It was a “Love Supreme Friday” on the set of 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning, and hosts Paul B. and Buddy the God were in the mood to shift gears. After weeks of heavy political conversation leading up to Nebraska’s primary elections, Paul B. set the tone early: “We’ve been talking a lot of politics for a while and it’s time to make a decision — it’s going to be Love Supreme Friday today. We’re going to change our mindsets over to something else.” And change it they did — pivoting toward community, culture, and the quiet but powerful work being done to rebuild one of Omaha’s most storied corridors.
The heart of the morning belonged to guest Dana Murray, director of the North Omaha Music Academy (NMA), located on North 24th Street. A South Omaha native who spent eleven years in New York City before returning home, Murray has been on a mission — not just to teach music, but to build something transformative in a neighborhood that has deep roots and even deeper potential.
Murray was candid about his vision for the North 24th Street corridor, known affectionately by locals as “the Deuce.” “Really, the area that has the most history and the one that can claim ‘we are a cultural and arts district’ for real is the North 24th Street corridor,” he said. “We’ve been so far removed from that.” He laid out a practical blueprint — housing, grocery access, parking, entertainment destinations, and yes, even a hotel — that would allow the area to host larger music festivals and conferences. But Murray was also honest about the road ahead: “There’s been a whole lot of stuff on North 24th Street that wasn’t sustainable, so I can’t get caught up in the emotion of the redevelopment.”
That kind of clear-eyed thinking runs through everything Murray does at NMA. The academy serves as a youth music program, a performance space, and increasingly, a broadcast and media lab where young people learn live sound engineering, podcast production, and live streaming. Murray’s ambitions for NMA draw a deliberate comparison to what Omaha Performing Arts means to downtown — an institution that generates $40 to $50 million in economic activity annually. “That’s what we’re trying to build for North Omaha,” he said plainly.
But the mission goes well beyond music lessons. Murray emphasized that NMA is fundamentally in the business of developing human beings. “We’re not only raising musicians but more importantly raising more critical thinking human beings,” he said, “because all these young kids are not going to become musicians by choice. Some will become doctors, lawyers, business owners — whatever they choose to do, they’re going to be better because they were aligned with artistry.” Paul B. echoed this idea with what he called the “secondary matrix” — the deeper benefit beneath the surface-level skill. “In Dana Murray’s case, he teaches kids music — on the surface that’s what it is,” Paul B. explained. “But the secondary matrix is to create critical thinkers, people that can go further in their fields because they have the discipline of musical training and the mind-expanding benefits of it.” Viewer Pops connected with the concept personally, writing in: “I experienced my secondary matrix in junior high when I took algebra. I was gaining proficiency and noticed that I was suddenly able to think outside the box on several different levels. Music the same.”
Murray also spoke passionately about teaching young students the context behind the music — introducing them to North Omaha legends like Buddy Miles and Victor Lewis. “If you give kids context, they connect the dots for themselves,” he said. “Now you’ve got a critical thinking human. That’s ultimately what we’re trying to do.” The broadcast lab takes that a step further, putting microphones directly in the hands of students. “We get the kids doing interviews of some of these artists just to get them entrenched in what that is,” Murray said. “It’s not just telling them ‘you can be this.’ No — you can be this right now.”
Looking ahead, Murray announced plans for a capital campaign with a first phase goal of $20 million, with the long-term vision of an NMA campus. His argument was pointed and proud: “What we have to sell in most black communities is our culture. The sooner we understand that our culture is equity — that our brilliance, our artistic genius is equity — the better off we’re going to be.” Viewer Senator KML summed it up simply in the chat: “Thank you, Uncle Dana. You’re changing lives in big ways. We are the students.”
NMA is currently seeking music instructors who bring more than technical knowledge to the table. Murray and his assistant Andrew Bailey can be reached at dmurray@northomahusic.org and abailey@northomahusic.org, respectively. “Unless you’re able to inspire a young person, they don’t really have the attention span for the X’s and O’s of music,” Murray said. “The instructors we bring in have to embody the ability to inspire another human being.”
The morning also made room for community celebrations. Viewer Aeros 402 shared a joyful update: “On a love note, my only daughter gave birth to my second granddaughter. They are both new and good. I feel blessed.” The show also recognized local entrepreneur Charell Shelton on a recent business award, and Buddy the God closed the hour with an open invitation to anyone looking to get involved in the community’s momentum: “All you have to do is find get in where you fit in. That’s all you got to do. It’s all happening. The lanes are running. The lanes are wide open. Just get in where you fit in and make it happen.”
It was exactly the kind of Friday morning Omaha needed — grounded, inspired, and full of love. Tune in Monday for another edition of 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning, and bring a neighbor with you.
