Love Supreme Friday lived up to its name on the latest episode of 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning, as hosts Paul B. and Buddy the God welcomed a guest whose work is quietly — and not so quietly — reshaping one of Omaha’s most storied neighborhoods. Dana Murray, Executive Director of the North Omaha Music Academy (NMA), joined the show for a conversation that wove together music, youth development, civic vision, and the enduring power of culture as currency.
The show opened, as it often does, with the hosts taking the temperature of the community. Nebraska’s recent primary election results were on everyone’s mind, and the conversation didn’t shy away from the hard truth about voter turnout. Viewer Sean McCarthy dropped a sobering stat into the chat: “The Douglas County Election Commissioner said the average primary voter turnout percentage was around 35% in Douglas County.” Paul B. echoed the urgency, reading aloud from a post by community voice Raquel Henderson:
“Posting on Facebook is not enough. Awareness without action changes nothing. We cannot keep sitting out the process and then feeling powerless when decisions are made without us.”
Buddy the God offered a broader frame for the frustration many feel. “The system is the way that we relate to each other,” he said. “We have to build our own ecosystems and continue to do the things that we’re about to talk about — but in the long run, we do got to figure this out as a nation.” It was a call not to despair, but to do both: work within and beyond broken structures at the same time. That idea — of layered, intentional purpose — set the tone perfectly for the conversation with Dana Murray.
Murray, a South Omaha native who spent eleven years in New York City before returning home, now leads NMA from its home on North 24th Street, the corridor Paul B. has long called “the most important black corner in Nebraska.” And from the moment Murray began speaking, it was clear why the hosts were so eager to have him on. His vision is big, his language is precise, and his love for the community is unmistakable.
“The arts are the core of who we are as people — definitely as black people — and the history of North Omaha, and really Omaha,” Murray said. “There’s so much shared history from North Omaha and South Omaha, and with a lot of the development going on, there’s very little talked about the social, people development, and healing that has to happen to even take advantage of all the opportunities.”
NMA, he explained, is more than a music school. It is a performance space, a broadcast lab, and — in his vision — a future economic engine for the entire corridor. He drew a direct comparison to Omaha Performing Arts downtown, noting that institution generates $40 to $50 million in revenue annually. “We’re not only raising musicians,” Murray said, “but more importantly we’re raising more critical thinking human beings, because these young kids are not all going to become musicians. Some will become doctors, lawyers, business owners — whatever they choose, they’re going to be better because they were aligned with artistry.”
Paul B. put a name to that idea. He called it the “secondary matrix” — the deeper layer of purpose that runs beneath the visible work. “Everything that we do has a secondary meaning, a deeper meaning,” Paul B. said. “In Dana Murray’s case, he teaches kids music — but the secondary matrix is to create critical thinkers.” Viewer Pops felt that personally, sharing: “I experienced my secondary matrix in junior high when I took algebra. I was gaining proficiency and noticed I was suddenly able to think outside the box on several different levels. Music the same.”
Murray spoke candidly about North 24th Street’s potential — and the gap between what it has been and what it could be again. “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. “We’ve been so far removed from that.” He laid out a practical vision: enough housing, eateries, transportation, entertainment, and even a hotel that could anchor larger festivals and conferences right in the heart of the community. “If you can have bigger entertainment and bring attractions, people will come,” he said simply.
He also addressed what he sees as a missed opportunity in how the community presents itself. “At every opportunity, we fail at taking advantage of showcasing our culture and highlighting the excellence of who we are,” Murray said. His work at NMA has been, in part, a direct answer to that failure — and the community has responded. Viewer Mark Manor noted: “When I go there it is the same people at shows at Waiting Room, Slow Down, and the Jewel. So people are coming from all around town and getting down at NMA, which I find impressive as well.”
Looking ahead, Murray announced that NMA is preparing to launch a capital campaign — with a first phase goal of $20 million — aimed at building a full NMA campus. “Money is not our issue in North Omaha, really,” he said. “It’s transformative ideas that are going to allow us to be not only sustainable but gainfully active. What we have to sell in most black communities is our culture. Our culture is equity. Our artistic genius is equity. The sooner we understand that, the better off we’re going to be.”
The show also gave a warm preview of the upcoming NMA Fest, which Paul B. praised enthusiastically. “When I’m comparing festivals, this one to me is the one,” he said. “If I was going to put a festival together, it’d be this — and it’s going to be huge.” Those interested in teaching at NMA can reach Dana Murray directly at dmurray@northomahamusic.org or assistant Andrew Bailey at abailey@northomahamusic.org.
The show closed the way the best Friday mornings do — with warmth and a little joy. Viewer Aeros 402 shared a love note to the chat: “My only daughter gave birth to my second granddaughter. They are both new and good. I feel blessed.” It was a perfect reminder of what the show — and the community it serves — is really about.
If you missed this one, make a point to catch the next episode of 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning — because conversations this good deserve a seat at your breakfast table.
