MEET PULSE
The new group in Syracuse combining house music with art to create a unique experience
Photos: Maria Tellian
What’s Pulse? Pulse is an activation marketing company looking to partner brands you already love with interactive live music events.
How did it begin and what’s the concept? Pulse began as an idea this past summer and truly came to life this fall. With this movement, I wanted to break away from the repetitive social scene at Syracuse and create experiences that were truly immersive and on the fringe of what’s been done on campus so far. Pulse’s mission is to put together events between artists and brands across New York state that want to reach the new generation. Our first event was at Salt City Coffee, creating a completely different aesthetic to the popular campus cafe by building an afro-house pop-up night event with a roster of talented DJ’s; Jack MckHale, Sergio and Julian. We created an intimate and exciting setting for the Syracuse audience. A live Dj in a campus coffee shop at Syracuse, first began with Pulse.We really hone in on bringing more foreign house music to an SU market that currently lacks Euro house. I pulled from my French roots to drive forward bi-lingual sounds within the city, and I’m excited to partner with venues that see the same vision for the genre that we do at Pulse.
What’s the branding behind it?
Coming from New York City we saw a clear opportunity to build on streetwear culture though Pulse. To promote our first event we launched hoodies all one of a kind for our artists to wear on the night of the show. Each piece was sketched and then brought to life by Cooper Knoll with the use of spray paints and pastels. We posted flyers across campus alongside our social media campaign to advertise our collab with Salt City. We really highlighted this connection between streetwear, house music, and Syracuse nightlife to grab people’s attention for the event. Social media is saturated with content so we knew that we needed to grab people’s attention through our campaign. We gave the event a vibe and really set expectations high before people even showed up through this effort. It was crucial to moving the needle in ticket sales and doing our part so that our partners: the DJ, Salt City, and the audience would have the type of experience we were promoting. Going further, we think that our branding strategy created something much greater than, but really proved that we are an organization of people that push the limits of music, design, and fashion by connecting audiences with iconic brands for all to experience. For the vision going forward, we want to create an atmosphere that I am hoping for Pulse to not just feel like a singular event, but a continuous space where you understand and see out passions through multiple creative outlets.
GABRIELLA BOCCARA, FOUNDER
How would you describe the PULSE experience?
I would describe the PULSE experience as curated, exclusive, and distinct.
COOPER KNOLL, MERCH CREATIVE
JACK MCHALE, DJ
SERGIO, DJ
GET TO KNOW THE FOUNDER...
zipped: Who’s your favorite artist?
gabriella: Very difficult to pick, but at the moment it is Tems.
zipped: What inspires you?
gabriella: The people I surround myself with.
gabriella: Very difficult to pick, but at the moment it is Tems.
zipped: What inspires you?
gabriella: The people I surround myself with.
zipped: What is your favorite City in the world?
gabriella: Where me and Cooper grew up- New York.
zipped: Are there any quotes you live by?
gabriella: Fear is forward. No one is afraid of yesterday. - Renata Adler
zipped: What advice would you give your younger self?
gabriella: Whenever you are feeling down, think about how proud your younger self would be of everything you have accomplished today.
zipped: Who is the smartest person you know?
gabriella: Natalia Nastaskin. As a leader in the music industry, Natalia has directed countless teams across publishing, brand partnerships, and legacy artist content. She inspires me to push myself and always work on the cutting edge of music.