Paul David Stanko is an active percussionist, composer, arranger, recording artist, singer, drum instructor and performer around the Twin Cities. In addition to playing percussion with several local theater companies, Paul David has written for and performed with many local orchestras and churches.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with David about the music, the journey, the challenges and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and how do You describe your style of music?
My name is Paul David and I am from Minneapolis, Minnesota, the hometown of Prince! My music is a rockpopnewageclassical style. Ha ha ha. Seriously, I write in all genres. I am a “rock and roll” baby at heart, so I guess progressive rock is my style. But many years of working in musical theater pit bands gives it a bit of a Broadway bent. I also play the RAV VAST and Handpan drums, which lean toward a New Age style… then with my church work and arranging for our small church orchestra, I have a strong classical flavor that gets mixed in there. …and who doesn’t love to dance, so you throw a dance grove to that all… what WOULD you call that?
How did you get here? As in, what inspired or motivated you to take on this journey through music and the music biz?
How did I get here? Apparently, my soul thought it would be a really good idea to come hang on this blue green space ball hurtling through the universe for a while.
When I was a kid, I loved singing and dancing along to records in my living room (it’s surprising I didn’t become a drag queen… I was pretty good at it). Music was something that made me feel alive—I loved singing and dancing. When it came time to go to college, the only thing I could think to do was music. I applied to several colleges and Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, gave me an impressive scholarship. So, I set my sights on being a school music teacher.
While at school, I was one of the only drummers at the time and kept getting pulled to all the ensembles to play—and I found I really didn’t like kids much—so I changed my major from education to performance.
I fell in love with a large cousin of the xylophone, the marimba, and spent hours perfecting my craft. I was going to be the first world class marimbaists with a purple mohawk. It was the 1980’s and I loved messing with my hair. For my junior percussion recital, I had finished directing my church choir for the morning, went to the mall and had them shave my hair into a mohawk and color it purple. I walked on stage with a purple mohawk in a black tuxedo—I thought it was stunning. It was a good thing I could play, because the classically focused faculty was not thrilled with the theatrics. The jazz and pop teachers were more supportive.
During college, I shed my protected, suburban background and began to discover who Paul David was—or was supposed to be. I, quite by accident, discovered my sexuality was not what I thought it was going to be. At college, I met my soul mate and tussled with my queerness bouncing from girlfriend to boyfriend as I discovered who, and how, I loved.
I truly loved my college experience. It was everything college should be. However, when I graduated, I found not everyone was beating down my door for a purple mohawked classical marimbaist.
So I got a day job and made music on the side—mostly in church settings, where I was very comfortable. I also found I had something to say. And in my heart, I was really a rock and roll baby. While working for the Metropolitan Community Church in Minneapolis, I sold my marimba and bought an electric keyboard that I could program with percussion, bass, horns—all the things I needed to take the music ministry I was working with to a higher level. In fact, that is still my main keyboard 25 years later in my home studio.
While working with the church, I got to write and arrange a lot—and work with volunteers. I polished my skills in not just composition and performance, but team building. That career path resonated with my soul.
However, the Universe decided it was time for Paul David to grow. I left that role for financial reasons and over the next two years, all I knew in my personal life was to be torn down to make a new creation. I ended a 15-year relationship when my partner got into drugs. That adventure ended up with losing not only my relationship, but my home. The music went dormant for a while too. I was playing in a few pit orchestras, but the personal music creating was put on hold until I was asked by the local LGBT orchestra to write something for them. 2006 saw the birth and world premiere of “Emergence”—a tone poem inspired by the coming out process written specifically for the Minnesota Philharmonic Orchestra. Shortly after that, I met the man who I would marry, Tom.
As we put our life together, I began writing again and took a role with another church in their music department. When the pandemic hit, I had a lot of time to work in my studio and began churning out the music I am releasing today.
How does your latest project compare/contrast with your previous release(s)? Were you setting out to accomplish anything specific, follow a specific theme, or explore different styles of creation?
As I continue to hone my craft, I get better at realizing what is in my head. My last single, “Sunshine (after the Rain)” was written for my husband. I wanted to talk about how love evolves over time and how everything you experience informs your lives together. I mean, new love is great! But there is something amazing about a relationship that is seasoned. I wanted to write about that.
A lot of my music is reminiscent of the styles I grew up listening to. My dad was really into 1940’s swing—Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman—so I have a strong influence of that swing band horn sound. My mom was really into The Carpenter’s and the “Easy Listening” sounds of the 1970’s, so that finds its way in. I RARELY heard what we call “classic rock” when I was growing up—that didn’t happen until later, but you’ll find a heavy influence of that rock guitar in what I do.
I have been privileged to work with some amazing guitar players in my recording career. I tend to like the harder edge to things. That might be my love of Prince coming through. But in all my recordings, going back to my first CD release in 1997 (gulp), rock guitar has had a part. I play, but not very well, so I always find amazing people to work with. I am currently blessed to get to work with the amazing Alex Maiers. This guy is STUNNING on guitar! You can really hear him in his element in “We Can B Free”. Brian May—watch out!
With that being said, “Sunshine (after the Rain)” is well within that style—more of an ‘80’s vibe—but still has that guitar rock feel. I used more samples in this track than previously, layered with my live percussion.
Growing up in swing choirs, and perhaps influence from musicals, there is always a strong vocal harmony component. I know that comes from growing up listening to the lush chords sung by The Carpenter’s. In “Sunshine (after the Rain)” I processed the crap out of the background vocals. It’s all me there—singing lush chords—but processed.
In my next single releasing in September, “Artist’s Prayer”, you get to hear way more of those lush vocal parts. I mixed them higher to give a “male chorus” vibe to the piece.
That track is interesting: I wrote the lyrics in 1993 and put them in my folder of lines/lyrics/quotes that I have around. I was looking for something to add to a song—and I don’t remember which one—and I came across them. I just felt they were reminiscent of what every artist goes through when they stare at the blank canvas, or blank score—“Please—give me something to say”.
Again, where I started the song to where it ended from an arrangement standpoint—VERY different from where I have been before. Remember, I am doing this all in my office in the basement of my suburban home (yeah, I moved to the suburbs as an adult). I originally intended it to be a piano driven song with a key competent being crotales accenting a piano Db. Fast forward to the track as it sits, and the opening is simple guitar ostinato with hyper-processed live drums to sound like an old radio sound, and atmosphere… piano doesn’t join until vs 2! The crotales are still there, but back in the mix. …and the vocal harmonies are LUSH! You can find an old reel on Instagram when I just recorded them and it’s JUST them… LUSH!
Name the biggest challenge you faced as a creative during these unprecedented times? How did you adapt? How have you kept the creative fires burning during all this?
Now for me, the pandemic and all that surrounded it was a time of creative and musical growth. I got furloughed a few times as we all worked to keep my day-job company viable and alive. During that time, I dug into really learning my DAW and figuring this whole home studio thing out. “We Can B Free” started as something I did to learn how to do home recording. It was written at the same time Minneapolis was burning from the riots surrounding the murder of George Floyd. The police precinct was near where my grandmother use to live, and all the buildings burning were places I knew—the Arby’s the world saw burning was the same Arby’s I helped open when I was 17 years old. Needless to say, that had an impact.
Being furloughed allowed me the time to deep dive into my music. So, I blossomed! As an introvert, the time “stuck” at home was amazing… as an artist, I got to hone my craft and explore things I didn’t think I would get to bring to life.
What was the last song you listened to?
Well, tbh, the mix to “Artist’s Prayer” like 100,000 times! Ha ha ha. Making sure it is ready for release! As for other artists, my summer jam is “Worship” from Lizzo and “It’s About Damn Time”. But I also rediscovered a song called “Ladybug” by Captain & Tennille from their “Come In From the Rain” album.
Beautiful orchestration reminiscent of a summer day. And my favorite line: “It’s taken such a long, long time to make this very special place. And God is playing hide and seek everywhere you turn.” I mean, come ON! What a beautiful way to see this world we are on. Yeah, it’s cheesy. But it is amazing!
Also really getting into Harry Styles new one. “Grapejuice” has my heart. Ending guitar licks remind me of “Sunshine (after the Rain)”
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? 8-tracks? Cassettes? CDs? MP3s? Streaming platforms?
All have their place…well, maybe not 8-tracks any longer. I use my phone for all my music storage and play, so I can get behind that. I still have my original vinyl from growing up and have been added to the collection—purchasing what I originally bout on CD. As for streaming, we use our Sonos system a LOT at home, so we stream, however, royalties for artist’s SUCK from streaming platforms. They need to treat content creators better. Somehow, the $9 monthly fee never makes it’s way to the artists. THAT needs to change.
Where is the best place to connect with you and follow your journey?
I am on all streaming platforms, but the best place to support my music is my Bandcamp page: https://pauldavid.bandcamp.com But all my videos and things can be found on my you tube page: https://bit.ly/PaulDavid or my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PaulDavidSongs
I really appreciate Your time. Anything else before we sign off?
Just a big thank you to everyone for reading and listening and supporting independent music! We create it for you and we cannot keep doing it without your support! Thank you, everyone!
