It was a Love Supreme Friday on 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning, and hosts Paul B. and Buddy the God came in with something a little different on the agenda — a chance to breathe after weeks of heavy political coverage and turn the conversation toward community, culture, and the future of North Omaha.
“We’ve been talking a lot of politics for a while and it’s… we got a little break after the primaries,” Paul B. told viewers. “Never going to go away completely, but it doesn’t have to dominate the show today.” That spirit set the tone for a warm, wide-ranging episode that touched on civic engagement, arts education, and the very question of what it means to build something that lasts.
Buddy the God made sure the civic thread wasn’t dropped entirely, reminding the audience that all the big conversations about representation and policy ultimately come back to one thing. “None of that really matters if the people don’t vote,” he said, “even down to the Supreme Court decision, because those maps and those numbers are still based on who’s registered, who’s of age, and actually who comes out to vote.” It was a pointed reminder, delivered with the directness viewers have come to expect from him.
Paul B. also introduced what he called the “secondary matrix” — a concept that generated plenty of reaction in the chat. He described it as the deeper purpose running beneath the surface of any meaningful effort. “Everything that we do has a secondary meaning, a deeper meaning,” he explained. “On the surface we’re a couple of talking heads… but what we’re really trying to do is build community, build some coalition.” Viewer Pops connected with the idea immediately, writing: “I experienced my secondary matrix in junior high when I took algebra. I was gaining proficiency. I noticed that I was suddenly able to think outside the box on several different levels. Music the same.” It was the kind of comment that reminds you just how engaged this community really is.
The heart of Friday’s show was a sit-down with Dana Murray, founder and director of the North Omaha Music Academy (NMA), located right on the historic North 24th Street corridor at 24th and Lake. Murray — a musician and educator who spent eleven years in New York City before returning home to Omaha — brought a vision as big as the city itself.
Asked about the future of what locals call “the Deuce,” Murray didn’t mince words about both the corridor’s potential and the challenges holding it back. “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. “And we’ve been so far removed from that — not even what the rest of Omaha views North 24th Street as. I’m more talking to the people that are there, who are so far removed from what that was, that it is hard to build momentum from within when a lot of the community can’t relate to the power of what was.”
Murray laid out a practical blueprint for what a thriving district looks like — housing, services, parking, eateries — and then destinations that draw people in. He even floated the idea of a hotel as a catalyst for larger music festivals and conferences rooted right in the community. Viewer Pops added a piece of living history to the conversation, noting: “Artists like Fats Domino used to stay at your grandfather’s home when he came to town to perform. So yes, more infrastructure for the artist around the Deuce corridor would be a godsend.”
On the question of NMA itself, Murray was equally bold. He pointed to Omaha Performing Arts as a model — not just as a cultural institution, but as an economic engine generating tens of millions of dollars annually for its surrounding area. “That’s what we’re trying to build for North Omaha,” he said. His ambitions include a full NMA campus, anchored by a capital campaign with a first phase of $20 million. But the mission goes deeper than buildings and budgets.
“We’re not only raising musicians, but more importantly we’re raising more critical thinking human beings. All these young kids are not going to become musicians by choice. Some will become doctors, some lawyers, some business owners. Whatever they choose, they’re going to be better because they were aligned with artistry.”
Murray also spoke frankly about the concept of cultural equity — something he clearly believes is both undervalued and urgently needed. “What we have to sell in most black communities is our culture,” he said. “Because if we don’t monetize it — and 99% of the time we don’t — the rest of the country monetizes our culture for us. The sooner we understand that our culture is equity, that our brilliance and artistic genius is equity, the better off we’re going to be.”
Paul B. was effusive about what NMA has already built, telling viewers: “The sound is incredible in there. It’s set up like the Blue Note New York now. And it’s that level of sound quality and everything there.” For those interested in teaching at NMA, Murray encouraged outreach directly to him at dmurray@northomahamusic.org or to his assistant Andrew Bailey at abailey@northomahamusic.org — with the caveat that inspiration matters as much as instruction. “Unless you’re able to inspire a young person, they don’t really have the attention span for the X’s and O’s of music,” he said. “The instructors we bring in have to embody the ability to inspire another human being.”
The chat was buzzing all morning. Viewer Derek Higgins kept it simple and sincere: “Congrats, Dana, and what NMA is doing.” And in one of the morning’s most joyful moments, viewer Aeros 402 shared some personal news: “On a love note, my only daughter gave birth to my second granddaughter. They are both new and good. I feel blessed.” The whole room seemed to smile at that one.
Buddy the God closed out the broader conversation with a thought that tied everything together: “We got to do both — we have to build our own ecosystems and continue to do the things we’re about to talk about. But in the long run, we do got to figure this out as far as a nation.” It was the kind of line that stays with you after the stream ends.
If Friday’s show was any indication, 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning is doing exactly what Paul B. described — building something that matters. Join the conversation Monday morning and see what’s next.
