Juan Portela began his obsession with computers and music before the age of ten. He studied violin, double bass, electric bass, piano, and organ as a child; continuing through high school into college with the double bass as his main instrument, he joined the New England Youth Ensemble studying with Dr. Virginia-Gene Rittenhouse and Dr. James Bingham playing in the world's most beautiful venues, from Carnegie Hall, to Notre Dame, and Ely Cathedral. Inspired by this scene, he emerged eager and curious to merge classical training with modern music production technique.
He spent the early 2000s in Nashville playing live appearances on piano, electric bass, and double bass with Amy Grant, Vince Gill, Don Moen, Twila Paris, Sandi Patty, among others while learning the brutal but rewarding art of making records from the rich palette of Nashville music geniuses.
After a brief stint in Kansas City playing electric bass for the Kansas City Symphony's pops season featuring Neil Sedaka & Lorrie Morgan, and appearing in the local KC big band jazz scene with Bram Wijnands and the Majestic Seven, he returned to Nashville and began collaborating with Canadian pop producer, songwriter and virtuoso guitarist Mike K (Nelly Furtado, Natasha Bedingfield, David Archuleta), songwriters Jim McCormick, Andrew Fromm, and others. The orchestral vibe of Portela's keyboard and string arrangements bolted nicely into pop, rock, Bollywood, and hip-hop tunes, and he continues making music with passionate artists.
Portela and his wife also serve as ministers of music at Word & Spirit Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Below is a selected list of projects - click the links in the list to listen on iTunes or see more info:
Coming soon:
Smash Mouth
“A Perfect Planet”
Keyboards & Programming
2011
Jared Lee
Piano, B3, Synthesizers, Programming, Double Bass, String Arranging,
Recording Engineer
J. Dash
Keyboards & Programming
Jared Lee
Piano, B3, Synthesizers, Programming, Double Bass, String Arranging,
Recording Engineer
2010
David Archuleta
Piano, B3, Synthesizers, & Programming; Editing Engineer
David Osmond
Piano, B3, Synthesizers, Programming, Double Bass, String Arranging
Zuri Star
“Unrehearsed” (Stereofame)
Piano, Synthesizers, Programming, Double Bass, String Arranging,
Recording Engineer
2009
NovaLux
Mastering Engineer
Josh Wilson and Francesca Battistelli
“Beautiful Like This” (Live Shows)
String Arranging, Double Bass
2008
Amy Grant
“Symphony Pops Tour” (Live Shows)
Orchestra Producer, Live Orchestra Engineer, Director Assistant,
Music Preparation
LifeWayWORSHIP.com
LifeWay Worship Project
Mastering and Editing Engineer
David Hamilton/Seabourne Pictures
“Love At First Sight” (Film Score)
Electric Bass
2007
Kansas City Symphony
Electric Bass, 2007-2008 Pops Season featuring Neil Sedaka and Lorrie Morgan
Amy Grant
“Symphony Pops Tour” (Live Shows)
Orchestra Producer, Live Orchestra Engineer, Director Assistant,
Music Preparation
Michael W. Smith
“Symphony Christmas Tour” (Live Shows)
Director Assistant, Music Preparation
Sandi Patty
Digital Editing, Producer Assistant
LifeWayWORSHIP.com
LifeWay Worship Project
Mastering and Editing Engineer
New England Youth Ensemble & Columbia Collegiate Chorale
“Rittenhouse: The Vision Of The Apocalypse” (CD & DVD, Independent)
Producer, Mixing and Mastering Engineer - Stereo and Dolby 5.1
2006
Michael W. Smith
“Symphony Christmas Tour” (Live Shows)
Director Assistant, Music Preparation
Amy Grant
“Symphony Pops Tour” (Live Shows)
Orchestra Producer, Live Orchestra Engineer, Director Assistant,
Music Preparation
Anna Laarz
“Anna Laarz” (Independent)
Producer & Arranger, Piano, Programming, Basses
Don Moen
Digital Editing, Programming, Second Engineer, Producer Assistant
2005
Michael W. Smith
“Symphony Christmas Tour” (Live Shows)
Director Assistant, Music Preparation
Amy Grant
“Symphony Pops Tour” (Live Shows)
Director Assistant, Music Preparation
Twila Paris
Digital Editing, Programming, Producer Assistant
Michael W. Smith
Second Recording Engineer
2004
Amy Grant and Vince Gill
“Simply Christmas 2004” (Live Shows)
Assistant Director, Music Preparation, Double Bass
Sandi Patty, Ring Of Fire, Wintley Phipps, Rickey Smith
“The Wondrous Gift” (Holiday Music TV Special)
Keyboards, EWI, Electric Bass, Assistant Director
Don Moen
Programming, Producer Assistant
Sandi Patty
Programming, Digital Editing, Producer Assistant
2003
Amy Grant and Vince Gill
“Simply Christmas 2003” (Live Shows)
Assistant Director, Music Preparation, Double Bass
“The Academy”
Film Score (Big Puddle Films)
Music Composer, Score Recording Engineer
