As the year comes to a close, retrospection and sentimentality seemingly proliferate. This was reflected in the Songwriters’ Club’s final original showcase of the year, and for many of the club’s seniors, the final showcase of their high school career.
Nick Bucaj, Brian Guedes, Sabrina Bonelli, Angela Bediako, Saul Leon and Jordan Adeniyi are only a few of the amazing seniors who graced the club’s stage this year, and Mr. Polanco, founder and advisor of the club, was sad to see them go.
“I stated at the showcase that our club is simply a community of wonderful songwriters…I only hope and encourage them to start their own Songwriters’ Club elsewhere, whatever school they might be going to,” Polanco said.
While the showcase itself was a bittersweet affair and many of the songs performed reflected that, a sense of wonder and excitement for new beginnings was also conveyed, as multiple bands debuted.
Alexa Leclere opened the show with “Your Humanity,” with Nick Bucaj on bass, Brian Guedes on lead guitar and Angela Bediako on rhythm guitar. A rock anthem with lyrics in both English and Japanese, undercurrents of musical theater and story songs gave the piece an almost narrative feel, as though it were the first installment in a series. Similar to songs from the animated web series “Alien Stage,” “Your Humanity” was an explosive opener, setting the stage for the rest of the show.
Esperanza Cylich-Schneider performed “Idioms,” an acoustic ballad that conveyed a sense of nostalgia and melancholy. Isabella Urbano Beltran’s “Expected Too Much” (accompanied by Ricardo Torres on cajon) further drew the audience in with beautiful vocals and guitar, as did Olivia Saja’s piece, “Sometimes,” (with Naia Gopoian singing harmonies, Estella Slagle on guitar and Vivienne Mittenzwei playing the drums) an almost jazzy piece about the passing of time.
“When I See You Again,” written and performed by Jordan Adeniyi and accompanied by Sabrina Bonelli on guitar, Evelyn Livingston on bass and Mila Tomlin on cajon, was a powerful, unabashedly theatrical piece, incorporating elements of Latin American music and soul. Adeniyi’s bluesy tone of voice and natural reverb truly lent itself to the song’s rhythm and sway. While Adeniyi’s song included mind-bogglingly impressive belts and vocal runs (as always), her effortless stage presence and bold charisma gave the song life, allowing the audience to become fully immersed in the performance.
Stella Khachetoorian performed her first ever original song, “Pit Stop,” at the showcase, accompanied by Mila Tomlin on vocals, Angela Bediako on vocals and guitar and Nick Bucaj on drums. A heartfelt, authentic piece, “Pit Stop” both developed the melancholic mood while reminding us of the friendship and joy that high school brings.
Nick Bucaj performed his song, “L.L.,” along with Brian Guedes on guitar. A somber instrumental, the song seemed almost a conversation between two instruments, an avant-garde creation that spoke volumes without words. What the title means remains a mystery, and a subject of conjecture and debate. An acronym? Initials? We will never know.
The club’s returning bands, Out of Order and Calypso, exhibited stunning musicality and imagination. Out of Order performed “Better,” a song reminiscent of the work of other post-punk artists such as Joy Divison and The Cure, and Calypso performed “Lovesick,” an upbeat pop aria sung by Vivienne Mittenzwei.
Acrimony, made up of Joshua Kase, Zoe Cruz, Sarah Fabrizio, Evelyn Livingston and Charlie Kozan, and Petrichor, composed of Jane Mitschele, Selene Jimenez, Evelyn Livingston and Leila Rodgers, both made their debut at the showcase, performing “Can’t Make This Stuff Up” and “Undertow,” respectively.
“Scarlet Memories,” written by Leila Rodgers and accompanied by Jordan Adeniyi on vocals, Evelyn Livingston on bass and Dominic Flora on drums, was a narrative-based fusion of many different genres that told the story of love lost (and other sad things).
Brian Guedes performed “Bitter End” with Nick Bucaj on bass and Dominic Flora on drums. A heavy metal head-banger, “Bitter End” blew the audience away both literally and figuratively, with guitar riffs that get stuck in the head, and Guedes’s voice, which was seemingly made for the genre of rock.
Sabrina Bonelli’s song, “Fade Away,” brought a sense of calm acceptance tinged with sadness to the showcase, and her soothing voice lulled everyone into a sense of wistfulness and longing.
“What’s Your Name,” Mr. Polanco’s song, brought something entirely new to the stage, creating a fully fledged song on the spot with only his voice and his guitar, utilizing a looper to create multiple backtracks he then played on top of.
“…I had something to say about me having suffered an existential crisis, quote unquote, when I was a kid, and every year, it’s just a reminder that I’m more than just a name. What am I?” Polanco said.
Polanco expanded on why he chose to perform this song for the seniors’ final showcase: “It’s just that search for identity. And I felt it was appropriate to share and sing to my seniors who were moving on to help continue to evolve their identity.”
Polanco succeeded in creating a whimsical melody that flowed and changed like the identities of the people it represented. It was a song of change and evolution as well as a song of possibility.
“Summer Bell” by Mila Tomlin was an ode to the pressure heaped onto the backs of high school students, the existential sense that the decisions you make now will determine the course of the rest of your life. The heavy subject matter of the song paired beautifully with Tomlin’s ephemeral vocals.
Angela Bediako’s song, “Hate It, Love It,” (with Mila Tomlin on backup vocals) nearly drove everyone in the theater to tears as the showcase began to wind to its conclusion. A beautiful, authentic song on a journey coming to an end, Bediako enraptured the audience by allowing them to see the profound impact Songwriters’ Club has had on her high school career and the profound impact that she has had on Songwriters, from welcoming and inspiring new members to uplifting everyone’s spirits and being a staple of the Songwriters’ 2026 committee.
Finally, Saul Leon closed the show on a high note. His song, “Pocketful,” was an upbeat, fast-paced rap with a sunny melody about the positive aspects of change and the excitement of beginning a new stage of life. Accompanied by Nick Bucaj on bass, Brian Guedes on guitar, Dominic Flora on drums and Mila Tomlin and Sabrina Bonelli on vocals, the catchy, infectiously happy melody had everyone on their feet as the 2026 final Songwriters’ Original Showcase of the year came to a close.
