A capella music has been at the forefront of pop culture in recent years. With Sing-Off winner, Pentatonix, the Barden Bellas of Pitch Perfect, the Dalton Academy Warblers on Glee, and a plethora of a capella covers on YouTube, we have had no shortage of instrument-free pop tunes.

The ACU campus, rooted in the a capella tradition because of its Church of Christ origins, has its own contribution to the a capella cover scene.

Nick Tatum, graduate student of communication from Plano, founded Pulse A Capella three years ago with Carrie Baker (’12) and senior graphic design major, Megan Teel.

“Pulse is a way for people to use their gifts of singing in a smaller setting,” Tatum said. “That was the original thought behind it.”

Tatum also said ACU is the ideal place for an a capella group because of its Church of Christ roots.

“I would argue that there aren’t as many talented a capella singers without training anywhere other than ACU because we’re surrounded by it,” he said. “It’s a great utilization of a skill that already exists.”

Still a member of the group, Tatum arranges music for performances as needed. He said by establishing a presence on campus, he hopes the group can tackle bigger projects such as performing at admissions events and create a recordings.

Pulse will conduct auditions at the beginning of the Fall semester. The group performs a handful of lighter concerts throughout the year and ends with a culminating concert in the Spring.