It was a Love Supreme Friday on 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning, and hosts Paul B. and Buddy the God brought the kind of conversation that sticks with you long after the stream ends. From a frank look at this week’s primary election results to a deeply inspiring sit-down with one of North Omaha’s most committed culture builders, the episode was a reminder of why community television matters.
The show opened with a pulse check on Tuesday’s primary, and the numbers were sobering. Paul B. read aloud 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. And yet everybody has something to say. Posting on Facebook is not enough. Awareness without action changes nothing.”
Viewer Sean McCarthy added context from the chat, noting that the Douglas County Election Commissioner put average primary turnout in the county at around 35 percent. The hosts didn’t let the moment pass quietly. Buddy the God made the case that civic engagement and community building aren’t competing priorities — they’re inseparable ones. “We got to do both — build our own ecosystems and continue to vote,” he said. “The idea is we have to vote so we can support what it is that we’re doing for ourselves, rather than it being undermined by those who are in office.”
From there, the conversation turned toward what building a real, lasting ecosystem in North Omaha could look like — and that’s where Dana Murray stepped in to paint the picture.
Murray is the founder and executive director of the North Omaha Music Academy, known as NMA, located on the historic North 24th Street corridor. A South Omaha native and professional musician who spent eleven years honing his craft in New York City, Murray returned home with a vision that goes far beyond teaching kids to play instruments. The academy — formerly known as Love’s Jazz — functions as a youth music academy, a performance space, and a live events venue, and Murray has his eyes set on something much bigger.
“If you think of Omaha Performing Arts and what it means to downtown — not only as a cultural entity but as an economic vehicle bringing in $40 to $50 million in revenue every year — that’s what we’re trying to build for North Omaha,” Murray said. The comparison landed. Paul B., who has visited the space firsthand, backed it up: “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.”
But Murray was quick to reframe what NMA is really producing. “We’re not just raising musicians; we’re raising more critical thinking human beings,” he said. “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. echoed that sentiment through what he called the “secondary matrix” — the idea that teaching music rewires young minds in ways that ripple outward. “When you learn music, your brain synapsis starts firing in different ways — you become a better student, more intelligent,” he explained.
What sets NMA apart is its hands-on, meet-them-where-they-are philosophy. Beyond instrument instruction, students learn live sound engineering, broadcast production, and live streaming. NMA even has a podcast and interview studio where kids conduct real interviews with visiting artists. “It’s not just telling them, ‘Oh, you can be this someday,'” Murray said. “No — you can be this right now.” That urgency runs through everything at NMA. “We are in crisis with education because we are losing the ability to inspire young people,” he added. “What we try to do at NMA is come up with tactics and processes that meet them where they are rather than force a curriculum down their throat that is antiquated for their time.”
Murray also spoke candidly about the broader challenge of revitalizing the North 24th Street corridor — what locals affectionately call “the Deuce.” He laid out the practical building blocks any thriving district needs: housing, grocery stores, parking, restaurants, entertainment destinations, and yes, even a hotel so that larger festivals and conferences can be hosted right in the community. “A lot of stuff has come and gone on North 24th Street that wasn’t sustainable,” he said, “and we can’t get caught up in the emotion of redevelopment. The X’s and O’s have to make sense.” Viewer Pops connected the dots from the chat with a personal note: “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.”
Murray isn’t stopping at programming. He announced that NMA is launching a capital campaign — with a first phase goal of $20 million — aimed at eventually building a full NMA campus. “Money is not our issue in North Omaha — it’s transformative ideas that are going to allow us to be not only sustainable but gainfully active,” he said. “What we have to sell in most black communities is our culture, because if we don’t monetize it — which 99% of the time we don’t — the rest of the country does it for us. The sooner we understand that our culture is equity, that our artistic genius is equity, the better off we’re going to be.”
The chat was alive with warmth throughout the interview. Viewer Senator KML wrote simply, “Thank you, Uncle Dana. You’re changing lives in big ways. We are the students.” And in a sweet moment that reminded everyone what Friday mornings are really for, viewer Aeros 402 (Mary Sanchez) shared a personal joy: “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 pause and breathe that one in.
Music instructors interested in joining the NMA team can reach Dana Murray directly at dmurray@northomahamusic.org or his assistant Andrew Bailey at abailey@northomahamusic.org. And be sure to keep an eye out for the upcoming NMA Fest — details are coming soon.
Another week, another Friday well spent with the 1st Sky family. Tune in Monday morning and bring a friend — the conversation is always better when more neighbors pull up a chair.
