Formation and first years (1993–1997) In
Alexandria, Virginia, during the summer of 1993, Bernie Muller-Thym, Greg "Storm" DiCostanzo, Paul Sabourin and Richard Hsu banded together to join a six-man a cappella group that was advertised in the
Washington City Paper. Muller-Thym, DiCostanzo, and Sabourin met through the newspaper ad, while Hsu was a friend of DiConstanzo from the
University of Maryland. The six-man group did not last and disbanded soon after. Muller-Thym, DiCostanzo, Sabourin, and Hsu then formed Da Vinci's Notebook. Bass singer Jay Jones joined later in the year, singing with the group until 1994. Da Vinci's Notebook made their debut at the 1994 Mid-Atlantic
Harmony Sweepstakes, where they came in third place. In 1997, they came back and won the competition. In 1995, the group self-released their debut cassette
EP ''Somebody Else's Greatest Hits'', featuring covers of popular songs.
''Bendy's Law'' (1997) Da Vinci's Notebook released their first full-length studio album, ''Bendy's Law'', in 1997, featuring guest appearances by Richard Greene and Joe Finetti of
The Bobs, as well as by the band
Moxy Früvous.
The Life and Times of Mike Fanning (1999-2001) The group's second full-length album,
The Life and Times of Mike Fanning, was released on December 1, 1999. The album was produced by Richard Greene, who additionally provided vocals and previously made a guest appearance on "Bendy's Law". Other guest performances include Ball in the House and Michael Clem, Eddie Hartness, and Julie Murphy Wells from
Eddie from Ohio.
The Life and Times of Mike Fanning occasionally utilizes musical instruments as part of the backing tracks, which was new to the group's albums. Around this time, the group's members also quit their day jobs to perform full time. Prior to performing full time, Hsu was a system engineer, Sabourin was a graphic specialist at a law firm, Muller-Thym was an accountant, and DiCostanzo was a financial analyst. Around this time, interest in the band spiked as they began to get played on the syndicated
Bob and Tom radio show. The appearance on the show led to high demand for the single. The album was the band's final full release before disbanding in 2004.
Final years, disbandment, and legacy (2002-present) The group toured, locally and nationally, for ten years. Highlights included some of the most prestigious folk venues and festivals on the East Coast, such as the
Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. In 2004, the band stopped touring and regular performances. Two of the members, Sabourin and DiCostanzo, then began touring as the musical duo
Paul and Storm. In addition to their albums, Da Vinci's Notebook also recorded a track called "The Ballad of The Sneak" for the
Homestar Runner cartoon website. This song was credited to the entire group, though it was only written and performed by
Paul and Storm. In 2013, the group's song "Another Irish Drinking Song" was featured in the film
Despicable Me 2, with new lyrics in the language of the Minions. ==Members==