarter fund has been started to raise the $5,500 necessary. In addition, the Murrays will produce a short film chronicling the work.

But they will need your monetary assistance to do it. See what you can contribute.

Check out the ForgottenBook, take a look at the gift shop, and as always, “comment…as you see fit.”

9/20/20

1 comment

Zalman Lev September 20, 2020 - 6:42 pm

I wonder if the Bobby Sanabria mentioned is the same Bobby Sanabria that deejays the Latin Jazz Cruise on WBGO-FM on Friday nights. Must be, right?

Reply

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