About
Juan Sanchez’s was born in San Diego in a musically inclined family. His career as a performer began at the age of two in his mother’s Mexican ballet folkloric dance troupe, the “Children’s Cultural Center Ballet Xochitl”. Juan grew up in Chula Vista and always enrolled in all the music and art classes. Surrounding him-self by musicians and artists. At 17, while still in high school, Juan became a professional musician when he auditioned and was selected as one of the top two percussionists in the San Diego County for the Sea World’s “Sea Stars” band. During this time he was instructing several high school drum-lines.
He continued to work during the summer in Sea World’s entertainment department for 2 years. Opening up for Sea World’s Shamu and Ski Show. Later he auditioned and was accepted to the SDSU music program. Juan continued to becoming drum section leader for the Marching Aztecs, while simultaneously performing and touring with a Scottish pipe band called the “Cameron Highlanders”. During the summer for 2 years he would commute to Anaheim Los Angeles California drumming with the Velvet Knights Drum and Bugle Core under the direction of Tom Float, former instructor and arranger for the Blue Devils. Later that year with Paul Rennick instructor and arranger from Phantom Regiment and Santa Clara Vanguard. The pioneers of international rudimental drumming and the contributers of hybrid rudiments. It was also at SDSU, under the direction of Mark Lamson, where Juan began his study on Latin percussion. In 2004, he founded the longest running Afro-Cuban Drumming program in San Diego at the World Beat Cultural Center. In 2006, Sanchez travelled to Cuba where he was formally introduced to Afro-Cuban music with Pepito Fernandez, a local rumbero from the Calljon de Jamel.
Sanchez is grateful for his roles as a musician and instructor. He performs regularly in the Latin and Reggae scene in Southern California and Mexico. In addition to teaching Latin percussion, Juan has worked with various high and middle school drumlines in the South Bay. For Sanchez, music is his life and the path he has chosen to express himself. He is quoted as saying: “I’m my own worst critic.” He is easily inspired by everyone and everything and is a student of life.