Friday mornings on 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning have a particular kind of energy, and this past week was no exception. Hosts Paul B. and Buddy the God kicked off what they called a “Love Supreme Friday” — a deliberate shift away from the heavy political conversations that had dominated recent weeks. “We’ve been talking a lot of politics for a while and it’s time to change our mindsets over to something else,” Paul B. told viewers, “living alive with one another, celebrating art, everything else.” The chat lit up immediately, and the warmth never let up for the full hour.
Before diving into the main conversation, the hosts paused to celebrate a significant community win. Charelle Shelton and her company, Core Science Bio Diagnostics, had just taken home a $52,000 prize — a milestone Paul B. was clearly proud to amplify. “This is somebody who puts her money where her mouth is,” he said. “Last time we had her on, she was running for office. Now she’s diving into an industry that can’t be denied because everybody needs what they offer.” It was a quick moment, but a meaningful one — a reminder that the show keeps close tabs on the people doing the work right here in Omaha.
The heart of the episode belonged to Dana Murray, executive director and founder of the North Omaha Music Academy — NMA for short — located on North 24th Street. Murray, a musician and educator who grew up in South Omaha and spent eleven years in New York City before returning home to teach youth, brought a vision for the North 24th Street corridor that was both deeply personal and boldly ambitious.
“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,” Murray said. He painted a vivid picture of what “the deuce” once was: “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 — men in their suits. There was a unity, a love, and a togetherness that was there.” His vision for reclaiming that energy is grounded in the practical: enough housing, services, parking, groceries, and destinations — restaurants, lounges, entertainment — to make the corridor truly self-sustaining. And, he added, a hotel would be a game-changer. “With a hotel, now you can throw larger music festivals and conferences right in the community.”
That vision connects directly to NMA itself. Murray described the academy not just as a place where kids learn instruments, but as something closer to what Omaha Performing Arts means to downtown — an economic engine. “If you think of Omaha Performing Arts and what it means to downtown — not only as a cultural and music entertainment entity, but as an economic vehicle that brings in $40 to $50 million in revenue every year — that’s what we’re trying to be for North Omaha.” The academy already teaches live sound, broadcasting, live streaming, and interviewing. “It’s not just telling them they can be something someday,” Murray said. “They can be it right now.”
Viewer Mark Manor backed that up from experience: “When I go there, it is the same people at shows at Waiting Room, Slow Down, and the Jewels — so people are coming from all around town and getting down at NMA, which I find impressive.” And viewer Senator KML put it simply: “Thank you, Uncle Dana. You’re changing lives in big ways. We are the students.”
Paul B. connected Murray’s work to a broader idea he called the “secondary matrix” — the deeper ripple effects of what looks, on the surface, like one thing. “On the surface, Dana Murray teaches kids music,” Paul B. explained. “But the secondary matrix is creating critical thinkers — people who go further in their fields because of the discipline and mind-expanding benefits of musical training.” Murray agreed wholeheartedly. “These young kids are not all going to become musicians by choice. Some will become doctors, lawyers, business owners. Whatever they choose, they’re going to be better because they were aligned with artistry.” Viewer Pops chimed in with a personal note: “I experienced my secondary matrix in junior high when I took algebra. I noticed I was suddenly able to think outside the box on several different levels. Music the same.”
The conversation also touched on culture as equity — a point Murray made with unmistakable conviction. “Every music in America has been built off of our experience, from the hardest rock to the jazziest jazz, and you trace it all the way back to the music brought over from Africa. That’s equity for us to build and monetize for our community.” He acknowledged that inviting all of Omaha to the table has sometimes been met with skepticism, but his track record speaks for itself. “People told me that was going to be very hard. But people have no problem coming from wherever they are in Omaha or Iowa to come hear jazz music or whatever we present.”
NMA is now preparing for a capital campaign — the first phase totaling $20 million — with the goal of building a full campus on the North 24th Street corridor. For those interested in teaching at NMA, Murray welcomed outreach directly: Dana Murray at dmurray@northomahamusic.org or assistant Andrew Bailey at abailey@northomahamusic.org. He was candid about what they look for in instructors: “Anyone can have the X’s and O’s of teaching, but unless you’re able to inspire a young person, they don’t really have the attention span for the mechanics of music. The why behind doing it is everything.”
The show wrapped on a high note, with viewer Aeros 402 sharing some joyful personal news mid-stream: “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 like something worth showing up for.
Buddy the God may have summed up the whole spirit of the episode best: “We got to do both — build our own ecosystems and continue to do the civic work — because whether you want to be engaged in the system or not, you’re a part of it.” That balance — civic responsibility and community joy, held together — is what 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning does week in and week out.
Tune in Monday morning and see what the week brings. Your neighbors will be watching.
