Friday mornings in Omaha have a certain feel when 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning is live — and this past “Love Supreme Friday” was no exception. Hosts Paul B. and Buddy the God opened the show with something that felt less like a broadcast and more like a conversation at your kitchen table: honest, grounded, and full of love for this city.
With Nebraska’s primary election results fresh on everyone’s minds, the hosts didn’t shy away from the numbers. Buddy the God, citing a post from Raquel Henderson of the mayor’s office, put it plainly:
“Only 339,000 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.”
It was a sobering note, but one delivered without despair. Buddy followed it with a call for balance:
“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.”
Paul B. set the tone for the weekend with characteristic warmth. “It’s a decision,” he said about choosing a positive mindset amid political tensions. “We’re going to change our mindsets over to something else… it’s real easy to let your emotions take over when there’s so much to be emotional about. So that’s what I’m going to try to do for the weekend.” That spirit carried through the entire episode.
The show also celebrated two bright spots in the community — Charell Shelton’s new diagnostic lab in North Omaha and Omaha North High School’s nationally recognized engineering program — before Paul B. introduced what he called the “secondary matrix”: the deeper purpose running beneath everything the show, and the community, does. “Everything that we do has a secondary meaning, a deeper meaning,” he explained. “On the surface, we’re a couple of talking heads that talk about some news — but what we’re really trying to do is build community, build some coalition.” It’s a philosophy that set the perfect stage for the morning’s featured guest.
Dana Murray, director of the North Omaha Music Academy (NMA) — formerly known as Love’s Jazz — joined the show from his home on North 24th Street, and the conversation that followed was one of those rare exchanges that makes you want to pull up a chair and stay awhile. A South Omaha native who spent eleven years in New York City before returning home, Murray brings both an insider’s love and an outsider’s eye to the corridor he now calls his professional home.
When asked about his vision for North 24th Street — what the hosts affectionately call “the deuce” — Murray was both candid and expansive. “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. But he didn’t sugarcoat the challenges. For a district to truly thrive, he argued, it needs the full infrastructure: housing, eateries, parking, laundromats, and destination attractions. “It would be great to have a hotel,” he added, “with a hotel, now you can throw larger attractions, music festivals, and conferences right in the community.”
Murray was equally thoughtful when reflecting on the cultural identity of North Omaha and where his own community stands in relation to it. “If you’re Black and you’re in Omaha, especially in the ’70s and early ’80s, everyone had a shared relationship with North Omaha,” he said. “That was the Mecca for us.” But he pushed back gently on what he called a “false sense of security with pride,” suggesting that too many community gatherings — including beloved traditions like Native Omaha Days — miss an opportunity to invite all of Omaha in. “One of the things I’ve tried to do was reach out and be a beacon for all of Omaha to come down to North 24th Street,” he said. “And people don’t have any problem coming from wherever they are in Omaha or Iowa to come hear jazz music or whatever we present.”
Viewer Pops echoed that history in the chat, writing: “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.” It was a reminder that the vision Murray is chasing isn’t new — it’s a reclamation.
At the heart of NMA’s work, Murray was clear: this is about far more than music. “We’re not only raising musicians; more importantly, we’re raising more critical-thinking human beings,” he said, “because these young kids are not all 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.’s secondary matrix, it turns out, runs straight through every note these kids play.
Looking ahead, Murray shared that NMA is preparing to launch a capital campaign — with a first phase of $20 million — aimed at building a full NMA campus on North 24th Street. The model he holds up? Omaha Performing Arts and the economic engine it has become for downtown. “That’s what we’re trying to build for North Omaha,” he said simply. And with a vision rooted in the belief that “our culture is equity,” it’s hard not to believe him.
For those inspired to get involved, Murray invited music instructors to reach out — with one important caveat. “Anyone can have the X’s and O’s of teaching,” he said, “but unless you’re able to inspire a young person, they don’t really have the attention span for it. The instructors we bring in have to have in their arsenal the ability to inspire another human being.” Interested educators can contact Murray at dmurray@northomahamusic.org or assistant Andrew Bailey at abailey@northomahamusic.org.
The chat was alive with community warmth all morning. Viewer Derek Higgins summed up what many were feeling: “Congrats, Dana, and what NMA is doing.” And viewer Aeros 402 (Mary Sanchez) brought a beautiful personal note to the Love Supreme Friday spirit, sharing: “On a love note, my only daughter gave birth to my second granddaughter. They are both new and good. I feel blessed.” The hosts paused to celebrate right along with her — because that’s what this show does.
Before signing off, the hosts also gave a nod to the upcoming screening of Boots Riley’s new film I Love Boosters at Film Streams on May 22nd — another thread in the rich cultural fabric the show works to spotlight each week.
If you missed this one, do yourself a favor and catch the replay — and then make sure you’re up bright and early Monday morning, because 1st Sky Omaha in the Morning will be right back where it belongs: in your living room, keeping it real, and keeping it community.
