It was a “Love Supreme Friday” on 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning, and hosts Paul B. and Buddy the God made good on that promise — setting aside the week’s political heavy lifting in favor of something that feeds the soul. “We’ve been talking a lot of politics for a while and it’s time for a break,” Paul B. told viewers. “Love Supreme Friday is going down today for sure.” The show brought in a guest whose work sits squarely at the intersection of music, youth development, and community vision: Dana Murray, founder and director of the North Omaha Music Academy (NMA).
Before Dana took the virtual stage, the hosts paused to celebrate some good news making the rounds in the community. Charell Shelton’s Core Science Bio Diagnostics was recognized for receiving a $52,000 prize — a moment the hosts made sure to honor on air. Viewer Aeros 402 added his own joyful note to the morning: “On a love note, my only daughter gave birth to my second granddaughter. They are both new and good. I feel blessed.” It was exactly the kind of moment that makes Love Supreme Friday feel earned.
Buddy the God set the tone for the conversation ahead with characteristic honesty. “Music is something that is near and dear to my heart and soul,” he said. “When I’m not doing news and community engagement, I’m most likely in the studio or around some music somewhere.” That personal connection gave the interview an easy warmth from the start.
Dana Murray is a South Omaha native who spent eleven years in New York City before returning home to build something lasting on North 24th Street. NMA is both a youth music academy and a performance venue — but as Dana was quick to explain, the mission runs much deeper than teaching kids to play instruments. “We’re not only raising musicians, but more importantly we’re raising more critical-thinking human beings,” he said. “These young kids are not all going to become musicians by choice. Some will become doctors, some will become lawyers, some will become business owners. Whatever they choose to do, they’re going to be better because they were aligned with artistry.”
Paul B. gave that idea its own framework during the show, describing what he called the “secondary matrix” — the deeper purpose operating beneath the surface of any meaningful community initiative. “In Dana Murray’s case, he teaches kids music — on the surface that’s what it is,” Paul B. explained. “But the secondary matrix is to create critical thinkers, people that can go further in their fields because they have the discipline of musical training and the mind-expanding benefits of musical training.” Viewer Pops recognized the concept immediately: “I experienced my secondary matrix in junior high when I took algebra. I noticed that I was suddenly able to think outside the box on several different levels. Music the same.”
The conversation took a vivid turn when Dana shared his vision for the North 24th Street corridor — what the hosts affectionately call “the Deuce.” Paul B. has long held that stretch of road in a special place: “I’ve always called it the most important black corner in Nebraska. We have some history there, some legacy there, and that’s what it’s about.” Dana’s vision matched that reverence — and raised it. He described a fully self-sustained cultural and arts district with housing, eateries, services, entertainment destinations, and even a hotel that could anchor larger festivals and conferences right in the heart of the community.
“Look at old pictures and you see on a Saturday morning North 24th Street is filled with people just walking around, shopping, going to eat breakfast,” Dana said. “There was a unity, a love, and a togetherness that was there.”
He didn’t shy away from some honest self-reflection about the community’s missed opportunities, either. Drawing a pointed comparison to South Omaha’s Cinco de Mayo celebration, Dana argued that North Omaha has too often failed to invite the broader city in. “One of the things I’ve tried to do was reach out and be a beacon for all of Omaha to come down to North 24th Street,” he said. “People told me that was going to be very hard. But people don’t have any problem coming from wherever they are in Omaha or Iowa to come down North 24th Street to hear jazz music.” Viewer Derek Higgins summed up the sentiment in the chat simply: “Congrats, Dana, and what NMA is doing.”
On the question of how to reach today’s young people, Dana was equally candid. Rather than fighting the digital world students live in, NMA leans into it. Beyond instruments, the academy teaches live sound, broadcasting, and live streaming. Students run podcasts, conduct interviews with visiting artists, and operate a fully equipped broadcast lab. “It’s not just telling them, ‘Oh, you can be this someday,'” Dana said. “No — you can be this right now.”
Looking ahead, Dana outlined an ambitious capital campaign — a first phase of $20 million — aimed at building a full NMA campus that could serve North Omaha the way Omaha Performing Arts serves downtown. The economic and cultural argument he made was hard to argue with. “Every music in America has been built off of our experience, from the hardest rock to the jazziest jazz to the poppiest pop,” he said. “You trace it all the way back to the music brought over from Africa. That’s equity.”
For music educators interested in joining the NMA team, Dana invited outreach directly: he can be reached at dmurray@northomahamusic.org, and his assistant Andrew Bailey at abailey@northomahamusic.org. The academy is selective — not just about musical credentials, but about the ability to inspire. “They don’t need us for the ‘what’ — they can go to YouTube and see anything we’re trying to teach them,” Dana said. “The why they’re doing it is everything.”
Buddy the God closed the civic portion of the show with a reminder that building from within and engaging the political system aren’t mutually exclusive. “We got to do both — build our own ecosystems and continue to fight within the political structure,” he said. “Don’t pay taxes and see what happens. And if you’re going to pay taxes, you should at least care about where it’s going and what it’s doing.”
Viewer Pops sent the week off with the warmth the show seems to naturally generate: “Thanks for another great week of shows. You and the Chat Chimers have made First Sky a true pillar in the community. Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you on Monday.” It’s hard to top that — but Paul B., Buddy the God, and their guests give it a genuine try every single morning.
Tune in Monday for another edition of 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning — your community’s conversation, live and unfiltered.
