It was another Love Supreme Friday on 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning, and hosts Paul B. and Buddy the God brought the energy, the conversation, and the community love that regular viewers have come to expect. From a fresh look at Nebraska’s midterm primary results to a deeply inspiring sit-down with one of North Omaha’s most passionate cultural architects, Episode 53 of Season 4 was the kind of show that reminds you why local media still matters.
The morning opened with Paul B. and Buddy reflecting on civic engagement and voter turnout — a topic that clearly weighs on both hosts. Buddy the God put it plainly: “We got to do both. We got 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 far as a nation.” He added a point that seemed to land hard with the audience: “None of this really matters if everybody voted. That’s a pretty valid point — a lot of this doesn’t matter if everybody voted.” Viewer Mama God echoed that sentiment in the chat, writing, “People say they want younger leaders, but are they prepared to donate their time and vote? Low to average turnout even when Spivey, McKinney, Kimra, Wayne, etc. are on the ballot.” It was a sobering but honest moment that set the tone for a morning built around community accountability.
Before long, the hosts pivoted to celebrate some local wins worth shouting about. Charell Shelton received recognition for a diagnostic lab award, Omaha North’s engineering program earned a notable distinction, and Heart Ministry Center announced an upcoming grocery store — a development that will mean real, tangible relief for families in the community. These aren’t small things, and Paul B. and Buddy made sure they didn’t get lost in the shuffle.
The heart of the episode, though, belonged to Dana Murray — founder and director of the North Omaha Music Academy (NMA), formerly known as Love’s Jazz, on North 24th Street. A South Omaha native who spent eleven years in New York City before returning home, Murray brought a rare combination of big-city vision and deep Omaha roots to the conversation.
Paul B. framed the interview beautifully with what he called the “secondary matrix” — the idea that everything meaningful operates on two levels. “Dana Murray teaches kids music on the surface,” he said, “but the secondary matrix is to create critical thinkers.” Murray himself couldn’t have said it better — though he certainly tried, and succeeded.
“We’re not only raising musicians; more importantly, we’re raising more critical thinking human beings, because all these young kids are not going to become musicians by choice. Some will become doctors, some lawyers, some business owners. Whatever they choose to do, they’re going to be better because they were aligned with artistry.”
Murray spoke with striking clarity about what NMA is building — and what North 24th Street, affectionately called “the Deuce,” could become. He didn’t shy away from the hard truths either. As someone who grew up in South Omaha, he acknowledged the territorial pride that sometimes holds the community back: “One of the things that holds us back is this false sense of security with pride as it pertains to North Omaha. None of that does anything for us at this point.” He described his mission as making NMA a beacon for all of Omaha — and beyond. “People have no problem coming from wherever they are in Omaha or Iowa to come hear jazz music. That taboo about the area and its ability to be an attraction was false. We’ve proven that.”
The vision Murray laid out for NMA’s future is nothing short of ambitious. He’s eyeing a full campus, beginning with a $20 million capital campaign, modeled after the kind of economic engine that Omaha Performing Arts has been for downtown. “If you can have bigger entertainment, if you can bring attractions, people will come,” he said. “Money is not our issue really in North Omaha. It’s transformative ideas that are going to allow us to be not only sustainable but gainfully active.”
Murray also touched on something that resonated deeply — the economic value of Black culture itself. “The sooner we understand that our culture is equity, that our brilliance and our artistic genius is equity, the better off we’re going to be,” he said. “Every music in America has been built off of our experience. You trace it all the way back to the music that was brought over here from Africa. And that’s equity for us to build and monetize for our community.”
The chat was alive all morning. Viewer Pops connected the dots beautifully, writing, “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.” And in a touching moment that reminded everyone what community really looks like, viewer Aeros 402 shared some 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 chat paused, it seemed, to celebrate alongside him.
Paul B. wrapped the conversation on music education with a line that stuck: “When you learn music, your brain synapses start firing in different ways in order for you to understand other things better as well. You become a better student, more intelligent, and everything else.” It’s a truth that educators and parents alike would do well to keep in their back pocket.
For anyone interested in connecting with the North Omaha Music Academy — whether as a student family, a prospective instructor, or a community supporter — Dana Murray can be reached at dmurray@northomahamusic.org, and his assistant Andrew Bailey at abailey@northomahamusic.org. Keep an eye out for NMA Fest, coming soon to the Deuce.
It was, as Pops put it in the chat, “another great week of shows.” If this Friday was any indication, Monday can’t come soon enough. Tune in to 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning and bring a neighbor — this is exactly the kind of conversation our community needs to be having together.
