It was a Love Supreme Friday on the set of 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning, and hosts Paul B. and Buddy the God made sure the energy matched the occasion. From reflections on Nebraska’s recent primary results to a deep, inspiring conversation about music, culture, and the future of North Omaha, Season 4’s 53rd episode was exactly the kind of morning show the community needed heading into the weekend.
Paul B. set the tone right out of the gate, acknowledging that life doesn’t always cooperate with good vibes — but that choosing positivity is still a choice worth making. “It’s a decision,” he told viewers. “I have a lot going on that I could be feeling kind of low about… we have to make a decision. It’s going to be Love Supreme Friday today.” That spirit carried through every segment of the show.
The conversation took a civic turn early on, with both hosts weighing in on voter engagement following the Nebraska primary. Buddy the God offered a pointed observation: “None of this really matters if everybody voted… it’s a pretty valid point that a lot of this doesn’t matter if everybody voted.” Paul B. added weight to the moment by reading aloud a Facebook post from community member Raquel Henderson: “Posting on Facebook is not enough. Awareness without action changes nothing.” Viewer Kimber Snipes echoed the sentiment from the chat, sharing that in conversations with people ages 20 to 35, “most of them don’t really know what to do and know nothing about the candidates. Politics also seems — because it is — very messy to them.” It was the kind of honest, uncomfortable community dialogue that makes 1st Sky worth watching.
The heart of the episode, though, belonged to special guest Dana Murray, founder and director of the North Omaha Music Academy (NMA), located on North 24th Street. A seasoned musician who spent eleven years in New York City before returning home, Murray brought a vision for North Omaha that was equal parts practical and profound.
When asked what North 24th Street — “the deuce,” as it’s lovingly called — could and should become, Murray didn’t hesitate. “Really, the area that has the most history and the one that can claim ‘we are a cultural and arts district’ for real is the North 24th Street corridor,” he said. He laid out the building blocks plainly: housing density, essential services like groceries and laundromats, and destination attractions — restaurants, entertainment venues, and one day, perhaps, a hotel that could anchor music festivals and conferences right in the heart of the community.
Murray, who grew up in South Omaha, also addressed questions about his place in that ecosystem with characteristic candor. “If you’re Black and you’re in Omaha — especially in the ’70s, early ’80s — when I think back to North Omaha, everyone had a shared relationship with North Omaha. That was the Mecca for us,” he said. He spoke with both love and challenge about missed opportunities to invite all of Omaha into that cultural richness, and noted that NMA has already started changing that perception. “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. That taboo about the area and its ability to be an attraction was false. We’ve proven that.”
At its core, NMA is about far more than music lessons. Murray described the academy’s mission as raising critical thinkers — young people equipped with context, inspiration, and purpose. “We’re not only raising musicians but, more importantly, raising more critical thinking human beings,” he said. “Not all of these young kids are going to become musicians by choice. Some will become doctors, some lawyers, some business owners. Whatever they choose to do, they’re going to be better because they were aligned with artistry.” He spoke movingly about teaching students the legacies of Omaha-born musicians like Buddy Miles and Victor Lewis — not as trivia, but as living, connected history. “If you give kids context, they connect the dots for themselves,” Murray explained. “Now you’ve got a critical thinking human. That’s ultimately what we’re trying to do.”
Viewer Senator KML summed up the community feeling simply: “Thank you, Uncle Dana. You’re changing lives in big ways. We are the students.” And viewer Derek Higgins added his own congratulations to Murray and NMA from the chat.
Looking ahead, NMA has an ambitious capital campaign on the horizon, with a first phase goal of twenty million dollars aimed at building a full NMA campus. Murray drew a compelling parallel to Omaha Performing Arts and its role as an economic engine downtown — generating forty to fifty million dollars annually — and made the case that North Omaha deserves the same. “Money is not really our issue in North Omaha,” he said. “It’s transformative ideas that are going to allow us to be not only sustainable but gainfully active.” His message on culture as equity was one of the episode’s most memorable moments: “Every music in America has been built off of our experience, from the hardest rock music to the jazziest jazz music. That’s equity. And the sooner we look at it as equity to build and monetize for our community, the better we’re going to be.”
NMA is also actively seeking music instructors who can do more than teach — they need people who can inspire. Interested educators can reach Dana Murray at dmurray@northomahamusic.org or assistant Andrew Bailey at abailey@northomahamusic.org.
The show closed on a note as warm as it opened, with Paul B. reflecting on what he called the “secondary matrix” — the deeper purpose woven into community-focused work. “Everything that we do has a secondary meaning, a deeper meaning,” he said. “On the surface we’re a couple of talking heads that talk about some news with the community. But what we’re really trying to do is build community, build some coalition.” Buddy the God landed the closing thought with characteristic directness: “We got to do both — we have to build our own ecosystems and continue to vote, continue to fight. The lanes are running. The lanes are wide open. Just get in where you fit in and make it happen.”
Viewer Pops may have said it best from the chat: “Thanks for another great week of shows. You and the Chat Chimers have made First Sky a true pillar in the community.” Hard to argue with that.
Tune in Monday morning — you won’t want to miss what Paul B., Buddy the God, and the 1st Sky community have in store next.
