It’s nothing new for music industry majors enrolled in “Live Music Production and Promotion” to hold a concert as their final for the class. But for juniors Valeria Gonzalez, Elena Ballesteros and Kiley Hansen alongside senior Haylieh Palma Martinez, the completion of their class final was just the beginning for their music promoter group, Tidal Tracks.

The group held its first show, Springin’ Into Summer, in April at I.F.B. Studios in Glendale. The show was a benefit concert supporting Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, featuring performances from The Voxes, bedsweater and Sir, Please, and ultimately raised $750 for CHLA.

Tidal Tracks hasn’t slowed down after its first successful show. Its next benefit concert, Bajo el Mismo Sol, is set for at the Paramount Theatre on Sept. 5 and is supporting Unión del Barrio, a grassroots political organization that advocates for the rights of Latine communities.

For their first concert, each member took on a different role, Gonzalez said. The group would meet up after almost every “Live Music Production” class for about an hour to go through a checklist of tasks, contacts and marketing plans.

“We all kind of found our niches and what we wanted to take the lead on when producing and promoting the event,” Gonzalez said. “We think the show went extremely well. We got a lot of positive feedback from audience members. Professors attended, and they were really proud of it.”

She said Tidal Tracks raised enough money to break even the night before the show which was a big relief for the group, especially because it meant they could make a profit from the night and donate it. They chose CHLA because Hansen’s younger brother, who was born with a heart condition, received multiple life-saving surgeries at the hospital.

“Even though [the] day of the show was really hectic, we were really proud that we could make a profit from it and then donate that profit to charity,” Gonzalez said. “That’s why we’re still working together, even though we don’t have to, and our class is over. We could have scrapped our promoter name and everything, but we really like what we’re doing, and we want to keep progressing.”

Because each group member was responsible and communicative, Palma Martinez said the group didn’t face many challenges.

“We were able to get things running a bit smoothly,” Palma Martinez said. “That’s not to say it was perfect — it definitely wasn’t — but it was definitely very helpful to have each of us on board with being able to pick up where another person may need help.”

Although the show was ultimately successful, Gonzalez and Palma Martinez said getting responses from people in the music industry, including caterers, sponsors and talent, was difficult.

“We all had to be very persistent in just reaching out to people,” Palma Martinez said. “Obviously, within the industry, people are busy, and it’s completely understandable, but I definitely think everybody deserves just a chance to at least have a conversation about things.”

When the group began marketing the show to the USC community, they followed people on social media from across the Los Angeles area. One of the accounts they followed was one of the band members from bedsweater, who then reached out to the group and asked to perform during the show.

After performing at the show, Palma Martinez said Gonzalez had the idea to reach out to the band and propose the idea of turning Tidal Tracks into a management team. The band accepted the group’s proposal, marking a new beginning for Tidal Tracks.

“We all really, really enjoyed their sound, and we saw a lot of potential with their artistry and their music and just their whole concept altogether,” Palma Martinez said. “Since May of this year, we’ve been managing bedsweater as a team. We do a little bit of everything for them, honestly, whatever they need help with. We are always willing to help.”

The group has helped bedsweater with marketing ideas, finding bigger touring bands to open for and more. Tidal Tracks also partnered with flipturn, a Florida-based indie rock band, to advertise their show at the Fox Theater Pomona earlier this month.

The group’s next show, Bajo el Mismo Sol, will feature performances from Mona Vera, Tough Front, bedsweater and Los Ratónes Atomicos. Gonzalez said that because the show will be benefiting Unión del Barrio, it was important to the group to feature primarily Latine bands.

“In light of everything going on politically, not only in L.A. but in the country in general, we had this idea to throw a benefit show supporting our immigrant community,” Gonzalez said. 

“Bajo el mismo sol” means “under the same sun” in Spanish. Palma Martinez said she came up with the name based on one of her favorite movies, “Under the Same Moon” (2007), or “La Misma Luna.” She described the movie as being about unity.

“However you may feel politically or about the issue of immigration, there is absolutely no reason why a family should be separated,” Palma Martinez said. “That’s one of the things that’s very hard-hitting for me, specifically coming from an immigrant family.”

Ballesteros said because Tidal Tracks is putting on another benefit show, it is securing their vision of what they’re trying to do with their shows — incite change.

“We are trying to show up for the Los Angeles community, and that’s where we are, that’s who we’re trying to market to,” Ballesteros said. “We like doing benefit shows because it also shows we are doing what we know how to do in helpful ways for our community. I think that approach has been working, and we’ll stick with it.”