Friday mornings in Omaha have a particular kind of energy when 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning is in full swing — and this past “Love Supreme Friday” was no exception. Hosts Paul B. and Buddy the God opened the show with a breath of fresh air after weeks of heavy political conversation, pivoting toward something they clearly love: the people, the culture, and the creative heartbeat of this city.
“We’ve been talking a lot of politics for a while and it’s time for a break,” Paul B. said. “We purposely got some of the politics out of the way so we can continue on talking about how the next season’s going to shape up — teamwork makes the dream work.” Still, before fully turning the corner, the hosts paused to reflect on the Nebraska primary elections, noting with concern that voter turnout remained dismally low. Paul B. shared a post from Raquel Henderson of the mayor’s office that stopped the room: “Only 339,000 out of more than 1.2 million registered voters in Nebraska showed up yesterday. Posting on Facebook is not enough. Awareness without action changes nothing.” Viewer Sean McCarthy echoed the concern from the chat, noting that “the Douglas County Election Commissioner said the average primary voter turnout percentage was around 35% in Douglas County,” and adding that low pay for elected positions keeps many qualified people from even running.
With civic duty on their minds but community joy in their hearts, the hosts welcomed their guest: Dana Murray, founder and director of the North Omaha Music Academy (NMA), located on the historic North 24th Street corridor. Murray spent eleven years in New York City as a working musician before returning to Omaha, where he has now dedicated two decades to building NMA into something far greater than a music school — a cultural anchor, a performance venue, and a launchpad for young minds.
The conversation opened with a question close to the show’s soul: what role do the arts play in community healing and development? Murray didn’t hesitate. “The arts are the core of who we are as people — definitely as black people — and the history of North Omaha and really Omaha as a whole,” he said. “With all the development and infrastructure happening, very little is talked about the social, people development, and healing that has to happen to even take advantage of all the opportunities.”
Murray’s vision for the North 24th Street corridor — affectionately called “the Deuce” — is sweeping and specific at the same time. He described the metrics any thriving district needs: housing, services, parking, grocery stores, gas stations. But beyond the basics, he said, a district needs destinations. “It would be great to have a hotel, because then you can throw larger music festivals and conferences right in the community.” Buddy the God connected the dots: “We need a vehicle like Omaha Performing Arts for North Omaha. NMA is taking up that space — if you can bring attractions, people will come, and that fuel develops the area.”
One of the most compelling threads of the interview was Murray’s philosophy on inclusion. Originally from South Omaha, he spoke candidly about the barriers — some self-imposed — that have limited the corridor’s reach. “One of the things that holds us back is a false sense of security with pride as it pertains to North Omaha,” he said. “None of that does anything for us at this point.” He pointed to South Omaha’s Cinco de Mayo celebration as a model worth studying, noting how it draws the entire city together. His approach at NMA has been no different — and the results speak for themselves. Viewer Mark Manor chimed in from the chat: “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.”
At its core, Murray made clear, NMA is not simply about producing musicians. “We’re raising more critical thinking human beings,” he said, “because these young kids are not all going to become musicians. Some will become doctors, lawyers, business owners — but whatever they choose, they’re going to be better because they were aligned with artistry.” The academy teaches students not only to play instruments, but to run live sound, produce podcasts, and conduct interviews — skills rooted in the real world. “It’s not just telling them ‘you can be this’ — no, you can be this right now,” Murray said. “Once you remove those barriers, sky’s the limit.”
History is also woven into the curriculum. Students at NMA learn who Buddy Miles was, why Victor Lewis is one of the most recorded jazz drummers in history, and what those legacies mean for Omaha’s place in the broader American story. “If you give kids context,” Murray explained, “they connect the dots themselves and they start to see how they can be impactful within that ecosystem.” Paul B. described the concept as the show’s beloved “secondary matrix” — the deeper purpose humming beneath the surface of everything NMA does. “In Dana Murray’s case, he teaches kids music — but the secondary matrix is to create critical thinkers who can go further in their fields because they have the discipline and mind-expanding benefits of musical training.” Viewer Pops knew exactly what they meant, writing: “I experienced my secondary matrix in junior high when I took algebra. I was gaining proficiency and noticed that I was suddenly able to think outside the box on several different levels. Music the same.”
Looking ahead, Murray shared that NMA is planning a capital campaign — with a first phase of $20 million — aimed at building a full campus. “Money is not our issue in North Omaha,” he said with conviction. “It’s transformative ideas that are going to allow us to be not only sustainable but gainfully active. 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.”
The show wrapped on a note of warmth and gratitude, with viewer Aeros 402 sharing a personal joy from the chat: “On a love note, my only daughter gave birth to my second granddaughter. They are both new and good. I feel blessed.” It was the perfect Love Supreme Friday moment — a reminder that community is built one conversation, one child, one Friday morning at a time.
Instructors interested in joining the NMA team can reach Dana Murray at dmurray@northomusicacademy.org or assistant Andrew Bailey at abailey@northomusicacademy.org.
If this episode is any indication, the next season of 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning is shaping up to be something special — tune in Monday and see what’s in store.
