There’s something quietly powerful about a Friday morning show that makes a deliberate choice to lead with love. That’s exactly what happened on the latest episode of 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning, when hosts Paul B. and Buddy the God — fresh off a week of post-primary election news — made a conscious pivot toward something more sustaining.
“We have to make a decision,” Paul B. told viewers early in the broadcast. “It’s going to be Love Supreme Friday today. And we’re going to change our mindsets over to something else — because it’s real easy to let your emotions take over when there’s so much to be emotional about.” The audience responded warmly. Viewer Judy Princ offered her own simple remedy: “If you are sad or angry, go out and help others. Your attitude will change.” And viewer Aeros 402 set the tone beautifully from the jump: “On a love note, my only daughter gave birth to my second granddaughter. They are both new and good. I feel blessed.”
That spirit of community and forward motion carried through the entire two hours. Before settling into the morning’s centerpiece conversation, the hosts touched on the post-primary landscape with characteristic honesty. Buddy the God noted plainly, “None of this really matters if the people don’t vote. And as I’ve been listening to conversations, the reality is, that’s a pretty valid point — a lot of this doesn’t matter if everybody voted.” Viewer Kimber Snipes pushed the conversation further, sharing that in her talks with people between the ages of 20 and 35, “most of them don’t really know what to do and know nothing about the candidates,” and suggesting that rather than shaming non-voters, “we need to have more education and deep dive discussions.” It was the kind of grounded, community-level exchange that makes this show feel less like morning television and more like a neighborhood conversation worth having.
The show also celebrated several local wins worth knowing about: Char Shelton’s Core Science Bio Diagnostics, Omaha North’s nationally recognized engineering program, and an upcoming Film Streams screening of Boots Riley’s film I Love Boosters all got their moments in the spotlight.
But the heart of the morning belonged to Dana Murray, executive director and founder of the North Omaha Music Academy (NMA). A South Omaha native who spent eleven years in New York City before returning home, Murray has built something remarkable on the North 24th Street corridor — a youth music academy and performance venue that is, by his own description, just getting started.
Murray came in measured, clear-eyed, and deeply practical — the kind of guest who makes you want to lean forward. On the vision for North 24th Street, he didn’t traffic in nostalgia. “There’s been a whole lot of stuff on North 24th Street that wasn’t sustainable,” he said plainly. “I can’t get caught up in the emotion of redevelopment — the X’s and O’s have to make sense.” His blueprint is concrete: enough housing, services, parking, grocery access, and gas stations to support a community from within, plus the restaurants, lounges, entertainment venues, and yes — even a hotel — to make the corridor a true destination that draws people from across Omaha.
Murray’s own journey to NMA was not entirely planned. “I came down to teach kids how to play music — that was my sole motivation,” he said. “When I got my feet on the ground, I realized God brought me down here for other things.” Almost reluctantly, he said, the vision expanded. A performance space became not just logical but necessary. “Everything we do should involve some economic development,” he said. “I think it would be irresponsible not to.”
Paul B. framed Murray’s work through what he calls the “secondary matrix” — the deeper layer beneath the surface mission. “Dana Murray teaches kids music on the surface,” he said, “but the secondary matrix is creating critical thinkers — people that can go further in their fields because they have the discipline and mind-expanding benefits of musical training.” Murray himself echoed that. “We’re not only raising musicians; we’re raising more critical thinking human beings. Whatever these young people choose to do, they’re going to be better because they were aligned with artistry.”
NMA’s curriculum goes well beyond instruments. Students learn live sound engineering, broadcasting, and podcasting. They’re taught who Buddy Miles was, who Victor Lewis was — “why he’s one of the most recorded jazz drummers in history.” As Murray put it, “If you give kids context, they connect the dots themselves.” And crucially, the skills aren’t hypothetical. “It’s not just telling them, ‘oh, you can be this.’ No — you can be this right now.”
The academy is now eyeing a $20 million first phase capital campaign toward a full NMA campus. The comparison Murray keeps returning to is Omaha Performing Arts — a cultural institution that generates $40 to $50 million in annual revenue for the downtown corridor. “We need a vehicle like that for North Omaha,” he said, “and I see NMA taking up that space.” Viewer Pops put it in personal terms: “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.”
For those interested in teaching at NMA, Murray extended an open invitation — with a caveat. “Anyone can have the X’s and O’s of teaching, but unless you’re able to inspire a young person, they don’t have the attention span for it. The why they’re doing it is everything.” Interested instructors can reach Murray at dmurray@northomahamusic.org or assistant Andrew Bailey at abailey@northomahamusic.org. The NMA Fest is also on the horizon — stay tuned for details.
Buddy the God closed the show the way only he can — with something that felt like both a challenge and an invitation: “All you have to do is find get in where you fit in. The lanes are running. The lanes are wide open. Just get in where you fit in and make it happen.”
And Paul B., as always, kept it rooted in place: “I’ve always called it the most important black corner in Nebraska. We got to serve it. We have to be of service to it.”
That’s the frequency 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning is broadcasting on — service, inspiration, and the quiet belief that this community has everything it needs to build something lasting. Tune in Monday morning and be part of the conversation.
