EPISODE 7: Not Your Father’s Fairy Tale (with John Kavanaugh)

While Paul’s off gallivanting in LA, David welcomes his longtime songwriting partner John Kavanaugh as guest co-host. John (9-time Emmy nominee, Sofia the First, Elena of Avalor, Descendants 3) joins for a deep dive into the realities of songwriting for Disney, film, television, stage—and what separates a song from a track.They cover:✅ Landing their newest Disney song (and how blind submissions work)✅ The strange mix of art, commerce, and luck behind every song placement✅ The craft of structure, form, and musical theatre songwriting vs pop songwriting✅ Their collaboration on My Once Upon A Time (Descendants 3)✅ The long road of their musical Five Women at an Airport — now streaming on Virtual Stage Lab🎧 PLUS: A never-before-heard surprise — the original demo track of "My Once Upon A Time"Produced by Marco Marinangeli & performed by Ashley Morgan — the first recording Dove Cameron heard before laying down her version.💻 More from this episode:🎼 Five Women at an Airport → https://fivewomenatairportmusical.com🎥 Virtual Stage Lab → https://virtualstagelab.com🎶 Watch/listen to My Once Upon A Time →  https://youtu.be/eS4po4pY3xs?si=AKSfgVJEkAFnhr5Y🎙 Contact Virtual Stage Lab: [email protected] Favorite Sings is a production of Virtual Stage Lab.CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS00:00 — Pink headphones, Pride Month & LA flashbacks04:40 — Guest intro: John Kavanaugh’s Emmy-winning resume08:15 — Landing their newest Disney song12:50 — Blind submissions & the Disney song process17:20 — Structure: musical theatre vs pop songwriting24:00 — The story behind My Once Upon A Time35:00 — Why training matters for songwriters42:10 — The evolution of Five Women at an Airport52:30 — Virtual Stage Lab & democratizing musical development1:02:00 — Shameless Plugs: Five Women at an Airport1:07:30 — Tony Awards recap1:13:00 — 🎧 BONUS: The original demo of "My Once Upon A Time"