Brandon Borick
Creator & Bookwriter
Brandon Borick (he/him/they) recently moved to NYC to pursue his dreams of being surrounded by theatre and marketing. Also a performer, Brandon has participated in New York productions of Strike Up the Band (starring Victoria Clark, Christopher Fitzgerald, Bryce Pinkham) and Blind Injustice (starring Marc Kudisch) through MasterVoices. Some of his most notable roles include: Vlad (Anastasia), Max Bialystock (The Producers), The Monster (Young Frankenstein), Paul Berthalet (Carnival), the Minstrel (Something Rotten), Audrey II Puppeteer (Little Shop of Horrors), Will (American Idiot), and Mr. Applegate (Damn Yankees). Polyphony started out as a developing musical during an independent study course at The University of Texas at Dallas. He has professional experience working in marketing and analytics within the entertainment industry (including gaming, film, and television). @bqoborick
Natalie Schuster
Music Supervisor & Music and Lyrics — Amber
Natalie Schuster (she/her) is a songwriter, composer, and lyricist originally from Grapevine, Texas. She graduated from Belmont University in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in Songwriting and currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee. Originally setting out to establish an artist project, Natalie released two singles, "One More Bite" and "Watercolor Crying" upon graduating. She has since played in various writer's rounds around Nashville, including at the Cambria Nashville Hotel, the Virgin Hotel, The Ainsworth Hotel, and Cabana Taps. She has played showcases through Know Name, a pop community of which she was a member of from 2022-2024, and New Faces Night at the Basement. Now, Natalie spends her free time supporting her friends who are musicians, artists, and writers through promotion, suggestion, and attendance.
Emielyn Das
Music and Lyrics — Ash
Emielyn Das (she/they) is a queer, Indian-American performer, composer, lyricist, librettist, and producer based in New York City. As a performer, she’s been seen as Aliyah Chawla in Monsoon Wedding (Berkeley Repertory Theater, world premiere), Young Maya in the feature film The Valley (Wavefront Productions), and Chandra in Aparajita Tumi (Rising Sun Films). Currently as a Post-Master's Fellow at BerkleeNYC, she is developing Seven Steps Around the Fire, an original semi autobiographical musical (with Harrison Lewis). This year, she launched and now serves as the program director of EnActeNYC, the New York branch of Bay Area-based, South Asian theater company EnActe Arts. A recent Cognitive Neuroscience graduate from UC Berkeley and of Writing & Design for Musical Theater from BerkleeNYC, she is primarily interested in how theater unpacks the human psyche, lifts intersectional identities, and inspires change for marginalized communities.
Samantha H. Lucas & Jahir Hipps
Music and Lyrics — Janet
Jahir Hipps (he/him) and Samantha Lucas (she/her) are New York City-based performers and singer-songwriters, teaming up for their newest creative project, Polyphony. Both are graduates of Baldwin Wallace Conservatory’s renowned Music Theatre program, where they trained as dynamic, versatile artists. Jahir is currently on tour with the MJ Musical and has also performed in the RENT Farewell Tour, regionally, and on CBS’s Elsbeth. He creates original songs for his popular TikTok series Musical Pixar and has music streaming on all major platforms. Samantha recently released her debut Expressions EP, blending emotionally rich storytelling with her musical theater roots. She has performed with The Cleveland Orchestra, Pittsburgh CLO, and more. Her senior thesis project Resilient raised $4,000 to produce a virtual musical theater experience during the pandemic and earned praise from John Caird and Stephen Schwartz. Both artists have written for The Songs of Love Foundation and are passionate about crafting music that inspires and connects. They’re thrilled to be joining forces through Polyphony.
Instagram/TikTok: @samanthahlucas | @jahir.hipps | @musicalpixar_
Harrison Acosta
Music and Lyrics — Mark
Harrison Acosta (he/him) is a Brooklyn-based composer, music director, and performer whose work spans the stage, screen, and studio. A four-time Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award recipient and winner of ten outstanding arrangement awards, Harrison’s work as an arranger has been recognized nationally. Recent show credits include music direction and orchestration for “Once Upon A Carnival” (Moonbox Productions), track production for “Dungeons and Drag Queens” (House of Wayward Queers), track production for the “Alicia Keys Tribute” (MGM Music Hall), and a lead role with “Troyer the Destroyer” (Berklee College of Music). After completing his undergrad capstone thesis in 2016, "Capturing Moments in Music feat. the Human Voice," he attended the Contemporary Writing and Production program at Berklee College of Music. Currently, Harrison leads the Atlas Collective; a team of musicians collaboratively working to champion individual artistry and support the social impact of music. Their latest project, Adrift: A Space Musical, is set to debut later this year.
Michael Jayne Walker
Music and Lyrics — Aaron
Michael Jayne Walker (they/them) is stoked to be adding their music to Polyphony. An accomplished performer in their own right, Michael Jayne has been seen on stages around the country and world in roles like Roger (Rent), Jesus (Godspell), and Claude (Hair). They also perform regularly with glam-punk band The Manimals (@manimalsband) and are in the process of finishing a concept album inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
CARAMEL
Music and Lyrics — Damien
Caramel (he/him) is looking forward to songwriting for his debut musical, Polyphony. He has composed and arranged original music for Boston College's jazz ensemble, symphony orchestra, and and gospel choir, excelling in genres from soul, R&B, and jazz. He founded and directed three installations of "Living In Color", a multidisciplinary performance, including film, music, poetry, and dance. CARAMEL's work is centered in uplifting black voices in performance art. He will receive is degree in Economics from Boston College on May 19th 2025.
