Friday mornings on 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning have a flavor all their own, and this past week’s “Love Supreme Friday” edition was no exception. Hosts Paul B. and Buddy the God opened the show with an intentional pivot in energy — away from the week’s political noise and toward something more nourishing. “We’ve been talking a lot of politics for a while and it’s time to make a decision to change our mindsets to something else,” Paul B. told the audience. “We’re going to try to do that for the weekend.” It was an invitation the morning’s guest was perfectly suited to answer.
Dana Murray, executive director of the North Omaha Music Academy (NMA), joined the show for a wide-ranging conversation about arts education, community identity, and a vision for North 24th Street that is as practical as it is inspired. A South Omaha native who spent eleven years in New York City before returning home, Murray brings roughly two decades of teaching experience in Omaha and a musician’s eye for what you can’t always see but know is there.
“The arts are the core of who we are as people — definitely as black people — and the history of North Omaha and really Omaha,” Murray said. “With a lot of the development going on infrastructure-wise, very little is talked about the social, people development, and healing that has to happen to even take advantage of all the opportunities. A lot of that is unquantifiable, which as an artist I’ve spent my life shining light on the things you really can’t see but are there.”
That sentiment landed squarely with Paul B., who framed what NMA does through what he called the “secondary matrix” — the deeper purpose running beneath the surface of any meaningful work. “In Dana Murray’s case, he teaches kids music on the surface,” Paul B. explained, “but the secondary matrix is to create critical thinkers who go further in their fields because of the discipline and mind-expanding benefits of musical training.” Murray echoed that directly: “We’re not only raising musicians; more importantly, we’re raising more critical thinking human beings. Whatever these young kids choose to do, they’re going to be better because they were aligned with artistry.”
The conversation moved naturally to the corridor that serves as NMA’s home. Paul B. has long held a deep affection for North 24th Street — “the most important black corner in Nebraska,” as he’s called it — and he pressed Murray on what that stretch of Omaha could and should become. Murray’s answer was both visionary and grounded. He argued that for any cultural district to truly succeed, it needs the full infrastructure of a self-sustaining neighborhood: housing, eateries, parking, laundromats, gas stations. And then it needs destinations — entertainment, restaurants, lounges, and ideally a hotel capable of drawing larger conferences and music festivals directly into the community. “There’s been a whole lot of stuff on North 24th Street that wasn’t sustainable,” Murray said plainly, “and unless those metrics are there, it doesn’t matter.”
Viewer Pops chimed in with a note that added warmth and historical texture to the discussion: “Artists like Fats Domino used to stay at your grandfather’s home when he came to town to perform. More infrastructure for the artist around the Deuce corridor would be a godsend.” It’s the kind of living memory that reminds you exactly what’s at stake.
Murray was candid about the cultural work that still needs to happen within the community itself. Coming from South Omaha, he acknowledged his outsider-insider status with honesty. “One of the things that holds us back is a false sense of pride about North Omaha that doesn’t actually do anything for us at this point,” he said. He pointed to South Omaha’s Cinco de Mayo celebration as a model — a community that champions its culture and invites everybody in. “One of the things I’ve tried to do was be a beacon for all of Omaha to come down to North 24th Street, and people have no problem coming from wherever to hear live music there. That taboo about the area’s ability to be an attraction was false — we’ve proven that.”
Beyond instrument instruction, NMA offers a curriculum that feels built for the moment. Students learn live sound engineering and broadcast production, including live streaming and podcasting. Murray described a broadcast lab where kids conduct real interviews with visiting artists. “It’s not just telling them you can be this someday,” he said. “You can be this right now. Once you remove those barriers, the sky’s the limit.” Viewer Senator KML put it simply in the chat: “Thank you, Uncle Dana. You’re changing lives in big ways. We are the students.”
Looking ahead, Murray shared that NMA is preparing to launch a capital campaign — with a first phase of $20 million — aimed at building a full NMA campus on the North 24th Street corridor. His model is ambitious but clear: what Omaha Performing Arts means to downtown as both a cultural anchor and an economic engine generating tens of millions in annual revenue, NMA aims to become for North Omaha. “Money is not really our issue in North Omaha,” Murray said. “It’s transformative ideas that are going to allow us to be not only sustainable but gainfully active. Our culture is equity. Our brilliance, our artistic genius, is equity. The sooner we understand that and monetize it for our community, the better off we’re going to be.”
The show also touched briefly on Nebraska’s recent primary results, where Buddy the God noted that only about 339,000 of more than 1.2 million registered voters turned out. “Awareness without action changes nothing,” he said. Viewer Kimber Snipes offered a nuanced perspective from the chat: “What I hear the most is most of them don’t really know what to do and know nothing about the candidates. I don’t think we should be slamming people for not voting when the system is really what has caused this — I think we need to have more education and deep dive discussions.” It was the kind of exchange that reminded viewers why the show’s chat is considered part of the conversation, not just a sidebar.
The morning also made room for joy. Viewer Aeros 402 shared that his daughter had just given birth to his second granddaughter — “They are both new and good. I feel blessed” — a moment Paul B. and Buddy welcomed with the warmth it deserved on a Love Supreme Friday.
NMA is currently seeking music instructors who bring not just technical knowledge but the ability to inspire young people. Interested educators can reach Dana Murray at dmurray@northomahamusic.org or his assistant Andrew Bailey at abailey@northomahamusic.org. The upcoming NMA Fest on North 24th Street is also on the horizon — watch for details.
It was the kind of Friday morning that sends you into the weekend with something to think about and something to feel good about. Join Paul B., Buddy the God, and the whole First Sky community back on the air Monday morning — you won’t want to miss what’s next.
