Today we’d like to introduce you to Roy Cervantes.
Roy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Portraits Music has a story of discipleship, service, and faithfulness that is unique to the band scene. I have been traveling and serving churches and ministries for eight years and always cycled through friends and peers that were super talented and wanted to make a little extra money on the weekends. My goal was never to have a stereotypical band and make traveling a priority for us. It was always simply something extra that I enjoyed doing whenever I got a call from someone needing a worship leader.
My brother, Aaron, was always a constant in our travels and it wasn’t till three years ago when I invited Hudson, Austin, and Kaylin to travel with me, learn how to serve well, and begin creating together. I think the Summer of 2017 was pivotal for us coming together and realizing that it wasn’t an accident that we were working together. We did a five week camp with FUGE that took us to multiple states and serving a few thousand students and while it ended up being one of the most rewarding summers, was incredibly difficult and taxing. After that summer of serving and realizing that these people had great chemistry together, we decided to dream up a brand name and begin writing music together. Since the start of 2019, we have released 3 EPS, two singles with one more on the way, and have been a part of watching God work and redeem students across the country.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all. Working with people is obviously difficult but being vulnerable in writing sessions, driving hours in a van, and creating art is a whole different ballgame. We love each other dearly but sometimes we step on nerves and choose not to honor one another as we should. Clear communication is a constant struggle for us. Whether it’s me as the leader clearly communicating expectations and directives or my team being clear about their needs, desires and experiences, we all struggle in this aspect of teamwork. However, they are always willing to sit down, hear each other out, and work through whatever is in front of us.
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
Portraits Music is a ministry that serves churches, ministries, and people with music that is designed to point people to Jesus. Whether we are playing our own music or covering popular worship songs, our desire is to create avenues for people to worship Jesus fully. We are known for being able to do high energy worship without sacrificing deep and relevant theology in our setlists. We believe that being joyful and expressive and contemplative and reverent arent mutually exclusive in worship. I think what sets my team apart from others is that they truly believe that our job doesn’t begin when we are on a platform and they are active in building and engaging in relationships with the community that we go to serve.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moment was when Austin, our drummer, was asked a question by a student when we were on a panel about giving advice to someone wanting to be a traveling drummer. His response was perfect. He said, “No one is going to remember anything you do on the drumset. But they will remember that you went our of your way to have a conversation, learn their name, and get to know someone.” That has been my main goal with my team since we started working together that we would be people who love and serve people first and make honest and solid music second.
Contact Info:
- Website: portraitsmsc.com
- Phone: 9562124902
- Email: portraitsmsc@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/portraitsmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PortraitsMSC
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Nr4mnEnjp7TpmhVKkzggu?si=TQ4UeZraR0WdiJTVlAmjPQ
Image Credit:
Mitchell Martin Photography
Suggest a story: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
