It was a Love Supreme Friday on 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning, and from the very first moment, hosts Paul B. and Buddy the God made clear what kind of show it was going to be. With primary election results stirring conversation — and more than a little friction — across the Friends of First Sky Omaha community page, Paul B. made a deliberate choice about the tone of the day.
“There’s a lot of chatter going on on Friends of First Sky Omaha. There’s a lot of back and forth, friends breaking up, all kinds of stuff happening over politics — and that just is like, okay, well, we have to make a decision. It’s going to be Love Supreme Friday today.”
And love supreme it was. The episode touched on civic engagement, community infrastructure, and the quiet, persistent work of institution-building in North Omaha — all anchored by a conversation with one of the most compelling voices working on the ground there today.
Before the main interview, the hosts wove together a tapestry of community bright spots that don’t always make the evening news. They highlighted Charell Shelton’s Core Science Bio Diagnostics lab, Omaha North’s nationally recognized engineering program, Heart Ministry Center’s upcoming grocery store, and two upcoming cultural events: the NMA Fest and Boots Riley’s film I Love Boosters, screening at Film Streams. Viewer Aeros 402 brought a personal bright spot of his own to the chat: “On a love note, my only daughter gave birth to my second granddaughter. They are both new and good. I feel blessed.” The room, virtual as it was, felt it.
The conversation turned to civic participation and the sometimes-frustrating gap between voting and self-determination. Paul B. articulated a both/and philosophy that he clearly holds close: “You still do for self and then you vote so it can be supported and uplifted. You vote so it can be supported rather than undermined by those who are in office. That’s the dichotomy.” Buddy the God extended the thought toward something longer-range — an ecosystem, he said, “that lives on and perpetuates itself,” building the next generation and trusting that generation to build the one after that.
That vision found its fullest expression when Dana Murray joined the show. Murray is the executive force behind the North Omaha Music Academy — formerly known as Love’s Jazz — situated on North 24th Street. A South Omaha native who spent eleven years in New York City before returning home, Murray came back, by his own account, simply to teach kids music. What he found when he got here changed the scope of his mission entirely.
“I came down there to teach kids how to play music, and that was my sole motivation. When I got my feet on the ground, I realized God brought me down here for other things, and almost kicking and screaming I’ve had to align myself with a lot of other adjacent agendas.”
That alignment has produced something remarkable. NMA today functions as a youth music academy, a performance space, and a growing venue — and Murray’s ambitions for it are anything but modest. He pointed to Omaha Performing Arts as a model, not just as a cultural institution, but as an economic engine generating $40 to $50 million in revenue annually for downtown. His vision is for NMA to serve that same function for North 24th Street. A capital campaign with a first phase of $20 million is on the horizon, with a full NMA campus as the ultimate goal.
Paul B. has long held a clear view of what’s at stake on that corridor. “I’ve always called it the most important black corner in Nebraska,” he said, “and we have to be of service to it.” Murray agreed, and added a candid assessment of the work still needed from within the community itself. He described North 24th Street as an area that has the history and the bones to be a thriving cultural and arts district — but one that has drifted far from that identity. He used Native Omaha Days as a loving but pointed example, contrasting it with South Omaha’s Cinco de Mayo celebration.
“I love Native Omaha Days at its core, but it is a failed opportunity to showcase our culture — it doesn’t invite the rest of Omaha down to partake in what we have to offer. Look at South Omaha’s Cinco de Mayo and how they champion their culture. They invite everybody down to be part of it. I wish we did more of that.”
Viewer Pops connected the conversation to living history, noting that “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.” That kind of cultural memory is exactly what Murray is trying to honor and extend. Viewer Mark Manor, meanwhile, chimed in about an upcoming performance: “Mono Neon is one of the last relevant connections to Prince. I saw him a few years ago — he’s awesome. Do not miss that.”
What anchored Murray’s vision, though, wasn’t infrastructure or economics — it was the kids. Paul B. introduced the idea of the “secondary matrix” early in the show: the deeper purpose running beneath the surface of any meaningful work. For NMA, the surface is music. The secondary matrix is something far larger.
“We’re not only raising musicians, 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 — and whatever they choose, they’re going to be better because they were aligned with artistry.”
NMA also teaches live sound, broadcasting, podcasting, and interviewing — giving students real, marketable skills right now, not someday. “It’s not just telling them they can be something,” Murray said. “They can be it right now.” Viewer Senator KML put it simply and personally: “Thank you, Uncle Dana. You’re changing lives in big ways. We are the students.”
For anyone moved to get involved — whether as an instructor, a supporter, or simply someone curious about what’s being built on North 24th Street — Dana Murray can be reached at dmurray@northomahahmusic.org, and his assistant Andrew Bailey at abailey@northomahahmusic.org.
It was, from start to finish, exactly the kind of Friday morning Omaha deserves — grounded in community, honest about challenges, and genuinely hopeful about what comes next. Join Paul B., Buddy the God, and the whole First Sky family back on Monday morning. You won’t want to miss what’s next.
