With the addition of five new members, Pulse Acapella started off their year by recording a track for a Christmas CD.

Pulse consists of four returning members and five new members. Original members include Codie Ford, Sheradin Jansen, Marissa Barnette, and Mackenzie Witt. The new members this year are Alex Bauman, Zoë Kramer, Cassie Clearwater, Aaliyah Williams, and Lauren Velasco.

“I’m excited for the rest of this year because we are going to bring something new to the group,” said sophomore Cassie Clearwater.

After auditions in September, Evelyn Amelio, an independent promoter of kids and teens who are talented in the arts, invited the new and returning members of Pulse to a recording session at the Antioch Senior Center for a community Christmas CD.

“The CD was a way give talented kids the opportunity to put together a professional project. It is very expensive to go into a studio and put together your own CD, but this gives kids the opportunity to pay a small portion of the cost of putting this kind of thing together,” Amelio said.

The girls enjoyed their first experience in a recording studio setting.

“It was cool to be chosen for this opportunity, and it was a positive first experience for Pulse,” Clearwater said.

The group sang a cover of Winter Wonderland by Diana Ross.

“We sang this song for a Christmas concert last year, but we spent a long time changing it so that our voices will blend well and sound good on the CD,” said junior Marissa Barnette.

After several recordings, the girls were happy with their last take.

“We really worked together to make the best sound we possibly could,” Witt said.

Music is and has been an important part of Amelio’s life as well.

“I was very involved in fine arts and choir when I was in high school and have always had a love for music. My husband is a musician too. We have helped write some music for an independent film,” she said.

The CD will be available at the CD release party on Sat.urday, Dec. 7th at Dockers North Restaurant in Antioch.

For now, the girls are working on new songs and mash-ups because Pulse will be featured in the Fine Arts Café in November.