The lyrics were written in 199...something and the music written December 2019 ...recorded in 2022.  I like the imagery here...it is every creative person's prayer to Source--Give me something to say!

Artist's Prayer (single)

Artist's Prayer (Single)

Artist's Prayer

Together We (Remixed)

I wrote this song for my husband.  We've been together 15 years, but he had me at "hello".  Our first date (which I do NOT consider a date), we went dancing afterwards.  He stood by me through the rain of a bloody end to a previous long-term relationship and helped me heal.  We've built a life together over this time and he is still the little shit I fell in love with.  I mean, just look at that sparkle in his eye!  It's there... that devil that I enjoy so much!  Here's to you, Tom... I love you.

Sunshine (after the Rain)--Single

12/11/21

Sunshine (after the Rain)

Each of us are unique and can bring something to the table.  When others bring ordinary, you bring something...that sizzle... that transforms the ordinary to extraordinary.

Show Me the Sizzle-Single

Show Me the Sizzle -  Single

Show Me The Sizzle

Perpetual Motion of Water by Paul David is like a musical journey through the elements, capturing the rhythmic flow of water in its purest form. As the ostinato pattern repeats, the melody evolves and transforms, mirroring the churning motion of a river cascading over rocks and rushing towards the ocean. The track’s percolating rhythm and lush harmonies create a meditative atmosphere, while the resonant sound of the RAV Vast handpan adds depth and texture. With acoustic percussion blending seamlessly with digital sounds, the result is a hypnotic and immersive experience that transports listeners to the heart of nature’s rhythm, reminiscent of Bobvan’s underrated masterpiece album Water Dragon.

Perpetual Motion of Water

Perpetual Motion of Water - Single

Perpetual Motion Of Water

In the movie, The Empire Strikes Back, Our intrepid hero, Luke Skywalker is trying to get his X-Wing Fighter out of the swamp he’s supposed to use the force. He fails and says, “Moving rocks is one thing, this is completely different.” His mentor Yoda is emphatic that it is not, only different in how you think about it in your mind. He tells him he must, “Unlearn what you have learned.” That is the essence of this song. Recorded in the Forgiveness Unity Studios in Plymouth Minnesota, USA, Paul David rocks hard with his horn band and the amazing Alex Maiers on guitars. I wanted a fun dance track that got you out of your seat and was really fun to sing. In talking about the inspiration for the song, Paul David says, "When I was young I was taught to care about things, and I did. But I don’t remember my elders telling me to only care about the things that inspired me, so I began to care about things like what people thought of me… as most of us do. In high school I could do anything without regard to my reputation. But when I got to college, I wanted to be “one of the cool kids” and liked—I had stumbled upon low self-esteem. When I first figured out I was gay, I met someone whom I consider part of my soul family, but I couldn’t be gay and I was WAY too clingy, so there was a lot of drama around my relationships—ups and downs—like a rollercoaster being driven by my insecurities. Well, if I am to be successful at human-ing, I really need to un-fuck myself—get back to the way I used to be before I dulled my shine.

Gotta Rewind Myself-Single

Gotta Rewind Myself - Single

Gotta Rewind Myself

In the movie, The Empire Strikes Back, Our intrepid hero, Luke Skywalker is trying to get his X-Wing Fighter out of the swamp he’s supposed to use the force. He fails and says, “Moving rocks is one thing, this is completely different.” His mentor Yoda is emphatic that it is not, only different in how you think about it in your mind. He tells him he must, “Unlearn what you have learned.” That is the essence of this song. Recorded in the Forgiveness Unity Studios in Plymouth Minnesota, USA, Paul David rocks hard with his horn band and the amazing Alex Maiers on guitars. I wanted a fun dance track that got you out of your seat and was really fun to sing. In talking about the inspiration for the song, Paul David says, "When I was young I was taught to care about things, and I did. But I don’t remember my elders telling me to only care about the things that inspired me, so I began to care about things like what people thought of me… as most of us do. In high school I could do anything without regard to my reputation. But when I got to college, I wanted to be “one of the cool kids” and liked—I had stumbled upon low self-esteem. When I first figured out I was gay, I met someone whom I consider part of my soul family, but I couldn’t be gay and I was WAY too clingy, so there was a lot of drama around my relationships—ups and downs—like a rollercoaster being driven by my insecurities. Well, if I am to be successful at human-ing, I really need to un-fuck myself—get back to the way I used to be before I dulled my shine. 

Gotta UnF*ck Myself

Christmas 2023 was not a typical Minnesota Christmas.  For the first time in a very long time, there was no snow.  Both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day it rained, and all our plans with family and friends cancelled.  This was the 5th Christmas without my family as both mom and dad had passed pre-pandemic and my sister and her family live in Seattle, and I was feeling a certain way.

I wrote the lyrics Christmas Day and the music followed shortly thereafter.  I took some of the feelings I was feeling and realized others out there must be having the same kinds of feelings.  

I wrote “Doesn’t Feel Like Christmas (Without You)” for those feeling an absence of someone—or something—that was important to them.  It could be a lover, friends, parents, a pet… any kind of loss is amplified this time of year.

I harkened back to the nostalgic sounds of the Christmas music I grew up with—Andy Williams and Dean Martin. I pay homage to holiday classics “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, and “Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer” in the bridge section.  

I wanted it to feel familiar and seasonal because the season goes on no matter what has transpired in each of our lives. 

Doesn’t Feel Like Christmas (Without You) was written, performed, recorded and mixed in the Forgiveness Unity Studios in Plymouth, MN by Paul David with the amazing Alex Maiers on guitars. 

Doesn't Feel Like Christmas (Without You)

Doesn't Feel like Christmas (Without You)

I grew up listening to the "Holiday Sing Along with Mitch Miller" album, and when making this track, I accidentally kept all the lead vocals up and it reminded me of that album. So, I re-imagined this song being sung around the campfire with just instruments you could have on a beach or outside around a campfire: guitar, handpan, sleigh bells, Udu drum, hand claps, and of course, voices.  ...these voices just happen to know the harmony,

Doesn't Feel like Christmas (Without You) Campfire Sing Along

I was digging through my collection of lyric bits this past summer and came across a partial lyric from the 1990's. I had such success with Artist's Prayer (lyrics written about the same time), I thought I would give it a shot. However, unlike Artist's Prayer, this was not nearly complete...but had some great imagery of reflection.

As a tarot reader, the 6 of Cups has to do with thinking back to the way things used to be. I thought that summed up the lyric remnant I found. I wondered how I could meld those two images.

As my 10th high school reunion neared, I wondered musically what that experience would be like after so many years apart.

Sadly, I did not finish it in time for the reunion, but the thought was there.

Affirmation-Single

Six Cups

I am extremely excited to release to the world the Affirmation EP.  I wanted to write a song that lifted people out of their self-doubt and moved them into empowerment.  I originally wrote Affirmation in 2016 but didn't get to laying down the tracks until the middle of the pandemic.   However, I wasn't happy with my lead vocals and I felt pulled to other projects.
Enter 2025 and all that is going on to disempower people. I decided NOW was the time!  
I coupled it with a song I started writing last June, 6 Cups, which has it's roots in my tarot reading business (if you haven't had a reading from me, you are missing out!).  I was approaching my 40th (gulp) high school reunion and thinking about how much we had all changed in those years.  THAT is the energy of the 6 of Cups card in tarot. This kinda has a Prince//David Bowie vibe.
Lastly, I wanted one more song to round out the EP.  After doing some re-work several of my Christian songs, I scrapped those for this irreverent, inappropriate dance mix of “Together We”, a song I wrote for a virtual work conference in 2021 (perhaps even the song that pulled me away from Affirmation originally).  I present Together We (TL;DL Grad. Mix).  TL;DL is internet slang for too long, don't listen.  Clocking in at just over 6 minutes, this dance gem includes snippets from my June 6, 1984 graduation speech.  Thanks to my good friend Jose for letting me use his voice in the song and to that one lady from Karen Wants A Reservation that I continue to sample such amazing lines as “God Bless America” in Sunshine (after the Rain) and in this one “Give 'em Heck”.  


Affirmation (feat. Justin Ryan)

Together We (TL;DL Grad. Mix)

Affirmation-EP

Affirmation (feat. Justin Ryan) Radio Edit

Here is the extended version of a track I recorded on my iPad.  It's about loss and change and trusting again after you've been hurt.  "But what matters most of all is what happens AFTER the fall".

Leap Of Faith (Extended Version)

We are the hands and feet of God.  You must BE the change you want to see.  

I can see it's not about me...

If you are a church musician and want to use this track in worship, shoot me an email and I'll send you the sheet music!

Jesus To The World (feat. FGS)

Meditation with RAV

Happy, energetic, quirky and fun, this confection was produced by Paul David with the incomparable Dr. Fink of Prince and the Revolution.  Styled after the B-52's meets the Teddybears, this track is a natural for any summer adventure or party.  Listen to the vast array of cool sound and samples mixed in with live instruments This is technology mixed with a band!

I am a HUGE Prince geek from way back in the day.  The chance to work with Matt Fink was a bucket list for sure!  After my initial 16-year-old girlish glee wore off, it was truly one of my best musical experiences.  He is a monster player, kind, supportive, collaborative and a lot of fun to hang with.

Players: Lead vocal, tambourine, triangle, etc.: Paul David Stanko; keyboards: Dr. Fink; bass: Brian Gruidl; guitar: Darren T. Hensel; trumpet: Jeremy Duresky; tenor sax: Kimberly Franken-Standley; trombone: Josh Younggren; Backing vox: Christine Karki, Lori Maxwell & Jodi Tripp; the narrator: Tom Kowalski


Superhuman (feat. Dr. Fink)

Updated the mix with guitars and additional BG vox . NOT COMPLETE Work In Progress, but damn, is this positive or what?!

Affirmation  (Demo)

So, to learn my home studio during quarantine, I started a track that evolved into We Can Be Free.  In one of the lyric re-writes, I came up with the fun anagram "Forgiveness, Unity, Courage Kindness".  Naughtiness hidden in plain sight.  So I decided to pull back the curtain and play with that notion for my first ever remix.  All the elements are in the song except for some "Found Sounds" from past DMs that have been repurposed. Thanks to those involved for inspiring me.  This song is NSFW and should NOT be taken seriously.  Just dance and have fun.

We Can B Free (Single)

We Can B Free (F.U.C.K Dance Mix)

We Can Be Free (F.U.C.K. Dance Mix)

Queen meets funk track.  During the Covid lock down I was furloughed from my day job.  I took the time to really learn my home recording studio.  This is the first track I released from Forgiveness Unity Studios. Written and recorded literally while Minneapolis burned during the riots that surrounded George Floyd's murder, this track calls us to a better way of life.

We Can B Free

A composition for Rav Vast B Rus, percussion orchestra and samples composed and performed by Paul David. Available for sale at https://pauldavid.bandcamp.com/track/in-paradisum

In Paradisum (Single)

In Paradisum

In Paradisium

Back in January of 2017, the Macy's Minneapolis Oak Grill Restaurant closed its doors after almost a century of being part of Minneapolis life.  As we closed, EVERYONE who ever ate the Oak Grill wanted to come back and dine "one last time", so we went to reservations by Restaurant[dot]com ONLY: no in person or phone reservations.  It was the only way to survive the thousands of patrons coming back and make service in the restaurant work. 
We had a very upset older customer who ignored the instructions to not leave a voice mail and left two.  They were, I am sure, scathing to her, but very funny to the extremely tired staff.  I recorded them and knew one day, they would find there way into a piece of music I would write.  Well, here we go.
I entered this piece in the Zodiac samples contest using the found audio, Cymatics Zodiac samples, a free "restaurant ambience" sample and some live percussion I recorded. Enjoy!

Karen Wants a Reservation

Karen Wants A Reservation

Composer, Drummer, Philosopher, Dreamer, Be-er...beer too!  #LGBTQ

Paul David Stanko

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