It was a Love Supreme Friday on 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning, and hosts Paul B. and Buddy the God brought the kind of energy that makes you want to pull up a chair and stay awhile. From a candid look at Nebraska’s recent primary results to a wide-ranging conversation about music, culture, and the soul of North Omaha, episode 53 of Season 4 delivered exactly what regular viewers have come to expect — real talk, rooted in community.
The show opened with some sobering reflection on civic participation following the Nebraska primary. The hosts leaned into a comment shared on-air from viewer Raquel Henderson, who wrote: “Only 339,320 out of more than 1.2 million registered voters in Nebraska showed up yesterday. Think about that for a second. And yet everybody has something to say. Posting on Facebook is not enough. Awareness without action changes nothing.” Buddy the God echoed the sentiment plainly: “None of this really matters if everybody voted. That’s a pretty valid point that a lot of this doesn’t matter if everybody voted.” Viewer Sean McCarthy added a layer to the conversation, noting that “one huge problem is so many of these positions don’t pay a living wage, so only those who can afford to hold those positions run” — a reminder that civic barriers aren’t always about apathy.
But as always on 1st Sky, the conversation didn’t stay heavy for long. Paul B. took a moment to remind viewers what the show is really about beneath the surface. “Everything that we do has a secondary meaning, a deeper meaning,” he said. “On the surface, we’re a couple of talking heads that talk about some news with the community — but what we’re really trying to do is build community, build some coalition, be able to speak to and build a family of people that we can regularly talk to and come to some conclusions so we can get to some action.” That’s the secondary matrix, as Paul B. calls it — and it was very much in play on this Friday morning.
The heart of the episode was a rich, inspiring interview with Dana Murray, founder and 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 poured his experience and vision into building something that goes far beyond a music school.
“NMA is a youth music academy, a performance space, and a performance venue,” Murray explained. “If you think of Omaha Performing Arts and what it means to downtown — not only as a cultural and music entertainment entity, but as an economic vehicle that brings in $40 to $50 million in revenue every year — that’s what we’re trying to build for North Omaha.” The ambition is as clear as it is compelling: Murray sees NMA as the kind of anchor institution that can transform the North 24th Street corridor into a true cultural destination — one with hotels, music festivals, restaurants, and the infrastructure to sustain it all.
But the mission, Murray was quick to emphasize, runs deeper than bricks and mortar. “We’re not only raising musicians but more importantly raising more critical thinking human beings,” he said. “A lot of these young kids are not going to become musicians by choice — some will become doctors, lawyers, business owners — but whatever they choose to do, they’re going to be better because they were aligned with artistry.” Paul B. couldn’t agree more, noting that “when you learn music, your brain synapsis starts 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 when you expand your mind with studying music.”
Murray also pulled back the curtain on everything NMA offers beyond instrument lessons. Students learn live sound engineering, broadcasting, podcasting, and even how to conduct artist interviews — in a working broadcast lab. “It’s not just teaching them ‘you can be this someday’ — no, you can be this right now,” Murray said. “Once you remove those barriers, sky’s the limit.” Viewer Pops was moved by the conversation, sharing in the chat: “I love this interview. This brother’s vibe is so cool and his intentions are admirable. First Sky loves the kids.”
On the question of North 24th Street’s identity and potential, both Murray and the hosts were unequivocal. Paul B. has long called it “the most important Black corner in Nebraska,” and Murray built on that foundation with equal conviction. “Our culture is equity,” he said. “Our brilliance, our artistic genius is equity. Every music in America has been built off of our experience — from the hardest rock music to the jazziest jazz, you trace it all the way back to the music brought over from Africa. The sooner we look at it as equity for us to build and monetize for our community, the better we’re going to be.” NMA’s next milestone is a $20 million capital campaign — the first phase of what Murray envisions as a full campus along the corridor.
The show also made room for a moment of pure joy. Viewer Aeros 402 shared a personal note that warmed the whole chat: “On a love note, my only daughter gave birth to my second granddaughter. They are both new and good. I feel blessed.” That’s the 1st Sky community in a nutshell — civic discourse and new grandbabies, all under one roof.
For anyone inspired by what Dana Murray is building, NMA is actively seeking music instructors who are as committed to inspiring young people as they are to teaching technique. Interested educators can reach Murray directly at dmurray@northomahamusic.org or his assistant Andrew Bailey at abailey@northomahamusic.org.
It was, by every measure, the kind of Friday morning that leaves you feeling like Omaha’s best days are still ahead. Tune in Monday when Paul B., Buddy the God, and the Chat Chimers do it all over again — because in this community, the conversation never really stops.
