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: virtualstagelab@gmail.com

My Favorite Sings is a production of Virtual Stage Lab.

CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS

00:00 — Pink headphones, Pride Month & LA flashbacks
04:40 — Guest intro: John Kavanaugh’s Emmy-winning resume
08:15 — Landing their newest Disney song
12:50 — Blind submissions & the Disney song process
17:20 — Structure: musical theatre vs pop songwriting
24:00 — The story behind My Once Upon A Time
35:00 — Why training matters for songwriters
42:10 — The evolution of Five Women at an Airport
52:30 — Virtual Stage Lab & democratizing musical development
1:02:00 — Shameless Plugs: Five Women at an Airport
1:07:30 — Tony Awards recap
1:13:00 — 🎧 BONUS: The original demo of "My Once Upon A Time"