It was a Love Supreme Friday on 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning, and hosts Paul B. and Buddy the God brought exactly the kind of conversation that earns that title. The guest was Dana Murray — founder and director of the North Omaha Music Academy (NMA) — and what unfolded was one of those discussions that reminds you why local community media matters. There was vision, there was candor, and there was the unmistakable feeling that something real is being built on North 24th Street.
Before Dana took the virtual stage, the hosts set the tone with a reflection on the week’s primary election results and what low voter turnout means for the community going forward. Viewer Sean McCarthy dropped a sobering number into the chat: “The Douglas County Election Commissioner said the average primary voter turnout percentage was around 35% in Douglas County.” Paul B. responded by reading aloud a post from community voice Raquel Henderson that stopped the room:
“Posting on Facebook is not enough. Awareness without action changes nothing.”
It wasn’t a lecture — it was a challenge, and one the show returns to often.
Buddy the God framed the season’s bigger theme simply and directly:
“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.”
That idea — building community institutions while staying engaged in the larger civic conversation — wound through the entire episode like a throughline.
And then came Dana Murray.
A South Omaha native who spent eleven years in New York City before returning home, Murray came back to Omaha with a mission: to create a youth music academy rooted on North 24th Street that would serve the whole city. NMA — formerly known as Love’s Jazz — is that institution. Part academy, part performance venue, part community anchor, it is, in Murray’s own words, meant to be for North Omaha what Omaha Performing Arts is for downtown.
“Think of what Omaha Performing Arts means to downtown as an economic vehicle — they bring in $40 to $50 million in revenue every year,” Murray said. “We’re not only raising musicians; more importantly, we’re raising more critical thinking human beings. Not all these kids are 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.”
It’s an ambitious vision, and Murray is clear-eyed about what it takes to get there. NMA already offers instrument lessons, live sound training, broadcast production, and a podcast lab where students don’t just learn the craft — they practice it immediately, conducting interviews with visiting artists. “I have the kids doing interviews of artists who come to town — not just telling them they can be this someday, but having them be it right now,” Murray said. “Once you remove those barriers, the sky is the limit.”
Paul B., who has deep personal ties to North 24th Street, was visibly moved by the conversation. “I’ve always called it the most important black corner in Nebraska — and we got to serve it,” he said. “We have to be of service to it.” The sentiment landed hard in the chat. Viewer Pops chimed in with a piece of living history: “Artists like Fats Domino used to stay at your grandfather’s home when he came to town to perform. More infrastructure for the artist around the Deuce corridor would be a godsend.”
Murray also spoke candidly about the challenge of building momentum in a corridor that has seen plenty of enthusiasm but not always the sustained infrastructure to back it up. “There’s been a lot of stuff on North 24th Street that wasn’t sustainable, and I can’t get caught up in the emotion of redevelopment without the X’s and O’s making sense,” he said. His vision includes housing, walkable services, eateries, parking — and yes, a hotel, which he called potentially transformative for bringing larger festivals and conferences directly into the community.
On the question of who belongs in the North Omaha ecosystem, Murray was generous and firm. As a South Omaha native, he rejected what he called “a false sense of pride tied to geography.” He pointed to South Omaha’s Cinco de Mayo celebration as a model: “They champion their culture and invite everybody down. I’ve tried to make NMA a beacon for all of Omaha to come to North 24th Street, and people have proven they have no problem coming from anywhere in Omaha or Iowa to hear live music down here.”
The long-term roadmap includes a capital campaign — Phase One is set at $20 million — aimed at building a full NMA campus. “Money is not really our issue in North Omaha,” Murray said. “It’s transformative ideas that will allow us to be not only sustainable but gainfully active.” Viewer Senator KML put it plainly in the chat: “Thank you, Uncle Dana. You’re changing lives in big ways. We are the students.”
Paul B. closed by returning to the show’s own mission, the thing he calls the “secondary matrix” — the deeper purpose beneath the morning conversation.
“Everything that we do has a secondary meaning, a deeper meaning. On the surface we’re a couple of talking heads — but what we’re really trying to do is build community, build coalition, build a family of people that we can regularly talk to and come to some conclusions so we can get to some action.”
The Friday show also made room for some joy. Viewer Aeros 402 shared the sweetest news of the morning: “My only daughter gave birth to my second granddaughter. They are both new and good. I feel blessed.” The chat erupted in celebration — a reminder that this community holds both the serious and the sacred.
Music instructors interested in joining the NMA teaching roster can reach Dana Murray at dmurray@northomahamusic.org or his assistant Andrew Bailey at abailey@northomahamusic.org.
If this Friday is any indication, Season 4 of 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning is building toward something. Tune in Monday and be part of it.
