Juan Portela studied violin, double bass, and piano in grade school, high school, and college, playing keyboards, double bass, and electric bass in orchestras, worship bands, and jazz ensembles. Growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, he also developed a deep love for hard rock, jazz, pop, reggae, merengue, opera, salsa, zydeco, hip hop, and just about anything with rhythm and pitch.
In 2003, he began working with the production of live pop music shows with live orchestras and became enchanted with the sound of rock band with live orchestra. This fusion showed the classical and contemporary realms colliding beautifully in fantastic, brilliant, and moving walls of sound. Culling from the sonic palette of his experience and learning from some of the great producers, engineers, and players in the Nashville scene, he found it isn't really good until the pure artistic energy of the performer is sonically evident... presenting authentic artistic energy is his motto.
Here is a selected list of projects:
2010
New Project! (in production/Chrysalis) (produced by Mike Krompass)
(Piano, B3, Programming, Synthesizers, Double Bass, String Arranging)
Reflected (produced by Mike Krompass) Click here to listen/buy!
(Piano, B3, Programming, Synthesizers, Double Bass, String Arranging)
Unrehearsed (Stereofame Records, produced by Mike Krompass)
(Piano, Programming, Synthesizers, Double Bass, String Arranging, Recording Engineer)
2009
NovaLux
"Young" (produced by Steve Hindalong)
(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
“Falling Forward” (INO Records)
(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
“Hiding Place” (Integrity)
(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
“He Is Exalted” (Integrity)
(Digital Editing, Programming, Producer Assistant to David Hamilton)
Michael W. Smith
“The Second Chance” (Film Score)
(Second Recording Engineer)
2004
Amy Grant and Vince Gill
“Simply Christmas 2004” (Live Shows)
(Asst. Director to Mr. Hamilton, Music Preparation, Double Bass)
Sandi Patty, Ring Of Fire, Wintley Phipps, Rickey Smith
“The Wondrous Gift” (Holiday Music TV Special)
(Keyboards, EWI, Electric Bass, Asst. Director to Mr. Hamilton)
Don Moen
“Thank You Lord” (Integrity)
(Programming, Producer Asst. to Mr. Hamilton)
Sandi Patty
“Hymns of Faith… Songs of Inspiration” (INO Records)
(Programming, Digital Editing, Producer Asst. to Mr. Hamilton)
2003
Amy Grant and Vince Gill
“Simply Christmas 2003” (Live Shows)
(Asst. Director, Music Preparation, Double Bass, guest to Nashville
Chamber Orchestra)
"The Academy"
Film Score (Big Puddle Films)
(Music Composer, Music Recording Engineer)